StartPage HTTPS Search for Safari for Mac provides an elegant solution for anonymous Web browsing in the form of a small but powerful Safari extension. The service is based on Google, which means that users can enjoy the benefits of the world’s top search engine without any of the major security concerns. If browser security is important to you, you’ll like this extension.
After installing StartPage HTTPS Search for Safari, you’ll notice a new button on the toolbar to the left of the address field. Clicking on it pops up a text field that links to StartPage’s search service. The extension, itself, doesn’t have any options to configure, unlike the Web site, which has a wealth of settings that range from privacy and search result options to page themes. When comparing the extension’s search engine to Google, we found a 90 percent overlap in search results on the first page. Two features that stand out are View by Proxy and Highlight. View by Proxy further protects your privacy by utilizing a remote proxy server to fetch all needed information and send it to you, while Highlight opens the page with the search terms highlighted. While free proxy servers are notorious for being slow and unreliable, we had no issues with the ones this app is using.
StartPage HTTPS Search for Safari offers many important privacy features. It’s a good option for privacy-minded Internet users who want to browse the Web securely without having to forsake their favorite browser, Google. You have nothing to lose from installing this extension and trying it out.