I quit Safari for Chrome, but these new MacOS 27 features could pull me back

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's key takeaways

Safari is getting four new features with Apple Intelligence.

You'll be able to set notifications for product restocks and the like.

MacOS 27 will also let you create Safari extensions with descriptions.

Apple announced a bunch of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence upgrades at WWDC 2026. Your Apple products could get faster, more reliable, and more responsive with the upcoming OS versions. However, I'm excited for a browser update because Safari is promised to get features that could genuinely make things easier for me. I didn't think I'd say this, but I'm excited to use Safari again. Here's why.

1. One-tap security upgrade on compromised passwords

I am a lazy man. When I get a notification about compromised passwords on websites (non-finance-related), I shrug and close the pop-up. I don't want to create a new password -- even when it is compromised -- for multiple websites one by one. It would drag me away from the task I opened the website for, and I forget about it by the time my password is updated. That's why Apple's new Apple Intelligence feature in Safari appeals to me.

Also: Chrome stops hackers from stealing your browser cookies now - how its new security feature works

With the upcoming OS updates, Apple's Passwords will be able to automatically update your compromised passwords to secured versions on multiple websites simultaneously.

"Passwords securely navigates through websites to sign in and upgrade their accounts to strong passwords," the company said. I use an iPhone, Mac Mini, and the MacBook Air in my workflow, and if Safari can update and remember my password automatically, I don't mind switching back from Chrome.

2. The potential of Notify Me

Apple's new Safari feature, Notify Me, will let you ask the web browser to monitor a web page for changes. For instance, you can set it up for product restocks or price drops.

I am a sucker for discounts, whether it be on flights (I have Google Alerts set for certain routes I want to travel) or the Amazon products on my wishlist; I want to get them at the lowest prices possible. If I can create alerts without leaving the web page just by asking my browser, I'm in! The possibilities are exciting -- you can, at least theoretically, monitor stock prices, flight prices, specific product drops, and more, without the need to subscribe to a third-party service.

3. Automatic tab grouping

I am a freelance writer, and more often than not, I'm working on multiple stories simultaneously. As a result, I have at least 50 tabs open in the background with research material -- all left ungrouped because I'm bad at grouping them in relevant windows. This new Apple feature aims to help people like me by simplifying multi-tab browsing.

Also: Google Chrome's vertical tabs are here: How to opt in and use the new Reading Mode

While Safari can group tabs together and create multiple profiles, it is getting more powerful with Apple Intelligence later this year. It will automatically organize your tabs into relevant topics. Apple explained that if you're planning a weekend trip, Safari can bring together all of your travel-planning tabs into one topic. Then, as you browse, Safari will continue to organize new tabs into existing topics or create new ones.

4. Describe an Extension

There are times when I need something, and I have to look for an extension to make things easier or automate a task. For instance, I have a JPG image downloader extension on my Chrome browser so I can download media images from newsroom posts with a single tap. But what if you need an extension that hasn't been made, or you don't know about its existence?

Apple's new Describe an Extension feature on Safari can help you create custom extensions by describing what you want. Once a description is given, Safari will then generate the custom extension right in the toolbar. I'm looking forward to creating an auto-scroller so I can read long articles on the web without tiring my thumb.