For a while I’ve used utilities like Bumpr and now Choosy for Mac to open certain links in an alternative browser, mainly for privacy reasons. Things like all Google, YouTube, Facebook, and other icky companies, for example, open in my alt browser (Firefox for years, now Vivaldi). I have simple rules like “if a link includes facebook.com, open it in X browser.” Or “if I click a link from Y app, open it in Z browser.” Some people use these utilities for work purposes—all links to, say, Slack, Trello, online docs, etc. open in a specific browser or profile. Pretty straightforward.
I know my main browser, Safari, finally gained Profile features in macOS Sonoma that cater to these use cases. But they’re a little hard to find and still suffer from the same ‘forest for the trees’ problem that Bumpr and Choosy have: They’re too granular, making the user do too much work to get rolling.
I have to list individual URLs, including their short-URL alts, just to catch everything. See the example in my screenshot above: A YouTube link won’t trigger my alt browser if it’s a (barely shortened) youtu.be link, so I need to manually add both. In each utility I’ve used. And there is no mechanism to import and export existing lists.
I wish these utilities offered a collection of pre-built, one-click rule templates for major companies and use cases. I can’t be the only customer of these features trying to compartmentalize my browsing habits through the lens of privacy. I’d love a blanket ‘Google’ rule, maybe just a box I can click, that opens everything that leads back to Google in my alternate browser or Safari profile. Same with Facebook and other serious violators.
Anyway, if you’re unfamiliar with these utilities and how they can help your workflow on the Mac, I definitely recommend them. Bumpr (free) is good and I used it for years but have since switched to Choosy ($10 one-time) since it’s more flexible and feature-full for my needs. Safari Profiles might even float yer boat, no third-party apps needed (screenshot below). Simply go to Safari > Preferences > Profiles and create one, perhaps for work or a privacy scenario (I named my privacy profile Undesirables). Then go to the Websites panel > Open Links with Profile section and start adding URLs.
