Apple’s Safari browser has finally addressed a long-standing gap with its latest update. By introducing support for two Core Web Vitals metrics, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Interaction to Next Paint (INP), this change is a game-changer for web developers, marketers, and business owners who rely heavily on data to optimize performance and user experience. Here is what this update means for you and how it can impact your business approach.
What LCP and INP Bring to the Table
When you’re building or managing a website, understanding how fast and responsive your site feels to users is non-negotiable. These two metrics are part of Google’s Core Web Vitals, which evaluate the most critical aspects of a website’s performance:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): This measures how long it takes for the largest visible content (usually an image, heading, or hero section) to appear in the user’s viewport. It’s a key indicator of how quickly your page feels ready for interaction.
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): This tracks how swiftly your site reacts to user actions, such as clicks or taps, and reflects its responsiveness.
For Safari users, this update plugs a critical gap. Prior to this, data on these metrics was unavailable, which made tracking real performance on iOS and Mac devices more challenging. Now, business owners like you can analyze how well your site performs across all major browsers.
Why This Matters to Entrepreneurs and Startups
As someone who has spent years working across different fields and launching multiple projects, I know the value of actionable metrics. Your audience may include a mix of Android and iPhone users, but without Safari data, you’ve essentially been operating half-blind. This update changes that, ensuring you can now see the full picture.
Let’s consider some quick numbers:
- Safari has around 20% of the global browser market share, but it dominates iOS devices. This means a significant segment of your traffic, arguably high-value users, can now be analyzed in depth for performance issues.
- Websites with faster load times see higher engagement rates and lower bounce rates. According to studies, a delay of over three seconds can cause 53% of users to abandon a site.
Having the ability to monitor LCP and INP on Safari means you are now in a position to identify friction points impacting this valuable audience. This empowers businesses to make smarter optimization choices.
Key Updates with the Safari Release
To understand precisely what’s changed:
- The update integrates Event Timing APIs to track user interaction data (INP).
- Data collected through Performance APIs now includes metrics such as paint times for rendering large content (LCP).
What’s more, this data is compatible with popular analytics platforms like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and others. Platforms like New Relic and Datadog can also leverage this for real user monitoring. If you already have tools in place, ensure you’ve integrated Safari’s updated metrics to extract this newly available data.
A Simple How-To Guide for Getting Started
Whether you’re new to Core Web Vitals or looking to adapt your analytics to this update, here’s a quick roadmap for utilizing Safari’s new capabilities:
- Check Browser Version: Ensure users accessing your site from Safari are using the updated version required for LCP and INP tracking (Safari 26.2).
- Update Your Analytics Tools: If you use tools like Google Analytics or Matomo, verify that your setup collects field data for all Core Web Vitals metrics, including Safari traffic.
- Analyze Existing Performance Data: Compare previous data from other browsers to see where Safari metrics might reveal performance issues specific to iOS/Mac users.
- Fix Issues with a Prioritized Approach: Use the insights to tackle loading or interaction problems, starting with the features that impact the majority of your site visitors.
- Iterate and Measure: Continuously monitor your site’s LCP and INP stats to track improvements.
If you’re unsure how to start, check out Google’s guide on Core Web Vitals for foundational knowledge.
Common Mistakes You’ll Want to Avoid
There are a few traps businesses tend to fall into that you should know:
- Ignoring Regional Traffic Segmentation: Safari users may interact differently with your site compared to Chrome or Firefox users. Avoid lumping all data together; analyze Safari-specific patterns.
- Forgetting Mobile Optimization: Given Safari’s dominance on iOS, failure to prioritize responsiveness and load times for mobile devices could cost you conversions.
- Overcomplicating Metrics: Keep it simple and focus on incremental improvements. For example, target specific LCP fixes like optimizing images or reducing unnecessary JavaScript.
My Perspective as an Entrepreneur
When I started CADChain, I learned quickly that user experience isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the backbone of any scalable, revenue-generating product. By introducing this update, Apple is essentially offering an olive branch to business owners and web developers who’ve struggled with incomplete data.
Metrics like LCP and INP aren’t just technical jargon, they’re tools to improve engagement and trust. For startups juggling multiple priorities and limited resources, this type of data offers a clear path for optimization. The lesson here is to act quickly and make the most of these updates before competitors beat you to it.
Final Thoughts
Apple’s update to Safari is a win for anyone serious about improving website performance for all user segments. It bridges the gap between data sources and ensures that decisions you make for your business are based on a truly complete picture of user behavior.
Don’t delay in aligning your analytics strategy with these new capabilities. Your customers deserve a seamless experience, and now you have the tools to ensure they get it. In a world of fierce competition, paying attention to details like load speed and responsiveness can be the deciding factor in whether you convert visitors into loyal users. This update challenges all of us to step up, adapt, and improve. All it takes is action.
Now’s the time to review your analytics, optimize your site, and turn insights into real results. Get moving.
FAQ on Apple Safari Update for Core Web Vitals Metrics
1. What is the main feature of the latest Safari update?
Safari 26.2 now supports tracking of two Core Web Vitals, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Interaction to Next Paint (INP), allowing web developers to measure site performance for Safari users. Explore Safari 26.2 updates
2. What do LCP and INP measure?
LCP measures how long it takes for the largest visible content to load, and INP tracks responsiveness by measuring how swiftly your site reacts to user interactions. Learn about Core Web Vitals
3. How does this update benefit web developers?
Web developers can now leverage Safari’s data to better analyze real-world performance for iOS and macOS users, which were previously excluded from Core Web Vitals measurements. Learn about Safari’s integration
4. Which analytics tools can process these new metrics?
Popular analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Datadog, and New Relic Browser now support these Safari updates for tracking LCP and INP metrics. Check analytics tools compatibility
5. Why is this update significant for businesses?
With Safari’s 20% global browser market share, this update ensures businesses can now measure performance for high-value Apple device users more accurately, leading to better optimization. Learn about Safari’s market share impact
6. Are Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) metrics supported in Safari?
No, Safari does not currently support CLS metrics. CLS is expected to possibly be part of browser updates in 2026. Discover more about CLS support
7. Can Safari-integrated data improve SEO rankings?
Yes, optimizing for Core Web Vitals, including Safari’s LCP and INP metrics, aligns with Google’s ranking factors, potentially boosting SEO performance for your website. Learn about Core Web Vitals ranking signals
8. How will this update affect mobile optimization?
Given Safari’s dominance on iOS, businesses can now better track and optimize mobile usability, enhancing engagement and reducing bounce rates for Apple users. Dive into Safari’s mobile focus
9. What technologies power these new metrics in Safari?
Safari 26.2 integrates Event Timing and Performance APIs, enabling accurate collection and analysis of LCP and INP metric data. Explore Safari’s technical underpinnings
10. How should I start using these new metrics in my analytics?
Update your analytics tools, ensure your browsing setup includes Safari 26.2, and prioritize tracking LCP and INP for Apple users while analyzing Safari-specific data. Check steps for setup
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp’s expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.