A Mac user has two Safeguard routes on the download page. The Safari extension is included in the Mac app from the Mac App Store, and the desktop app is a separate DMG, version 3.2.2. They are different downloads, so pick by what you want in front of you: a Safari sidebar or a standalone app.
What are the two things?
Safari extension, in the Mac app. Distributed through the Mac App Store. You enable it in Safari, Settings, Extensions. When we read the download page it marked this as in Apple review.
Desktop app 3.2.2. A DMG for Apple Silicon, 115 MB, needing macOS 12 or later. The page says it is signed and notarized, so no warnings appear, and you drag it to Applications. An Intel build is also offered.
How do I choose?
Ask what you are doing at the moment you want help.
If you spend the day in Safari and want Safeguard beside the page, the extension is the route. If you want a standalone window for the platform, the desktop app is. Many people will want both, since the download page lists them separately and does not say they conflict.
Does one include the other?
The page does not say the desktop DMG includes the Safari extension, and it does not say the Mac App Store app includes the desktop app. Treat them as separate installs.
Any trust differences?
Both have a clear source. The extension comes from the Mac App Store. The desktop app comes from the Safeguard download page, and for Windows the page offers a SHA-256 checksum; for the Mac DMG the page says it is signed and notarized. Install each from its official source and nothing else.
What about the other browsers?
Safari is one of several. Chrome, Edge and Firefox each have a sidebar or side panel. The comparison post in this series covers all four.
What we cannot say
The pages we reviewed do not describe the Safari extension's behavior on pages. We therefore do not compare features between the extension and the desktop app. Ask Safeguard for a feature list if you need one.
What does a mixed Mac and Windows team do?
The download page offers the desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the Safari extension only on Apple platforms. A mixed team will therefore have people on the same desktop app and different browser routes. Write the matrix once, per operating system and per browser, and keep it with your onboarding notes.
What to do
- Decide whether you want a Safari sidebar, a standalone app or both.
- Read the status line for the Safari extension on the download page.
- Install the desktop DMG only from the download page.
- Keep an inventory entry for each.
Quick check
Is the desktop app notarized on Mac?
The download page says the macOS desktop build is signed and notarized, so there are no warnings.
Does the Intel Mac have a desktop build?
The page says an Intel (x64) build is also available.
Sources
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026.
