Since 2016, Apple has maintained a quiet laboratory at the edge of its browser ecosystem — a place where tomorrow's web takes shape before the public ever sees it. On Tuesday, that laboratory received its 147th update, bringing Live Text for video, phishing-resistant Passkeys, and Web Push notifications into the hands of developers willing to test what Safari 16 will eventually become. The release also marks a quiet farewell to macOS Big Sur, as the preview now requires Ventura, signaling where Apple believes the web is headed and who it expects to follow.
Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 147 With macOS Ventura Features
A sandbox where new ideas get tested before becoming official
Mark
So this is just Apple letting developers play with new browser features before they're official?
Mimi
Exactly. Safari Technology Preview has been doing this since 2016. It's a sandbox where new ideas get tested and refined based on feedback.
Luke
But how many developers actually use it? The source doesn't say how many people are running this thing or how much feedback Apple actually gets.
Mark
What's the most significant feature in this update?
Mimi
Probably Passkeys. They're a replacement for passwords—harder to phish, easier to use. That's a real shift in how people sign into websites.
Luke
The source says they're "phishing-resistant," but it doesn't explain how or why. It just points to another Apple page. We're taking that claim on faith.
Mark
Why does it matter that it now requires Ventura?
Mimi
It means Apple is moving forward. They're not maintaining backward compatibility with older systems anymore. If you want to test these features, you need current hardware and software.
Luke
That's a practical limitation worth noting. Anyone still on Big Sur is locked out. We don't know how many people that affects.
Mark
Can regular people use this or is it just for developers?
Mimi
Anyone can download it. You don't need a developer account. It runs alongside your regular Safari, so you can test without losing your main browser.
Luke
True, but the source says it's "designed for developers." That's the intended audience, even if technically anyone can use it.
Mark
What features are still missing?
Mimi
Tab Groups syncing, Shared Tab Groups, Website Settings, and Web Extensions aren't enabled yet. Those are coming, but not in this build.
Luke
That's worth noting because it shows this is genuinely experimental. These aren't small features—Tab Groups syncing is something users have been asking for.
Il Polso
- Apple's experimental browser just gained the ability to read text inside videos and images — a capability that blurs the line between the web and the broader macOS experience.
- Passkeys arrive as a direct challenge to the password itself, offering phishing-resistant login credentials that could quietly reshape how users authenticate across the web.
- Web Push notifications bring websites closer to native app behavior, raising familiar questions about attention, consent, and the boundaries of the browser.
- Developers gain new tools — programmable extension popovers, Web Inspector extensions, and a Flexbox visualizer — to debug and build with greater precision.
- The drop of Big Sur support draws a firm line: this preview now belongs entirely to Ventura, narrowing the testing audience even as it widens the feature set.
Since 2016, Apple has maintained a quiet laboratory at the edge of its browser ecosystem — a place where tomorrow's web takes shape before the public ever sees it. On Tuesday, that laboratory received its 147th update, bringing Live Text for video, phishing-resistant Passkeys, and Web Push notifications into the hands of developers willing to test what Safari 16 will eventually become. The release also marks a quiet farewell to macOS Big Sur, as the preview now requires Ventura, signaling where Apple believes the web is headed and who it expects to follow.
Apple released Safari Technology Preview 147 on Tuesday, the latest update to its experimental browser that has served as a proving ground for new web features since 2016. Built on Safari 16 and aimed at macOS Ventura, the release gives developers and early adopters a window into capabilities that haven't yet reached the stable browser.
The most tangible addition is Live Text support within videos and images. On Apple Silicon Macs running Ventura, users can now select, extract, and translate text appearing in video playback or static images directly inside the browser — extending a macOS-native capability into the web experience itself.
The update also introduces Web Push notifications, letting websites send opt-in alerts much like native applications do. Alongside this, Passkeys make their appearance — a new form of login credential built on WebAuthn that resists phishing by eliminating the traditional password entirely, promising both simplicity and stronger security.
For developers, the release brings meaningful tooling improvements: Safari Web Extensions can now open popovers programmatically, a new Web Inspector Extensions API allows custom developer tooling, and a Flexbox Inspector overlay makes layout debugging more visual and intuitive. The full HTML, CSS, and JavaScript feature set of Safari 16 Beta is also available for testing, though Shared Tab Groups, Tab Group syncing, and some Web Extension features remain disabled in this build.
Perhaps the most consequential change is a quiet one: Safari Technology Preview 147 now requires macOS 13 Ventura, ending support for Big Sur. The preview continues to run alongside standard Safari and remains available to anyone through Software Update — no developer account required — as Apple gathers real-world feedback before these features make their way into the public release.
Apple released Safari Technology Preview 147 on Tuesday, the latest iteration of its experimental browser platform that has been serving as a testing ground for new features since March 2016. The update is built on Safari 16 and brings a collection of capabilities designed for macOS Ventura, giving developers and early adopters a chance to work with technologies before they land in the stable release.
The most visible addition is Live Text support in videos and images. On Apple Silicon Macs running Ventura, users can now select text that appears in video playback or extract and translate text from images directly within the browser. It's a feature that mirrors functionality already available elsewhere in macOS, extending that capability into the web browsing experience.
Beyond visual features, the update introduces Web Push notifications, allowing websites and web applications to send alerts to users who have opted in. Passkeys—a new type of login credential designed to resist phishing attacks—are also available for testing through Safari's WebAuthn platform authenticator. These represent a shift toward authentication methods that don't rely on traditional passwords, making account access both simpler and more secure.
Developers working with Safari Web Extensions will find API improvements that let them open extension popovers programmatically. There's also a new Web Inspector Extensions capability, enabling developers to build custom tooling or adapt existing developer tools for use within Web Inspector. The Flexbox Inspector adds a visualization overlay that helps developers understand how flex layouts distribute space and gaps between items—a tool aimed at making layout debugging faster and clearer.
The update also includes the full range of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web technologies available in Safari 16 Beta, allowing developers to test emerging standards before they reach the public release. However, some features remain unavailable in this build: Shared Tab Groups, Tab Groups syncing, Website Settings, and Web Extensions are not yet enabled.
A significant change in system requirements means Safari Technology Preview 147 now requires macOS 13 Ventura. Apple has discontinued updates for Big Sur, marking a shift in the browser's compatibility window. The preview browser can run alongside the standard Safari installation, and unlike some experimental software, it doesn't require a developer account to download—anyone can grab it through System Preferences' Software Update mechanism.
Apple's stated purpose for Safari Technology Preview remains unchanged: to gather feedback from developers and users on the browser's development trajectory. By releasing features in this experimental channel first, Apple can refine them based on real-world testing before committing them to the main Safari release. For developers building web applications, it's an opportunity to get ahead of changes and ensure their work is compatible with what's coming.
Citazioni salienti
Safari Technology Preview is designed to gather feedback from developers and users on the browser's development process— Apple's stated purpose for the experimental browser
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