Feb 20, 2019 Alternatively, for Mac App Store apps you can click and hold on the icon in Launchpad and click the âXâ button that appears. When an app is uninstalled, your Mac will keep your preferences just in case you ever wish to use that app again. These preferences files are usually tiny and hidden away, so you donât need to worry about removing them. From the pop-up menu, choose an application that Mac OS X believes will open this document type. (Optional) If you click the Change All button at the bottom of the Open With pane, you make Pixelmator the new default application for all.tif files that would otherwise be opened in Preview.
Posted on July 8, 2020
Safari is getting a major overhaul in macOS 11 Big Sur, and one of the most important privacy enhancements has to do with browser extensions. In this article, weâll give you some background to the issue of browser extensions and privacy, talk about whatâs planned for Safari 14, and tell you how to stay safe in the meantime.
What are browser extensions?
Browser extensions or browser add-ons are small but powerful programs that extend the functionality of your web browser. Every major web browser supports them. Browser extensions do all sorts of things: There are password managers, ad blockers, grammar checkers, color pickers, and more!
Some browser extensions are built by large companies that youâre already very familiar with, but there are tons of extensions created by indie developers and small organizations too.
![]() How do browser extensions relate to privacy?
In order to add functionality to your web browser, an extension needs certain permissions and access rights on your system. Depending on what a browser extension does, it may ask for permissions to read and alter content on the web pages you visit; to access your microphone or camera; to make changes to your files; or to know your geographic location.
If that sounds scary to you, well, in one sense thatâs good â many people are far too casual about the permissions that they give to their browser extensions. But thereâs no reason for alarm: Most of the time, extensions are on the up and up, and the permissions they request make sense. After all, how could an ad blocker effectively block ads if it couldnât see the web pages you were visiting or remove elements from them? How would a password manager function if it couldnât read and write to website form fields?
Yet while many browser extensions are completely legitimate, some do pose a privacy threat to users â and because of the huge number of available extensions, itâs difficult for Google, Mozilla, and Apple to guarantee the safety of every single one of them.
How can browser extensions threaten privacy?
Due to their powerful permissions, browser extensions are potentially serious privacy threats. Best mac cleaning software.
The most common risk comes from developers who use their extensions to collect and resell anonymized user data to third parties â usually to marketing, advertising, and analytics companies. While this is not exactly new territory for Internet users, itâs something to be aware of â especially considering that âanonymizedâ data doesnât always live up to its name.
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Another risk comes in the form of ad injection. Because extensions can alter web page data, they can be used by malicious parties to serve ads to users (ads which sometimes sell bogus or shady products). This is a common feature of adware on macOS: A âhelpfulâ toolbar is added to Safari as an extension, and suddenly web pages and search results start to display strange advertisements. Such ads are (at best) annoying and unhelpful, and may even redirect users to sites with truly malicious content.
An even more serious danger comes from extensions that log personally identifiable information or sensitive user data. Truly sketchy extensions may be set up for the express purpose of collecting and monetizing user data; but even legitimate extensions can contain security flaws that accidentally expose user information.
Why donât they do something about it?
You may be wondering why Chrome, Firefox, Safari and others donât do more to stop malicious browser extensions. Itâs a reasonable question, but in fairness to Google, Mozilla, and Apple, they are taking action to make their browser extension marketplaces safer. The web stores for the major web browsers are constantly monitored, and offending extensions are frequently deleted. Sometimes, if a problem is serious enough, there will be a major policy change (Google, for example, completely banned cryptocurrency mining extensions from the Chrome Web Store after numerous instances of abuse).
But the hard truth is that there are just too many developers and extensions for the big browser vendors to catch everything â a phenomenon which parallels what weâve seen in the App Store. There is also the issue of bad actors buying or even hijacking legitimate extensions, which they then repurpose for malicious activities. Itâs hard to defend users against an extension that had a perfect track record right up until its developer got hacked!
How will the new Safari help?
