Chapter 5
If your iMac is connected to the Internet, you can browse or surf the sites on the World Wide Web. For surfing, OS X provides a web browser app called Safari. Using Safari, you can quickly move from one web page to another, search for interesting sites, and download files to your iMac.
Open Several Web Pages at the Same Time
Return to a Recently Visited Page
Create Bookmarks for Web Pages
Share Web Pages with Other People
Follow Links Others Share with You
Select Essential Security Settings
Open a Web Page
The Safari app included with OS X enables you to browse the web in various ways. The most straightforward way to reach a web page is to type or paste its unique address, which is called a uniform resource locator or URL, into the address box in Safari.
This technique works well for short addresses but is slow and awkward for complex addresses. Instead, you can click a link or click a bookmark for a page you have marked.
Open a Web Page
) on the Dock.Safari opens.
Triple-click anywhere in the address box or press 
+
.
Safari selects the current address.
Type the URL of the web page you want to visit.
Note: You do not need to type the http:// part of the address. Safari adds this automatically for you when you press 
.
Press .
Safari displays the web page.
Follow a Link to a Web Page
After opening a web page in Safari, you can click a link on it to navigate to another page or another marked location on the same page. Most web pages contain multiple links to other pages, which may be either on the same website or on another website. Some links are underlined, whereas others are attached to graphics or to different-colored text. When you position the mouse pointer over a link, the mouse pointer changes from the standard arrow (
) to a hand with a pointing finger (
).
Follow a Link to a Web Page
In Safari, position the mouse pointer over a link ( changes to ).
A The address of the linked web page appears in the status bar.
Note: If the Safari window is not showing the status bar, click View and select Show Status Bar to display it.
Click the link.
Safari shows the linked web page.
B The address of the linked web page appears in the address box.
Open Several Web Pages at the Same Time
Safari enables you to open multiple web pages at the same time, which is useful for browsing quickly and easily. You can open multiple pages either on separate tabs in the same window or in separate windows. You can drag a tab from one window to another.
Use separate tabs when you need to see only one of the pages at a time. Use separate windows when you need to compare two pages side by side.
Open Several Web Pages at the Same Time
Open Several Pages on Tabs in the Same Safari Window
Go to the first page you want to view.
Note: You can also click Add (
) or press +
to open a new tab showing your home page. Type a URL in the address box, and then press to go to the page.
Press 
+click a link.
The shortcut menu opens.
Click Open Link in New Tab.
A Safari opens the linked web page in a new tab.
Note: You can now repeat steps 2 and 3 to open further pages on separate tabs.
To change the page Safari shows, click the tab for the page you want to see.
Open Several Pages in Separate Safari Windows
Go to the first page you want to view.
Press +click a link.
The shortcut menu opens.
Click Open Link in New Window.
Note: You can also open a new window by pressing +
.
B Safari opens the linked web page in a new window.
To move back to the previous window, click it. If you cannot see the previous window, click Window and then select the window on the Window menu.
Note: You can also move back to the previous window by closing the new window you just opened.
Note: Press + 
to cycle forward through windows and +
+ to cycle backward.
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Can I change the way that Safari tabs and windows behave?
Click Safari and select Preferences to open the Preferences window, and then click Tabs. Click the Open pages in tabs instead of windows pop-up menu (
) and then click Never, Automatically, or Always, as needed. Press +click to open a link in a new tab (
changes to 
) to use for opening a new tab. Click When a new tab or window opens, make it active ( changes to ) if you want to switch to the new tab or window on opening it. Click Close (
) to close the Preferences window.
Navigate Among Web Pages
Safari makes it easy to navigate among the web pages you browse. Safari tracks the pages that you visit, so that the pages form a path. You can go back along this path to return to a page you viewed earlier; after going back, you can go forward again as needed.
Safari keeps a separate path of pages in each open tab or window, so you can move separately in each tab or window.
Navigate Among Web Pages
Go Back One Page
In Safari, click Previous Page (
).
Safari displays the previous page you visited in the current tab or window.
Click Next Page (
).
Note: The Next Page button is available only when you have gone back. Until then, there is no page for you to go forward to.
Safari displays the next page for the current tab or window.
Go Back Multiple Pages
Click Previous Page () and keep holding down the mouse button.
