How To Test Safari On Windows (and Linux)

Like it or not, Safari is one of the leading browsers, especially on mobile. Sure, it’s not nearly as popular as Chrome, but still, you have to test website compatibility with it. It’s easy enough when you have a Mac, but what if you don’t? Today we’ll tell you how to test Safari on Windows and Linux.

How To Test Safari On Windows 

Testing browsers has been important since the dawn of the web. You must check whether your website or an app runs okay, no matter the platform. There are many factors to remember: screen sizes, resolutions, and hardware. People can use desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, all of which are different. Testing for all of that is a major headache. Thankfully, there are ways to save time and nerves.

The best platform we like using is BrowserStack. It’s the industry leader when it comes to testing. It supports over 200 real mobile devices (over the cloud) and browsers. It does cost you money, but imagine having to buy all those devices yourself? It’s as close as you can get to the real thing without buying every device. 

The only real problem is that the price can be a bit much for smaller companies. 

You can also use the tool called Playwright. It’s a cross-browser testing tool that supports all modern browsers, from Firefox to Safari (WebKit). You can use it for testing on Windows and Linux (and Mac), both locally and not. 

If you’re on Linux, the Epiphany browser (or GNOME web) uses the same engine as Safari. Most of the problems these two browsers share. It’s not perfect, but it’s free! You can also use the browser in Windows 11, thanks to WSLg.

The last, less user-friendly way of testing Safari is to install Hackintosh on a virtual machine. That way, you can run “true” Safari. Add to the mix an iPhone simulator with XCode, and you’ll be able to test for mobile bugs as well. That method is tricky and thus not recommended, but more tech-savvy users have been using it for years.