Safari 14 will give end users more control over the data that they share with their browser extensions, and will address web privacy issues generally.
This update comes as Apple rolls out new tools that make it easier for developers to create extensions for Safari â or to quickly port existing Chrome and Firefox extensions to Safari. This is great news for Safari users, since it will likely result in a far greater range of Safari browser extensions to choose from, but more extensions also means that bad actors may have an easier time slipping through the cracks.
Mac Extensions List
So how does Safari 14 attempt to improve web privacy?
First, Safariâs new Privacy Report feature will allow users to see all of the blocked trackers on any given website. This kind of deep visibility into how websites are monitoring their visitors is already available through third-party tools, but now that itâs built into Safari, many more people will be aware of how much theyâre being tracked online.
Secondly, in terms of browser extension privacy specifically, Safari 14 users will be able to grant permissions to an extension for a single site only, for just one day, or for all websites all of the time. This means that it will now be possible to use a browser extension without giving it access to all of your web browsing activity. It also means youâll be able to try out new browser extensions safely, and grant access to infrequently used extensions on an as-needed basis. Some people have described the new feature as âsandboxing for browser extensionsâ, which is a pretty nifty way of summarizing how this change to Safari will protect users â and how it fits into Appleâs overall model of security and privacy.
How can I stay safe?
Safari 14 is currently in beta testing, and should roll out to Mac users with macOS 11 â probably in the early autumn of 2020. If youâre concerned about browser extension privacy in the meantime, here are some things you can do to stay safe:
1
Limit your extensions
Given all of the issues with browser extensions and user privacy, the best thing you can do is limit the number of extensions that you install. Start by performing an audit of your installed extensions. In Safari, you can do this by going to Safari > Preferences > Extensions. You can do the same thing in Chrome by going to More tools > Extensions; and in Firefox itâs Add-ons > Extensions. If you see any extensions that you havenât used in a while, or that you donât really think you need, uninstall them.
2
Research before installing
Before installing a new extension, read the reviews in the web store, and do a quick search for the name of the developer. Take a look at the experiences others have had with the extensions â including recent performance issues that may indicate a new development team behind the app. If you spot any red flags, youâre better off not installing the extension.
3
Watch for changes
If youâve had an extension for a while, and you suddenly notice that itâs requesting permissions that it had never asked for before, be careful. The extension may simply have some new functionality that requires additional access, but this can also be a sign that the extension has been sold (or compromised) and is now under the control of people who plan to invade your privacy for profit.
4
Go native
Many people turn to browser extensions for functionality that they think they canât get any other way. But Apple has a powerful suite of native tools and utilities â some of them not very well-known â and these can often accomplish the same tasks as extensions without any of the privacy worries. To offer just one example, color pickers are a popular type of browser extension, but Appleâs built-in Digital Color Meter app does the exact same thing, and is just a Spotlight search away!
Closer to the public release of Safari 14, weâll have additional updates and how-tos about the browserâs security and privacy features. In the meantime, stay safe with the tips above, and if you have any questions about browser extension security, feel free to write to us and ask!
Undoubtedly, Mac OS X mail programs are bundled with all the basic email needs and functionalities. But, if you need more than just basic capabilities then what? Well, in such a case, switching to best Apple mail extensions is a good idea as it helps manage emails like a specialist.
These small plugins boost your productivity without occupying much space. They have a simple interface, innovative labels, multipurpose filters, enhanced security, new message notifications, and a lot more.
Hereâs a quick list of best Apple mail plugins that will turn your Apple Mail into a pretty powerful email client. Check them out.
10 Best Apple Mail Extensions1. Moom
Having trouble viewing content on your Mac? Use Moom one of the best Mac mail extensions to move and zoom windows with this nifty add-on. This Apple mail extension offers a wide array of option, once you install it move your mouse over the green zoom button on any window and perform the following actions:
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Know more:- Use Smart Reply For Instant Reply In Gmail
Besides this, drag the half/width icons to zoom Quarter, drag those icons for multiple displays. Plus, use Grid to resize and move windows by dragging mouses across segments. You can even zoom windows more by dragging them to screen edges.
