Sidefari App Reviews

The cool thing about the Sidefari app is that you can pick it from the split-window (swipe-down) menu, which normally has only the Apple iPads core apps. I like to start by first opening Safari, and then opening Sidefari in the split window panel. I use the Sidefari window to view YouTube and other web videos while web surfing in the Safari window. Some users complaints about not being able to change the URL in Sidefari is based on their misunderstanding of how it works. When you want to change URLs in Sidefari, you need to press DONE, and that will take you to a field where you may enter the new URL you wish to access. There, it will also store your URL entries (not the history of all the linked sites you visit), and that is a pretty decent alternative for the missing Bookmarks function. Otherwise, Sidefari is practically identical in look and feel and function to the Safari browser. Another plus is that if you call up Sidefari in your first window, you will always be able to get two, equally sized panels on the split screen (if you desire it). This particularly useful when uploading pics to an image-hosting site in one panel, and then copying the URL for the pic to a web forum post or e-mail in the other panel. Otherwise, opening another browser and then calling up Safari in the split screen is likely to limit the panel space for Safari to just the narrow side bar. Another neat trick is to open Safari and Sidefari panels side by side, then to access a video in PIP (picture-in-picture) mode in the Safari panel. Then you can swipe to hide the Safari panel, and the PIP video will run with the Sidefari full-screen. When you click the home button to close Sidefari, the PIP video continues to run and then when you open Safari again, it is at the web site and location hosting the video in the PIP. This is not so much the magic of Sidefari but more a fun exploration of the multi-tasking capability of the iPad Pro, etc. Ive been using Sidefari on the iPad Pro for less than 24 hours, but love it already. Kudos to the producer and coders of this app. It is well worth the 99-cent price for all that it can do if one takes the time to learn all of it capabilities and the very minor ways that it differs from Safari.

I believe it is a very useful extension for apps that dont have a built in browsers.

Sidefari solves a problem that becomes apparent after getting used to split screen apps on iPad. It does a good job of providing a second "window" for web browsing, while still using Apples Safari view controller, and it includes a share sheet extension for sending a link from Safari over to Sidefari. Really useful.

I use it in my iPhone for those pesky apps that dont have a browser of their own.

App not working well for mobile if at all which is what some sites devolve you too from desktop version. Still very inadequate for general use but has some specific uses you may find attractive. A message editor will also not pop up as in Safari. Side by Side was working better but the developer for that one seems to have given up and I removed it. I will keep this for awhile to see if there is some improvement in the near future.

Im pretty sure Im using it correctly, but its causing my iPhone 6S to soft reboot every time.