A pop-up menu opens showing the pages you have visited in the current tab or window.
Click the page you want to visit.
Safari displays the page.
Click Next Page () and keep holding down the mouse button.
A pop-up menu opens showing the pages further along the path for the current tab or window.
Click the page you want to visit.
Safari displays the page.
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How can I navigate with the keyboard?
You can use these following keyboard shortcuts:
• Press +
to display the previous page.
• Press +
to display the next page.
• Press ++
to display your home page.
• Press ++ to display the previous tab.
• Press ++ to display the next tab.
• Press +
to close the current tab and display the previous tab. If the window has no tabs, this command closes the window.
• Press ++ to close the current window and display the previous window, if there is one.
Return to a Recently Visited Page
To help you return to web pages you have visited before, Safari keeps a History list of all the pages you have visited recently.
Normally, each person who uses your iMac has a separate user account, so each person has his own History. But if you share a user account with other people, you can clear the History list to prevent them from seeing what web pages you have visited. You can also shorten the length of time for which History tracks your visits.
Return to a Recently Visited Page
Return to a Page on the History List
In Safari, click History.
The History menu opens.
A If a menu item for the web page you want appears on the top section of the History menu, before the day submenus, simply click the item.
Highlight or click the day on which you visited the web page.
The submenu opens, showing the sites you visited on that day.
Click the web page to which you want to return.
Safari displays the web page.
Clear Your Browsing History
Click History.
The History menu opens.
Click Clear History.
The Are You Sure You Want to Clear History? dialog opens.
Click Also reset Top Sites ( changes to ) if you want to reset the list of sites you visit most frequently.
Click Clear.
Safari clears the History list.
Note: If you want to browse without History storing the list of web pages you visit, click Safari and then click Private Browsing. In the Do You Want to Turn on Private Browsing? dialog, click OK.
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What does the Show History command do?
Click History and select Show History to open a History window for browsing and searching the sites you have visited. Type a term in the search box in the lower right corner to search. Click the disclosure triangle (
changes to 
) to expand the list of entries in a day. Double-click a history item to open its page in the same window, or press +click a history item and click Open in New Tab or Open in New Window to open the page in a new tab or a new window.
Change Your Home Page
When you open a new window, Safari automatically displays your home page, the page it is configured to show at first. You can set your home page to any web page you want, to an empty page, or to the Top Sites screen. You can also control what page Safari shows when you open a new tab or a new window. Your choices are to display the Top Sites screen, your home page, an empty page, or the same page from which you opened the new tab or window.
Change Your Home Page
In Safari, navigate to the web page that you want to make your home page.
The Safari menu opens.
Click Preferences.
Note: You can also press + 
to open the Preferences window.
The Preferences window opens.
Click General.
The General pane opens.
Click Set to Current Page.
Safari changes the Home Page text field to show the page you chose.
Click the New windows open with pop-up menu () and select Top Sites, Homepage, Empty Page, or Same Page, as appropriate.
Click the New tabs open with pop-up menu () and select Top Sites, Homepage, Empty Page, or Same Page, as appropriate.
Click Close ().
The Preferences window closes.
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How can I display my home page in the current window?
Click History and select Home or press ++.
What setting should I choose for Remove History Items in General preferences?
Choose the setting that best matches the length of time you want to keep history items so you can browse or search them. Your choices are After one day, After one week, After two weeks, After one month, After one year, or Manually. If you select Manually, click History and select Clear History whenever you want to clear your History items.
Create Bookmarks for Web Pages
Safari enables you to create markers called bookmarks for the addresses of web pages you want to be able to revisit easily. When you find such a web page, you can create a bookmark for its address, assign the bookmark a descriptive name, and store it on the Favorites bar, on the Bookmarks menu, or in a Bookmark folder. You can then return to the web page’s address by clicking its bookmark. The content of the web page may have changed by the time you return.
Create Bookmarks for Web Pages
Create a New Bookmark
In Safari, navigate to a web page you want to bookmark.
Click Bookmarks.
The Bookmarks menu opens.
Click Add Bookmark.
Note: You can also press +
to open the Add Bookmark dialog.
The Add Bookmark dialog opens, with the web page’s title added to the upper box.
Click the Add this page to pop-up menu () and select the location or folder in which to store the bookmark.
