Safari Technology Preview 243 is now available for download on macOS Tahoe and macOS Sequoia. If you already have it installed, you can update via System Settings → General → Software Update. This build brings a host of improvements—from accessibility enhancements to CSS refinements and animation corrections. Whether you're a web developer or an enthusiast, these ten updates are worth knowing about. Let's dive into the highlights.
1. VoiceOver Gets Better with Base Select Elements
Accessibility takes a leap forward in this release. VoiceOver now fully supports base <select> elements, meaning users can interact with dropdown menus smoothly. Two specific issues were fixed: the popover now closes after a selection is made, and the accessibility path is correctly positioned even when CSS transforms are applied. This ensures a more predictable experience for those relying on assistive technology.
2. Improved Handling of aria-hidden Focus
Another accessibility fix addresses the invalidation of aria-hidden="true" when focus lands inside an aria-hidden subtree. Previously, this could cause unexpected behavior, but now the hidden state is properly maintained. This change helps developers build more compliant and predictable accessible web components.
3. Context Menu Event in iframes Gets Fixed
Keyboard and assistive technology users will appreciate this fix: the contextmenu event now fires correctly for elements inside iframes when triggered via VoiceOver's VO+Shift+M or other keyboard actions. Previously, these events were missed, leaving some interactions broken. This brings parity with standard document behavior.
4. Color Picker Inputs Are Now Accessible via VoiceOver
Color picker inputs couldn't be activated using VoiceOver's press action—until now. This fix ensures that users can change color values using assistive technology, making web forms more inclusive. It's a small but crucial tweak for accessibility compliance.
5. New CSS Contain: Style for Quote Counters
CSS gains a new feature: contain: style now applies to CSS quote counters, as specified in CSS Containment Level 2. This allows developers to scope quote counter styles to a subtree, improving performance and predictability. For example, nested content with content: counter() will behave more consistently when containment is applied.
6. Insert Keyword for text-autospace Property
The text-autospace property now supports the insert keyword. This feature gives designers finer control over spacing between characters, particularly useful for mixed scripts or custom typography. It's a welcome addition for those crafting polished text layouts.
7. Flex Layout Now Uses Used Flex-Basis
Flexbox layout gets a fix: the flex-basis value used for definiteness evaluation is now the resolved used value, not the specified one. This corrects issues where items would size incorrectly when flex-basis was a percentage or content-based. This makes flex layouts more predictable, especially in complex designs.
8. Box-Shadow Works on Table-Row Elements
An old annoyance is gone: box-shadow now renders properly on display: table-row elements. Previously, shadows were ignored, breaking visual effects in table-based designs. This fix brings table rows in line with other display types, letting developers apply shadows consistently.
9. Text-Indent with calc() Percentages Fixed
When using text-indent with calc() that includes percentages, the percentage component is now correctly treated as zero for intrinsic size contributions. This prevents layout miscalculations in self-sizing containers, ensuring text indentation behaves as expected without overflowing or causing scrollbars.
10. Animation Quaternion Decomposition Fixed
Animation quality improves with the fix for identity matrix decomposition. Previously, invalid quaternions could be generated, leading to incorrect transform animations. Now, transform sequences like rotations and scales interpolate smoothly, eliminating visual glitches. This is especially noticeable in complex 3D animations.
These ten changes represent just a slice of what Safari Technology Preview 243 brings. With each release, web standards and user experience get a little better. If you're testing web content or building for Safari, this update is well worth installing. Stay tuned for more improvements in future releases.