Browsers & devices reference
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge — what browsers and devices your visitors use and what that means for your website.
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Your website doesn't look identical on every device and browser. Understanding what your visitors use helps explain why we test your site across multiple environments — and why some design decisions are made the way they are.
Quick summary
Chrome is used by the majority of web users. Safari is dominant on iPhones and Macs. Always test your site on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox at minimum — on both desktop and mobile. Your analytics will show exactly which browsers and devices your audience uses.
Web browsers
| Browser | Made by | Used by | Key notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | ~65% of global users | The most used browser worldwide. Fast, feature-rich, developer tools are excellent. Available on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS. | |
| Safari | Apple | ~19% of global users | The default browser on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Dominant on Apple devices. Has its own rendering quirks — always test on Safari. |
| Microsoft Edge | Microsoft | ~5% of global users | The default browser on Windows 10/11. Now built on Chromium (same engine as Chrome). Generally behaves like Chrome. |
| Mozilla Firefox | Mozilla | ~3% of global users | Open-source. Strong privacy features. Fewer users than Chrome but important to test — particularly for desktop users. |
| Samsung Internet | Samsung | ~2% of global users | Default browser on Samsung Android phones. Based on Chromium. Important for sites with many Android/Samsung visitors. |
| Opera | Opera Software | Under 1% globally | Chromium-based. Small market share. |
| Brave | Brave Software | Under 1% globally | Privacy-focused Chromium browser. Blocks ads and trackers by default — affects some analytics tracking. |
| DuckDuckGo Browser | DuckDuckGo | Small, growing | Privacy-focused. Mobile primarily. |
Browser engines
A browser engine is the core software that reads HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and renders the visible page. Knowing the engine explains why different browsers behave similarly or differently.
| Engine | Used by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blink | Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave, Samsung Internet | The most common engine. If it works in Chrome, it usually works in all Blink browsers. |
| WebKit | Safari, iOS browsers | Apple's engine. All browsers on iOS (including Chrome for iPhone) must use WebKit — Apple requires it. Important for web compatibility testing. |
| Gecko | Firefox | Mozilla's engine. Slightly different behavior from Blink in some CSS and JavaScript areas. |
Why your iPhone Chrome is really Safari underneath
Apple requires all browsers on iPhone and iPad to use the WebKit engine. So Chrome on iPhone, Firefox on iPhone, and Safari on iPhone all use the same engine. Testing on Safari on desktop is the closest proxy you can get for iOS behavior.
Device categories
| Category | Examples | Typical screen width | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile phone | iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Pixel | 320px–430px | Most websites receive 50–70% of traffic from mobile. Critical to test. |
| Tablet | iPad, Android tablets | 600px–1024px | Less common than phones or desktops, but important for some audiences. |
| Laptop | MacBook, Windows laptop | 1280px–1440px | Common desktop size range. |
| Desktop monitor | iMac, external monitors | 1440px–2560px+ | Wide screens need maximum-width containers to stay readable. |
| 4K / large display | High-end monitors, TVs | 2560px–3840px+ | Very wide — designs should cap at a max-width to avoid content becoming too spread out. |
| Smart TV / gaming console | Samsung TV, PlayStation | Varies | A growing segment. Less common for business sites. |
Operating systems
| OS | Made by | Typical users |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Microsoft | ~70% of desktop users. Most enterprise environments. |
| macOS | Apple | ~15–20% of desktop users. Common in creative, marketing, and tech industries. |
| iOS | Apple | All iPhones and iPads. Second-largest mobile OS. |
| Android | The most used mobile OS globally. Wide variety of screen sizes and manufacturers. | |
| ChromeOS | Chromebooks. Primarily schools and some enterprise users. |
What "browser support" means
When we say a feature has "good browser support," it means it works correctly in all major modern browsers. Some newer CSS features or web APIs aren't supported by all browsers yet — we track this and choose approaches that work for your audience.
The website caniuse.com is the industry reference for checking which browsers support a specific feature.
Why we test across browsers and devices
Your visitors use different combinations of browser, device, and operating system. A layout that looks perfect in Chrome on a MacBook might have spacing issues in Safari on an iPhone, or a button might overlap text on a smaller Android screen.
We test your site at key screen sizes and on real devices (or emulators) to catch these issues before they reach your visitors.
Common questions
Which browser is safest to use?
All major modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) are regularly updated and secure. The most important thing is keeping your browser up to date. For extra privacy, Firefox or Brave are good choices.
Why does my site look different in Safari vs Chrome?
Safari uses the WebKit engine, which interprets some CSS and JavaScript differently from Chrome's Blink engine. This is normal — we account for these differences during development and testing.
How do I know which browsers my visitors are using?
Check your Google Analytics. Go to Reports > Tech > Browser to see a breakdown. This helps prioritize which browsers matter most for your audience. See A tour of the GA4 dashboard.
Related guides
- How the web works, in 5 minutes
- Web basics: terms A–Z
- How to clear your cache & hard refresh
- Website analytics, explained
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