Apple has unveiled a new and useful tool for Safari that allows users to export or import browsing data, including bookmarks, history, extensions, credit card details, and usernames and passwords. This feature facilitates transferring data between Safari and other browsers like Brave or Orion, creating backups, or syncing Safari passwords with third-party password managers such as Proton Pass.

This functionality is available on iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS 15.2, and visionOS 2.2, which were released on December 11, 2024. Whether you're looking to back up your data, switch browsers, or manage your digital life across devices, Safari's import/export tool offers enhanced control and simplifies the process. Let's explore how it functions.

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Exporting Your Browsing Data from Safari

This feature is compatible with all Apple platforms that support browsing. On iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and visionOS 18.2 and later, you can find the export option under Settings ? Apps ? Safari ? Export. On macOS 15.2 and later, navigate to File ? Export Browsing Data to File.

When you start the export process, you can select what data to export. The data will be compiled into a single zip archive and saved to your iCloud Drive's Downloads folder. If you use multiple profiles, you can choose a specific one or opt for "All" or "All Profiles" to export data from all profiles.

• Bookmarks: Consistent across all profiles.
• History: Unique to each profile.
• Extensions: Unique to each profile.
• Credit Cards: Consistent across all profiles.
• Passwords: Consistent across all profiles.

Apple notes that the exported data is not encrypted, meaning anyone with access to the file on iCloud Drive or elsewhere can view its contents by unzipping it. After importing the data into your desired browser, it's advisable to delete the zip file and any extracted files for security reasons.

Once you're ready, select "Save to Downloads" or click "Download." On iOS and iPadOS, the file saves automatically, while on macOS, you can rename and choose a different save location before clicking "Save." On an iPhone or iPad, you can tap the file link to view the zip in the Files app or tap "Done" to exit the export tool. Opening the zip in Files or Finder will extract the archive, creating a folder with your data.

Exported File Formats

Upon unzipping the file, a folder with the same name will appear, containing the selected data types. For instance, exporting only bookmarks will result in a single file.

These files are human-readable, with varying levels of readability:

• Bookmarks.html contains all your bookmarks in an HTML file formatted as Netscape Bookmarks. You can open this in a web browser to manually extract links if needed.
• Passwords.csv is a CSV file with your usernames, passwords, and multifactor authentication (MFA) codes, along with associated websites. This can be opened in any spreadsheet program.
• History.json is a JSON file with your Safari browsing history. Each profile has its own JSON file, which can be opened in any text editor.
• PaymentCards.json is a JSON file with your stored credit card information in Safari. It can be opened in any text editor.
• Extensions.json is a JSON file detailing the extensions installed in Safari. Each profile has its own JSON file, which can be opened in any text editor.

Importing Your Browsing Data into Third-Party Browsers

Most third-party desktop browsers allow easy import of bookmarks, and the process is typically straightforward. Some also support importing auto-fill data like payment cards and passwords.

On iOS and iPadOS, however, finding browser apps with this capability can be challenging. For example, you can import bookmarks into Brave, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, and Orion, but not into some more popular browsers. Orion also supports importing passwords. It's often easier to import data into a desktop browser and then sync it with the mobile app. Some data, like extensions, can only be re-imported into Safari.

Importing Safari bookmarks in Brave.

You can also import data into third-party browsers on other platforms like Android and Windows. Desktop apps generally make this process easier, as many mobile browsers lack import features.

Importing Your Browsing Data into Safari

You can import data from third-party browsers if they provide files in formats compatible with Safari. For example, if your browser exports bookmarks in HTML and passwords in CSV, you can import them into Safari. Apple provides an example of downloading Chrome data from Google Takeout and importing it into Safari on a Mac.

In our example, we'll import Safari data into Safari on another device. This might be necessary if you're restoring data to a new device not synced with iCloud or transferring history between computers not linked to your iCloud account.

On iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and visionOS 18.2 and later, the import option is found in Settings ? Apps ? Safari ? Import. On macOS 15.2 and later, use File ? Import Browsing Data from File or Folder.

Select "Choose File" or "Choose File or Folder" and pick from the following options in Files or Finder. File and folder names may differ, but the file type should match:

• Bookmarks.html
• Passwords.csv
• History.json
• PaymentCards.json
• Extensions.json
• Folder containing one or more of the above
• Zip file containing one or more of the above

On iOS and iPadOS, Safari will read the file and display how many extensions, bookmarks, passwords, credit cards, and historical sites will be imported. From there, tap "Import to Safari" or click "Import" to bring your browsing data into Safari.

Data Security

As previously mentioned, the exported data is not encrypted, even if it was encrypted in Safari. This means anyone with access to the exported zip file or its contents can view sensitive information like account usernames, passwords, and credit card details. It's crucial to secure these exports, storing them safely and deleting them once they're no longer needed.

Developer Extensible

Safari exports browsing data in open file formats, facilitating easy import by other browsers. Apple offers documentation on its Developer website to help third-party browsers support importing and exporting browsing data with Safari.

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Cover photo and screenshots by Gadget Hacks

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