Apple’s Safari browser now has more than 1 billion users

Browsers can connect you to any place on the internet. It retrieves and renders data to show it nicely on your screen. Nowadays, you can choose from an extensive range of programs. However, some browsers can be better for your privacy and security.

According to the findings by the Atlas VPN team, 1,006,232,879 internet users (19.16% of all internet users) now use the Safari browser, making it the second browser with over a billion users. Nevertheless, Google Chrome firmly remains at the top as the most popular browser.

The statistics are based on the GlobalStats browser market share percentage, which was then converted into numbers using the Internet World Stats internet user metric to retrieve the exact numbers.

Safari browser now has more than 1 billion users. Apple developed browser is automatically installed on every iPhone and Mac computer. Safari has implemented several privacy features to ensure its users' security. The browser’s privacy report shows how many and which cross-site trackers Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) stopped from accessing your information.

Google Chrome is the most popular browser worldwide, with over 3.3 billion users. Application driven design of Chrome attracted more and more people to try out the browser. Web applications including YouTube, Drive, Calendar, Docs, Earth, Maps, and others became a gateway into Google’s ecosystem of online services.

Compared to last year’s statistics, Microsoft Edge overtook Firefox for the third most popular browser with over 212 million users. Since the release of Windows 11, Microsoft set it as the default browser on all devices and made it difficult for users to change to their preferred option. Therefore, Edge received a significant increase in its userbase.

Firefox browser ranks fourth with 179 million internet users. Firefox is oriented towards more privacy-concerned users as it offers quite a few features for their protection. The private browsing mode includes security against tracking, malware, phishing, and pop-up blocking.

Samsung Internet browser found on the companies’ smartphones and tablets is used by more than 149 million users. At the same time, over 108 million users are utilizing the Opera browser for their everyday tasks.

Browse safely online

The web browser has progressed from a system for displaying text documents to an all-encompassing tool for interacting with various online materials. Having a single platform to handle all of these different functions and media forms is convenient for the user, but it compromises security.

Cybercriminals frequently utilize pop-up ads to infect computers with malicious programs. The pop-up may attempt to trick visitors into visiting risky websites or installing malware. Attackers may employ a popup that cannot be closed or add a warning that urges the user to download a malicious payload to force users to interact with the ad.

Extensions and plugins are another concern for browser security. While they can enhance user experience and improve some website features, at the same time, extensions could introduce vulnerabilities to the site. Some plugins are created explicitly by threat actors for intentional malice.

Ultimately, user cybersecurity education is the most essential for browser security. Many cyberattacks use social engineering techniques to trick users into downloading malware. Users can protect themselves from threats by adopting safe practices such as keeping browsers up to date, blocking pop-ups, and ensuring the sites they enter use HTTPS.

Readers interested in getting acquainted with the current cybercrime landscape can visit our 60 Worrying Cybercrime Statistics & Facts page.