Background:
In modern work and daily life, users often browse across different devices and platforms. One common scenario is that some users use macOS at work while using Windows at home or elsewhere. This cross-platform usage introduces a significant challenge—synchronizing and managing browser bookmarks.
Problem Statement - Current Challenges:
- Limited Browser Support: Most bookmark synchronization tools do not support Safari, making it difficult for Safari users to sync bookmarks across different browsers.
- Single-Function Tools: Many tools only sync bookmarks between specific browsers or platforms, failing to meet cross-platform needs. Some are designed exclusively for particular browsers or operating systems and do not support syncing between Safari and Chrome.
- Complex Setup: Existing tools often require multiple configuration steps, creating a high barrier to entry and negatively impacting user experience.
User Needs:
Users seek a solution that enables cross-platform bookmark synchronization, especially from Safari to Chrome. The ideal tool would support multiple platforms and browsers while ensuring privacy and security. Additionally, users want a simple and easy-to-use tool without complex configuration steps.
Solution:
Our bookmark synchronization tool is designed to address these pain points. By developing a macOS application and a Chrome extension, we provide a seamless cross-platform bookmark synchronization solution.
- The tool reads Safari's bookmark data and uploads it to the server,
- The Chrome extension then syncs the data to the Chrome browser.
Our solution prioritizes data security—**user bookmarks are used solely for synchronization** and will not be used for any other purposes. With just a single network account, users can sync bookmarks across platforms effortlessly, simplifying the setup and enhancing user experience.
Tool Overview
This bookmark synchronization tool is designed to solve cross-platform bookmark syncing issues, specifically syncing bookmarks from Safari to Chrome.
Due to Apple’s policy restrictions, browser extensions cannot directly access Safari’s bookmark data. Therefore, we have developed a macOS application to read Safari's bookmark files and a Chrome extension to complete the synchronization process.
How It Works
Data Retrieval & Upload
- Safari Side:
- On macOS, the tool runs a dedicated application to read Safari’s bookmark data.
- This app monitors Safari’s bookmark file periodically.
- Once changes are detected, it uploads the latest bookmark data to the server.
- To ensure accuracy, it regularly verifies and updates the bookmark records on the server.
Data Synchronization
- Chrome Side:
- The Chrome extension retrieves updated bookmark data from the server.
- The extension then applies the downloaded data to local bookmarks, overwriting them to ensure consistency with the latest server data.
Server Functionality
- Data Storage:
- The server stores uploaded Safari bookmark data securely.
- It provides an API for the Chrome extension to access this data.
- The bookmarks are kept safe on the server and made available across supported browsers when needed.
Account System
- User Authentication:
- To use the tool, users must have a network account.
- The same account is used for both the macOS app and the Chrome extension, ensuring Safari bookmarks sync correctly to Chrome.
Privacy & Security
- User data protection is a priority.
- The tool only handles bookmark synchronization and does not use user data for other purposes.
- ⚠️ If you have high privacy concerns, carefully consider whether this tool fits your needs.
Feature Limitations
- Currently, the tool ONLY supports syncing bookmarks FROM Safari to other browsers.
- It does NOT support syncing newly added Chrome/Edge bookmarks BACK to Safari.
- This restriction exists because directly modifying Safari’s Bookmarks.plist file could disrupt iCloud bookmark syncing.
The primary design goal of this tool is to offer a simple and effective solution for syncing Safari bookmarks to Chrome (as well as Chrome-to-Chrome bookmark syncing), addressing the needs of cross-platform users.
If your requirement is to sync bookmarks between two Chrome browsers (e.g., between a work computer and a home computer), you can install this extension on both browsers.
Any browser that supports the Chromium engine is compatible with this extension.