Type a descriptive name for the bookmark.
Click Add.
The Add Bookmark dialog closes.
Safari creates the bookmark.
Organize Your Bookmarks
Click Show sidebar (
).
Safari displays the sidebar.
Click Bookmarks (
).
Safari displays the Bookmarks pane.
Click Add (
).
Safari adds a new bookmarks folder to the list.
Type the name for the new folder and press .
Click a collapsed folder to display its contents.
Click and drag a bookmark to the new folder.
Note: You can click and drag the bookmark folders into a different order. You can also place one folder inside another folder.
Click Show sidebar ().
Safari hides the sidebar.
Maintain a Reading List
Bookmarks are a handy way of marking the addresses of web pages you want to be able to visit repeatedly, but you may also want to save some web pages for later reading in their current state. Safari’s Reading List feature enables you to save pages like this.
You can quickly add the current web page to Reading List by giving the Add to Reading List command. Once you have added pages, you access Reading List through the sidebar.
Maintain a Reading List
Add a Web Page to Reading List
In Safari, navigate to a web page.
Click Add to Reading List (
).
Note: You can also click Bookmarks and select Add to Reading List or press ++.
Note: You can click Bookmarks and select Add These Tabs to Reading List to add all the tabs in the current window to Reading List.
Open Reading List and Display a Page
Click Show sidebar ().
Safari displays the sidebar.
Click Reading List (
).
The Reading List pane opens.
Click the item you want to read.
When you are ready to remove an item from Reading List, position the mouse pointer over its entry and click Delete (
).
Share Web Pages with Other People
Safari enables you to share web pages or their addresses quickly by using the Share button on the toolbar. You can send the page or its URL to someone else via AirDrop, e-mail, or instant messaging. Alternatively, you can share the page more widely by posting it to Twitter or Facebook.
When sharing via Mail, you can send the page as it is, a Reader version of the page, a PDF file showing the page, or a link to the page.
Share Web Pages with Other People
Share a Page via AirDrop
Navigate to the web page you want to share.
Click Share (
).
The Share pop-up menu opens.
Click AirDrop.
Click the person to whom you want to send the page.
Click Send.
AirDrop sends an invitation to receive the page. If the person accepts, AirDrop sends the page.
The AirDrop dialog closes.
Share a Link via E-Mail
Navigate to the web page you want to share.
Click Share ().
The Share pop-up menu opens.
Click Email This Page.
Mail creates a new message.
A The page’s title appears in the Subject box.
Add the recipient’s address.
Click the Send Web Content As pop-up menu () and select what to send: Web Page, Reader, PDF, or Link Only.
Note: Sending a link enables the recipient to view the latest version of the page.
Type any message needed.
Click Send (
).
Mail sends the message.
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How do I post a page on Twitter or Facebook?
Click Share () to open the Share pop-up menu. To share the link on Twitter, click Twitter. Type the text of the tweet, click Add Location if you want to add your location, and then click Send. To share the link on Facebook, click Facebook. Select the sharing group, such as Family or Friends. Type the text of the post, click Add Location if you want to add your location, and then click Post.
Follow Links Others Share with You
OS X and its apps enable you to follow links that other people share with you. When you receive a link in an e-mail message in Mail, you can preview the link to see if you want to follow it. You can then open the link in Safari or add it to Reading List.
If you open an AirDrop window or tab in the Finder, you can receive links via AirDrop. You can save these links and optionally open them in Safari.
Follow Links Others Share with You
Follow a Link Shared via AirDrop
Click Finder (
) on the Dock.
A Finder window opens.
Click AirDrop.
The AirDrop screen appears.
Note: You can minimize the AirDrop window or open another tab in front of it without deactivating AirDrop.
When you receive a link via AirDrop, click Save and Open.
A You can click Save to save the link without opening it.
Safari displays the linked page.
Follow a Link Shared via E-Mail
In Mail, click the message that contains the link.
Position the mouse pointer over the link.
Click the pop-up button (
).
The preview of the page appears.
Click Open with Safari.
B You can click Add to Reading List to add the web page to Reading List instead of opening it.
Safari displays the page.
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What other actions can I take with a link in Mail?
