SFSafariViewController and Safari Data Sharing on iOS

Yes, SFSafariViewController on iOS shares AutoFill data, Reader View preferences, and Content Blockers directly with the main Safari web browser app. This article explains how these three core features integrate between in-app browsing sessions and the native Safari application, providing users with a consistent, secure, and familiar web experience without ever needing to leave the host app.

AutoFill Data Sharing

SFSafariViewController has full access to a user's Safari AutoFill data. When a user encounters a login screen, registration page, or checkout form within an app using SFSafariViewController, they can automatically populate their information just as they would in the main Safari app.

This shared AutoFill data includes:

• Saved Passwords: Credentials stored in the iCloud Keychain are readily available for quick sign-ins.
• Credit Cards: Saved payment methods can be used for seamless in-app web purchases.
• Contact Information: Names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers can be filled in with a single tap.

For security reasons, SFSafariViewController runs in a separate process from the host application. This means that while the user can utilize their Safari AutoFill data inside the view controller, the third-party app hosting it cannot read, intercept, or access that sensitive information.

Reader View Preferences

The clutter-free Reader View available in the main Safari app is fully supported in SFSafariViewController. When a user opens a compatible article, they can tap the Reader button in the address bar to strip away advertisements, navigation bars, and other distractions.

The integration includes the following capabilities:

• Visual Preferences: Any adjustments the user makes to the background color, font style, or text size within Reader View are shared and remembered across both Safari and SFSafariViewController.
• Automatic Activation: App developers can configure SFSafariViewController to automatically enter Reader View if the web page supports it, using the entersReaderIfAvailable configuration property.

Content Blockers

Content Blockers—such as ad blockers, tracker blockers, and privacy extensions—that a user has installed and enabled for Safari in the iOS Settings app are automatically applied to SFSafariViewController.

Users do not need to configure these extensions separately for individual apps. If a Content Blocker is active in the main Safari browser, it will filter out unwanted content, scripts, and images in the exact same way when browsing the web through SFSafariViewController. Developers cannot disable a user's Content Blockers within this view controller, ensuring the user's privacy and browsing preferences are strictly respected.