Safari for Windows: How to Install and Test Websites on Safari

Last Updated on 21 March 2025

Ensuring cross-browser compatibility stands as the primary essential task during website development. Your site could navigate differently through multiple browsers since they show HTML and CSS elements and JavaScript syntax at slightly varying rates.

Users running macOS or iOS systems frequently select Safari because Apple produces this web browser. The official withdrawal of Safari from Windows platforms presents web developers with testing complexities for their websites within this browser platform.

This guide on Safari for Windows will demonstrate Safari website installation and testing procedures for Windows even though Safari support has ended. Additionally, it will share best practices for executing browser compatibility tests.

Why You Need to Test Websites on Safari

After understanding the essential reasons behind this requirement, we must examine the specific steps of website installation and testing on Safari for Windows.

1. Apple Ecosystem: The Safari browser is the default software on Apple machines, which controls a notable percentage of the user population. Your site’s failure to operate properly on Safari will result in lost audience members. Apple’s commitment to standards leads to different behavior in the browser, which requires thorough testing.

2. Rendering Differences: Browser rendering consistency is good between current browsers, yet they occasionally show slight variations in content presentation. Safari carries out font management together with page arrangements, including JavaScript processing, which may deviate from standard browser implementation by Chrome and Firefox. A Safari test helps you determine that your website functions properly.

3. Performance Considerations: Safari is often optimized for Apple hardware. Thus, web performance might differ significantly on macOS and iOS devices. Testing on Safari ensures that your website performs optimally on the devices that Apple users use.

4. Mobile Device Usage: iPhone and iPad users rely heavily on Safari browser since these devices control more than half of the mobile market today. A Safari test should be the first step of your website performance checks since mobile users heavily use Apple products for everyday browsing needs. A mobile-friendly design is crucial, and Safari’s unique rendering behavior should be part of the evaluation.

5. Security Standards: Privacy and security remain among the primary priorities for developing Apple products through their commitment to security standards. Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) system can influence website user tracking and interaction procedures. Testing on Safari helps ensure that your site complies with these security measures and that the user experience remains seamless without any compatibility issues related to security settings.

Challenges in Testing on Safari for Windows

Apple decided to terminate Safari browser support for Windows users at the beginning of 2012, including all future platform updates. Web developers who need to test their websites in the Safari operating system face difficulties, particularly among those who use Windows-based machines.

Users of Safari for Windows could access this browser through version 5.1.7 until Apple terminated development for the platform entirely. You can install Safari version 5.1.7 on Windows, but you will face several difficulties during installation.

1. Outdated Version: Safari Version 5.1.7 represents the last edition of Safari for Windows; thus, it remains outdated since crucial security updates are no longer available. Testing your website through Safari will provide results from an obsolete browser version since Safari is currently unavailable for the latest version.

2. Limited Features: Related features are missing from the browser because Apple discontinued Windows support, which makes it difficult to obtain precise representations of how your site appears on current Safari platforms.

Application developers can still perform basic Safari testing through available workarounds, even when operating Windows. Several alternative approaches exist for testing iOS.

Installing Safari for Windows (Version 5.1.7)

Users can access Safari version 5.1.7 despite the platform’s official discontinuation of support for the browser on Windows PC systems. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Find a Reliable Source

Obtaining Safari for Windows requires finding a reliable platform different from Apple’s website because the official version is no longer available at its web address. Some reputable websites that still host the old version of Safari are:

• OldVersion.com
• FileHippo

Choosing a reliable source in the first step helps you avoid downloading harmful software.

Step 2: Download the Installer

Search for an established website that hosts the Safari 5.1.7 Windows installer. Find a file named “SafariSetup.exe” as its appropriate title.

Step 3: Run the Installer

The download process ends when you can begin executing the installer file. The installation requires your confirmation to obtain installation-related permissions. Proceed with the installation steps provided on the screen display.

Step 4: Launch Safari

After installation, users can execute Safari through the Start menu or by activating desktop shortcuts. Remember that this Safari version is outdated so that some websites might display imperfectly, yet the testing process can begin here.

Alternatives to Safari for Windows

The discontinued update cycle of Safari for Windows does not prevent users from testing their sites on Safari through alternative means using current browser versions.

1.     Using Browser Testing Tools (Cross-Browser Testing Services)

One of Safari’s most effective ways to test websites is to use cloud-based cross-browser testing services. Without having to install them locally, these services let you operate your website on various browsers and devices, including Safari.

Although there are several well-known choices, today we’ll focus on LambdaTest in this part. It’s an AI-native cloud testing platform with a lot of functionality for testing Safari. Let’s have a look at how LambdaTest can improve the efficiency of your web testing procedure.

LambdaTest functions as a cloud-based platform for cross-browser testing. It enables users to run their websites within different real browsers, including Safari, together with virtual operating systems and devices. The platform aims to provide developers and testers with tools to validate their websites’ conformance to expected functionality during Safari browser version testing, as Safari testing remains essential for Apple device users.