In Mail, you can press +click a link in a message to open the contextual menu, which contains actions you can take with the link. Click Open Link Behind Mail to open the link in Safari but keep Mail displayed so that you can finish reading your mail. Click Copy Link to copy the link so that you can paste it into a document.
Find Interesting Web Pages
Safari includes a built-in search capability that enables you to search the Internet using some of the largest search engines. You can search automatically with the search engine configured in Safari’s General preferences, but you can also easily switch to a different search engine for a particular search.
After searching, you can review the results the search engine returns and open links that seem promising.
Find Interesting Web Pages
Search with Your Default Search Engine
In Safari, click in the address box.
Start typing your search terms.
A The blue text shows your current search engine.
As you type, Safari displays suggested searches.
Click the search you want to use.
Note: If Safari does not display a search you want to use, type your remaining search terms and press .
Safari displays a page of search results.
Click a link to open a web page.
The web page opens.
Note: When examining search results, it is often useful to press +click a link and select Open in New Tab or Open in New Window. This way, the page of search results remains open, and you can follow other linked results as needed.
Use a Different Search Engine Temporarily
Click the Search icon in the address box.
The pop-up menu opens.
Click the search engine you want to use.
Safari switches to the search engine you select.
Type your search terms.
As you type, Safari displays suggested searches.
Click the search you want to use.
Download a File
Many websites provide files to download, and Safari makes it easy to download files from websites to your iMac’s file system. For example, you can download apps to install on your iMac, pictures to view on it, or songs to play.
OS X includes apps that can open many file types, including music, graphic, movie, document, and PDF files. To open other file types, you may need to install extra apps or add plug-in software components to extend the features of the apps you already have.
Download a File
In Safari, go to the web page that contains the link for the file you want to download.
Click the link.
Note: The indicator on the Downloads button (
) shows the progress of the download.
Click Downloads (
) to open the Downloads window.
When the download is complete, press +click the file in the Downloads window.
The shortcut menu opens.
Click Open.
Note: Depending on the file type and the preferences you have set, Safari may open the file automatically for you.
The file opens.
Depending on the file type, you can then work with the file, enjoy its contents, or install it.
Note: If the file is an app, you can install it as discussed in Chapter 3. If the file is a data file, such as a document or a picture, OS X opens the file in the app for that file type.
If the file disappears from the Downloads window and Safari does not open the file for you, click Downloads on the Dock.
The Downloads stack opens.
Click the file you downloaded.
The file opens.
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What should I do when clicking a download link opens the file instead of downloading it?
If clicking a download link on a web page opens the file instead of downloading it, press +click the link, and then click Download Linked File. Safari saves the file in your Downloads folder. To save the file in a different folder or under a different name of your choice, click Download Linked File As. Safari opens a dialog in which you can specify the folder and filename.
Select Essential Security Settings
The web is packed with fascinating sites and useful information, but it is also full of malefactors and criminals who want to attack your iMac and steal your valuable data.
Safari enables you to protect your iMac and your data by configuring security settings. Your options include preventing Safari from automatically opening supposedly safe files you download, refusing unwanted cookie files, and removing stored passwords. You can also block pop-up windows, which malicious websites can use to distribute malevolent software.
Select Essential Security Settings
The Safari menu opens.
Click Preferences.
The Preferences window opens.
Click General.
The General pane opens.
Click Open “safe” files after downloading ( changes to ).
Click Security.
The Security pane opens.
Click Warn when visiting a fraudulent website ( changes to ).
Click Block pop-up windows ( changes to ).
Note: Some websites need pop-up windows to function properly. When you visit such a site, click Safari and click Block Pop-up Windows to temporarily allow pop-ups. Repeat the command afterward to block pop-up windows again.
The Privacy pane opens.
Click From third parties and advertisers (
changes to 
).
Click Prompt for each website once each day ( changes to ).
Click Ask websites not to track me ( changes to ) if you want to request not to be tracked. Websites may not honor this request.
Click Do not preload Top Hit in the background ( changes to ).
Click Passwords.
The Passwords pane opens.
A You can click a stored password and click Remove.
Click Allow AutoFill even for websites that request passwords not be saved ( changes to ).
B You can click AutoFill user names and passwords ( changes to ) to prevent Safari automatically entering your usernames and passwords.
Click Close ().
The Preferences window closes.