Bridge programs on Mac:
Chrome-Browser vs. Safari-Browser
The downloaded Bridge programs run on the Mac in the browser.
The following applies to new downloads since February 2025:
If the Chrome browser is installed in the standard folder:
/Applications/Google Chrome.app
then it will be used, otherwise the standard browser,
which is usually the Safari browser.
The Chrome browser does not need to be set as the default browser,
but will be used as the first choice by the Bridge programs
- if it is installed.
Installing the Chrome Browser
You install the Chrome browser by searching in Safari for
Install Chrome browser on Mac
and following the instructions.
When the Chrome browser is used for the first time,
it asks if it should be the default browser - you can
answer this question negatively or click it away.
So you can continue to use the Safari browser in general
and the Chrome browser only for the bridge programs.
Why the recommendation for the Chrome browser?
If the Safari browser uses local files, it cannot save any data for them
- at least in the standard configuration. This means in particular for
the Bridge programs, that you have to enter the product key again
and again; in addition, the solution statistics are lost.
The Chrome browser does not exhibit this behavior:
it remembers the data even in local operation.
For files from the Internet, both the Safari browser and the Chrome
browser remember the data, i.e. if you run the Bridge programs
in the browser without local installation,
you can also use the Safari browser for this.