I have created a small Excel table with links and information about the synchronization options between browsers and devices. There is no one application fits it all solution.
The paid version adds synchronization so that it is possible to automatically synchronize bookmarks between web browsers and Android devices. Transmute for Windows PCs can for instance comes as a free version that can convert bookmarks between web browsers and even mobile devices.
You could however configure iTunes to act as a middle-man.Īnother option are applications, that are usually only available for a specific operating system. You cannot do that directly unless you find an app that supports it. Say you want to sync your Internet Explorer favorites or Safari bookmarks with your iPad or iPhone. Two-step syncing: It is sometimes necessary to configure two-step syncing which basically means to synchronize the bookmarks from one computer or device to another application that can then synchronize the data with the target device. There is no service that synchronizes all bookmarks. The best solution depends largely on the browsers used on the desktop computer and the mobile devices.
The best solutions are to either install a mobile web browser, for instance Opera Mobile or Firefox Mobile to sync bookmarks with a specific Internet browser, or to install an app like Chromemarks Lite, My Bookmarks App or Firefox Home to synchronize the bookmarks. There is unfortunately no standard for this yet. Up until now we have not really looked at ways to synchronize web browser bookmarks with mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad or Android phones. Users who do not use Opera, but multiple other browsers from the list above may want to use Xmarks to synchronize their bookmarks. Xmarks: One of the most popular bookmark managers thanks to its support for four out of the five browsers listed above. Options are the paid Mobile Me service by Apple, or a third party workaround solution like making use of Dropbox. Safari: There does not seem to be a built-in way to synchronize Safari bookmarks (correct me if I'm wrong). The data is synced with Windows Live Skydrive.
IE users need to download the Windows Live Toolbar first and click the share button after the installation to setup bookmark synchronization. A Windows Live account is required to setup synchronization. Microsoft however has added synchronization to the Windows Live Toolbar. Internet Explorer: Microsoft's Internet Explorer does not offer a built-in sync feature.
Sometimes it may not be possible to sync bookmarks between different devices, and sometimes it may require the use of two programs or a workflow that requires manual steps. Users with multiple web browsers on the same computer, multiple computers with the same or different browser, mobile devices, or computer access at locations without rights to install or synchronize bookmarks may all need different products.
A computer user who only works on one computer and with one web browser may need nothing more than the built-in bookmark manager. The answer depends highly on the individual user. So what is the best bookmark manager? Not an easy question as it may seem to be. They usually do not contain any link information but are stored in the bookmarks folder or toolbar of the computer. They are a mixture of bookmarks and small applets. Bookmarks are like an address book, only for web properties and not people or businesses.Īdvanced bookmarks, so called bookmarklets are another form. What is a bookmark? Standard bookmarks are nothing more than links that point to a web address. Every web browser comes with bookmarking capabilities, and while bookmarking is not as popular as it was ten years ago, it is fair to assume that the majority of computer users make use of bookmarks.