In a major privacy move, Apple has officially warned iPhone and Mac users to stop using the wildly popular Google Chrome browser — as well as major Google apps — on their iOS/macOS devices. Instead, the company recommends using its native browser, Safari, for online browsing. The reason? According to Apple, Chrome and Google's apps expose users to privacy and tracking risks, which Safari is specifically designed to protect against.
What Exactly Did Apple Say — and Why
Privacy Concerns and Fingerprinting: Apple's main claim is that Chrome (and Google's app) doesn't adequately protect against "fingerprinting"—a technique used by advertisers and tracking networks. Fingerprinting collects small pieces of information about your device (such as model, browser version, font, hardware, OS version, etc.) and combines them to create a unique device "identity," which sites use to track you across the internet—whether through cookies or login status.
Safari's Protective Design: Apple says Safari combats fingerprinting by making device identity "simple." This means that Safari attempts to make multiple devices appear identical to trackers, making it very difficult to distinguish a single user.
Other privacy tools in Safari: In addition to fingerprint defense, Safari offers several other layers of privacy on Apple devices—including tracker blocking, robust private-browsing protection, safeguards against location harvesting, and what Apple calls AI-powered tracking prevention.
Risks with Google's ecosystem on iPhone: Apple specifically warns against using Google apps (not just Chrome). According to Apple's message, Google's app can collect even more personal data than Chrome because it's deeply integrated with your Google account—making privacy risks even greater if you rely on it for searching or browsing through search results.
In short: Apple isn't saying that Chrome itself is insecure, but rather that it simply offers weaker protection—especially when it comes to tracking and privacy—than Safari on iOS/macOS.