How to Use LambdaTest for Safari Testing

Using LambdaTest to test websites on Safari is easy. Here’s a simple step-by-step process:

• Sign Up for LambdaTest: The first step to using LambdaTest is to create an account. After the free trial, you can choose from different payment plans according to your requirements.

• Select Safari and Device: After logging in, visit the browser selection option to select Safari. LambdaTest’s capability to test Safari in different configurations permits you to confirm compatibility with present and previous Safari versions.

• Enter Your Website URL: The website URL should be entered, after which LambdaTest launches Safari to display the selected macOS or iOS version.

• Live Testing and Debugging: With LambdaTest live testing, you can interact with your website directly on the Safari browser in real time. The platform provides functions to examine web page elements while you monitor the site layout, which helps you address any bugs.

• Automated Testing: LambdaTest enables users to perform automated testing through its integrated platform, which supports Selenium automation testing. It also enables you to design test scripts that verify your website works optimally across different Safari versions.

LambdaTest Features for Safari Testing

The LambdaTest platform includes multiple features that enhance your testing process, particularly for Safari:

• Real Browser Testing: Testing your website on operating system-level Safari browsers provides more precise results than using emulators or simulators during testing.

• Multiple Safari Versions: The platform enables users to access and evaluate Safari through different testing environments across multiple version options for backward compatibility.

• Live Testing & Debugging: Safari users can benefit from interactive testing and debugging when they use the platform to identify and solve any detected issues immediately.

• Automated Testing: Automated Testing allows you to perform Safari cross-browser tests using Selenium in order to enhance your CI/CD pipeline integration.

• Screenshot and Visual Testing: You must create professional screenshots from your website in Safari and then do visual checks between multiple browser versions for maintaining constant layout delivery.

Pros of Using LambdaTest for Safari Testing

• Real Safari Testing: LambdaTest’s service delivers active Safari browsers, enabling macOS and iOS users to experience accurate testing.

• Multiple Safari Versions: The compatibility testing for your site should include multiple Safari versions to verify proper performance with existing and former versions of Safari.

• QA: LambdaTest’s comprehensive testing suite ensures that your website undergoes thorough QA checks, guaranteeing it meets the required standards for performance, functionality, and user experience across different Safari versions.

• Cloud-Based: The platform functions within the cloud environment so users do not need to install application programs. Users can work with LambdaTest from any location because it functions through a cloud-based operation.

2.     Using Virtual Machines (VMs) for Safari Testing

Websites can be tested on Safari using virtual machines (VMs) as a testing platform. To evaluate Safari on macOS, MacOS can run directly from a VM that operates on a Windows machine. This approach requires high system requirements and resource demands, but it allows users to access Safari’s most up-to-date versions.

Steps to Set Up a VM for macOS:

• Install a Virtual Machine Software: You need to download Virtual Machine software, which includes both VirtualBox and VMware Workstation Player.
• Get a macOS Image: Obtaining a macOS Image through its ISO format will enable VM installation of macOS. Apple mandates that installation of their images requires an authentic MacOS license.
• Install macOS on the VM: You will find directions on VM macOS installation through your chosen virtual machine application interface.
• Install Safari: Safari becomes available following the installation of macOS inside the Virtual Machine. You can test your website directly on the latest version of Safari.

Pros:

• Access to the latest version of Safari
• Full macOS environment for testing
• No need for physical Apple hardware

Cons:

• Complex setup process
• Resource-heavy
• Legal issues around macOS virtualization

3.     Using a Mac in the Cloud

Cloud-based Mac rental services enable remote testing of websites using Safari by providing users with macOS platform access. The remote access options work best for users who want to avoid VM creation or Apple device purchase.

Popular Mac in the Cloud Services:

• MacStadium
• Amazon EC2 Mac Instances
• MacMiniVault

These services typically charge by the hour or month and provide access to a Mac server where you can test websites on Safari.

4.     Using Browser Emulators

The simulation accuracy of Safari browser operations through emulators typically falls short of the results you would get from using Safari directly. These diagnosis tools will offer generic website behavior information without providing complete test capabilities.

• How to Use: Search for a browser emulator that supports Safari, then load your website to test.
• Pros: Easy to use, no installation needed.
• Cons: Inaccurate, often lacks real-world behavior.

In Conclusion

Software testing in Safari remains critical for obtaining cross-browser features that benefit users from Apple devices. Trusted alternatives such as LambdaTest, virtual machines, and remote Mac services exist to allow website testing on Safari despite the discontinued support for the Windows Safari browser. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of different options and employ the tools to achieve website optimization for all platforms, including iPhone Series devices and macOS systems. The platform selection for Safari browsing on Windows matters, but thorough test practices ensure that users can achieve seamless browsing regardless of their choice between outdated versions and advanced solutions.

Website accessibility and functional durability depend on proper proactive testing of different browsers. Web innovation, together with adapting user needs, will lead to the development of innovative testing tools for future web environments. Through the adoption of current innovations, your website will offer optimal usability for all platforms.