Video:How to Modify Safari Privacy Settings

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Transcript:How to Modify Safari Privacy Settings

Hi, I'm Shane Murphy, your technology guru for About.com. Today we'll review how to configure and control your privacy settings for your Safari Browser.

Changing your browser settings for privacy and security is easy to learn and, when properly customized, can greatly improve your browsing experience and further safeguard you from online threats.

Set up AutoFill in Safari

To start, open up Safari and click on the Gear Icon in the top right of the screen. On the drop down menu, click "Preferences." From here, click on the "AutoFill" tab. This brings up a set of options tied to information about yourself and your browsing history.

This kind of history refers to inputs you've previously made in fields on websites and in your toolbars. By enabling it, you can allow the fields to finish filling themselves in after typing only a few letters.

Click the edit button and you'll see a series of options for you to input this information, which your browser will then automatically complete for you when relevant. You'll also see a box for user names and passwords, which works in a similar way.

When you log in to a website that requires a password, you can set your browser to automatically save that password and simply fill it in for you on your next visit. While convenient, this is obviously not something you want to engage if you're using a public computer.

Change Location Services in Safari

After customizing how your browser will AutoFill information, click on the "Security" tab to see a set of boxes to check. You'll probably want to keep all of the boxes checked except for perhaps "Location Services," which allows the domain you're visiting to see your geographical location.

Tracking your location is usually used for targeting the on-screen ads as closely as possible to your interests. If you're not interested in such ads, then it's usually better to just disable this option.

Delete Cookies in Safari

Next you'll want to examine the section below this on cookies and how your browser handles them.

A cookie is actually a text file matched to the website you're visiting that is created by your browser and saved on your hard drive. This text file saves your user information, which the website accesses to customize itself to you every time you return.

Unfortunately, Safari doesn't have a very sophisticated control panel for cookies, although you can easily view these files by clicking the "Show Cookies" button. You'll probably want to steer clear of never accepting cookies, since many websites won't work without them. Also, Safari automatically blocks all third party cookies, whether you'd like them too or not.

Third party cookies belong to the ads and other extraneous elements on the website you're visiting, and not the domain itself. Blocking them can be helpful since advertisers can track your browsing history and other information using these cookies.

Clear Your Cache in Safari

After tweaking these preferences, head back to the original gear menu and click on "Reset Safari." A new window with boxes corresponding to all the different types of records your browser has been keeping will open. Simply check the boxes associated with the history and files you'd like to permanently delete. This is the only way to directly control your cache, the bank of files on your computer saved from pages you've visited.

Your cache is good in that it allows web pages you've been to before to open faster by saving some of their information on your hard drive. What's not so good is that your cache can be read by certain websites and programs to catch glimpses of your private information.

Set up Private Browsing in Safari

Clearing everything can be a good idea if you've been using a public computer. Safari has a private browsing setting as well, turned on by again clicking on the Gear and selecting "Private Browsing." When activated all of the usual records associated with your internet history won't be saved with the exception of cookies, which will be automatically deleted once you close Safari.

To learn more about your browser's privacy settings and other information visit About.com's dedicated web browser channel.