2. MailSteward
MailSteward is an ultimate Apple mail extension, email manager as it is bundled with umpteen features to make your mailing experience enjoyable. Using this Apple mail plugin, you can archive emails from multiple accounts into a secure, single and searchable database. It has an easy-to-use interface and even imports and export email from Postbox for Mac and Apple Mail. Besides this, the thing that makes MailSteward Pro best Mac mail extension is added enterprise-level support for MySQL and Amazon cloud Aurora DB.
3. MailButler
Your personal assistant to manage your mails. It lets you add additional information to your emails by attaching notes, adding to-do items and reminders. You can even mark them as done once the task is completed. Besides, attach notes and tasks to outgoing emails, schedule emails to be sent later on a specific date and time. Additionally, with this one of the best Apple mail plugins get notified when a recipient opens your email, prepare template and save time, undo sent, attachment reminder, snooze and follow up reminder.
4. MailTags
Fourth in the list is MailTags. This best Mac mail extension helps organize messages by keywords, projects, importance, color, due data and more. You can create a rule to automatically assign tags to all incoming messages, search mails via mail tags and tag old mails. MailTags Apple mail plugin display tags in both message list and full message view and it operates with most IMAP server, Gmail servers, and Exchange servers.
Know more:-10 Useful Gmail Extensions to Boost your Productivity
5. Mail Act-On
Effortlessly manage your emails with Mail Act-On. A popular Mac mail extension that offers powerful keystroke rules and message filing interface, allowing you to take quick actions on your mail. The Apple mail plugin manages your outbox rules, you can automatically CC or BCC messages depending on rule criteria. Even you can choose where to archive an mail while sending it and reply with the template to save time.
6. SpamSieve![]()
Keep your inbox spam-free with SpamSieve best Mac mail extension. A local spam filter that saves your time by filtering spams emails from almost all email clients for Mac. It uses Bayesian spam filtering to provide accurate results. It learns and adapts to your mails to block almost all the junk without messing with the good message. Plus, it automatically maintains a whitelist to make sure that previous interactions arenât marked as spam. Besides this, you can quickly and easily control SpamSieve from within Apple Mail, Airmail, Entourage, MailMate, Mailsmith, Outlook, Postbox, PowerMail, and more. Additionally, it integrates with your contacts to put their messages directly in the inbox.
7. MsgFiler
Declutter your inbox and save time with a keyboard-based email filing application MsgFiler. Just type to filter down the mailboxes and press return to file sorted messages in Mail. Navigate, select, move and copy mails without taking your hands off the keyboard. Say goodbye to dragging and dropping emails and say hello to more time by your side to do important work with this best Mac mail extension.
8. DockStar
Keep an eye on your email messages with DockStar. This extension adds an extra badge to Mailâs dock icon thus helping you to sort unread messages from more than one mailbox.
Read More:-Use Smart Reply For Instant Reply In Gmail
9. MailHub
A smart Apple mail plugin to revolutionize your email management. It intelligently learns as you work and keeps your email organized. Further, this best Mac mail extension allows users to set reminders on emails for easy follow-ups, auto files sent an email to the mailbox and optionally fill the related inbox with sent message. Plus, it colors messages and swap to/from field for sent messages, creates a new mailbox when new filing category comes up. Preview changes before making them/undo changes as required.
10. Herald
Go beyond Macâs built-in notifications with Herald. It allows performing common actions directly from within the notification windows, including message deleting, replying to them and marking as read. Besides this, Herald best Mac mail extension has a Message Grouping feature that helps to cut down on clutter and allows to read the full message by using scrollable window.
These Apple mail plugins will surely enhance your Mac mail functionality and will make things easy. No need to remember when to reply or send an email. As these best Apple plugins will help stay organized. Leave all your mail burden to these best Apple mail extensions and use your time on other more important things. All your mails organized, managed and synced in one place.
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