Extensions don't work in WebKit! / WebKit crashes with extensions installed!

Extensions are completely unsupported with any version of Safari/WebKit. To provide their functionality, extensions rely on private APIs and implementation details that often change and cause the extensions to break. There have been many changes to WebKit since the currently released version and the way extensions deal with changes and errors varies greatly, with many crashing often.

WebKit will detect if you have any extensions installed and warn you if it comes across any. If WebKit crashes, please remove any extensions from the following directories and see if you can reproduce the problem before ​filing a bug:

~/Library/InputManagers/
~/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/
~/Library/Application Enhancers/
/Library/InputManagers/
/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/
/Library/Application Enhancers/

When will Apple release an updated Safari with WebKit?

Apple doesn't comment on future products.

Why doesn't the version number change in the About Safari window when I'm running a nightly?

The info displayed in the About Safari window is the Safari version number, not WebKit's. It won't change unless the Safari application itself has been upgraded.

Can I replace system WebKit with one from a nightly or local build?

Replacing the WebKit.framework that ships with Mac OS X or any of its components with those from a locally built copy or a nightly build of WebKit is HIGHLY discouraged. Doing so will likely leave your system unusuable and cause a tear in the fabric of spacetime—so don't do it!

There are a number of safe ways to test an application against a newer WebKit:

• If you have access to the source code, recompile it to link against the newer frameworks. It might be necessary to link against WebCore.framework while doing this as local builds are not umbrella frameworks.
• The ​run-webkit-app script located in Tools/Scripts allows an application to run with a locally built copy of WebKit.
• Set the DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH to point to the newer frameworks.

Can WebKit automatically update itself?

No, though the page the nightly loads when started will let you know if a newer build is available and give you a link to download it. Many people use the third party ​NightShift program to update their nightly.

Safari should have a spiffy feature every other browser has!

Feedback and feature requests are always appreciated! Safari feature requests should be filed in Apple's internal bug tracker at ​https://bugreport.apple.com/ (free "online" account available ​here) while WebKit ones should go in our ​Bugzilla.

If you're not sure where your feedback/suggestion should go, ​this blog post might help. If you're still not sure or have any questions, feel free to ​get in touch.