Common questions.
If yours isn’t here, reach out to me directly and I’ll add it.
First things first.
What does et al. do?
et al. is a Safari extension for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. You highlight text on a web page and add notes to your highlights. Everything you save shows up in your Library, where you can search across pages, file things into folders, add tags, and filter by color. You can export highlights and notes as Markdown or CSV, or create a citation. It all stays on your devices.
Who is it for?
I made et al. with researchers, students, and writers in mind, but it works for anyone who wants to save what they read and come back to it. If what you read is worth coming back to, it’s for you.
Who makes et al.?
et al. is made by et al Labs, a small independent studio I run in Baltimore. I have a background in human-centered computing and product design, and et al. is the tool I use every day. You can read more on the story page.
Why “et al.”?
It’s the shorthand academics use for “and others” in a citation when a paper has too many authors to list. It felt right for a tool that’s about writing in the margins of what you read.
How much does it cost?
et al. will be a one-time purchase on the App Store, and one purchase covers Mac, iPhone, and iPad. No subscription and no monthly fees. While it’s in beta on TestFlight, it’s free to use.
How is this different from a regular highlighter?
A regular highlighter only adds color to text on a page. et al. is built to make your highlights usable later. Every highlight is saved to your Library along with its note, color, and source, where you can search across everything you’ve read and organize it with folders and tags. When you need to cite a source, et al. generates the reference for you in APA, MLA, BibTeX, RIS, or CSL-JSON. On supported devices, you can also ask questions about your highlights or get a short summary, and it all runs locally on your device. There’s no account to create, nothing is sent to a server, and et al. is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.
Where your highlights and notes live.
Where is my data stored?
On your device. Safari stores your highlights and notes there, saved with the page they came from so et al. can show them again when you go back. I don’t run any analytics.
If you turn on iCloud Sync, they also sync across your devices through your iCloud account. Even then there’s no server of et al Labs that receives your highlights — iCloud Sync uses your iCloud account, and your data sits in your own private iCloud storage that I have no way to read.
Do I need a particular device for the smart features?
No. Highlighting, notes, your Library, search, folders, tags, and exports all work on any supported device. The optional smart features need a device that supports Apple’s on-device models — on Mac that means Apple Silicon and a recent version of macOS. Where they’re not supported, et al. just doesn’t show them, and everything else works the same.
The smart features — does anything leave my device?
No. The smart features run on your device, using Apple’s on-device models built into the system. Nothing about your highlights, notes, or browsing is sent to me or to a server.
Can I export my highlights and notes?
Yes. Open your Library and export them as Markdown or CSV, or create a citation in APA, MLA, BibTeX, RIS, or CSL-JSON.
Do my highlights and notes sync across devices?
Yes, if you want them to. Your library stays on your device, and iCloud Sync is off until you turn it on. Turn it on and your highlights, notes, folders, and tags also sync across your devices through your iCloud account, so what you save on your iPhone is waiting in your Library on your Mac. You can turn it off again at any time.
Sync uses the Apple Account you already have — there’s no et al. account to create, and there’s no server of et al Labs that receives your highlights. Your data goes to your own private iCloud storage, which I have no way to read.
Where it runs, and where it doesn’t.
Does it work on iPhone or iPad?
Yes. et al. runs in Safari on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and it’s one purchase for all of them. The same highlighting, notes, and Library are there, adapted for touch. Turn on iCloud Sync and your library follows you between them.
Is et al. available on other browsers?
No. et al. is built for Safari. Some of what makes it work, like the smart features that run on your device, is only on Apple platforms, so staying with Safari is the plan.
What versions of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS are supported?
macOS 11.5 (Big Sur) and later, and iOS or iPadOS 18 and later. The optional smart features need a device that supports Apple’s on-device models — on Mac that means Apple Silicon (M1 and later) and a recent version of macOS. Everything else works on older systems, and where the smart features aren’t supported et al. simply hides them.
What if a website’s layout changes?
The web changes, and et al. tries not to put a highlight in the wrong place. If a page changes a lot, a highlight might stop showing up there. It still stays in your Library with its text, note, and color.
Does it work in Safari Reader Mode?
No. When you turn on Safari Reader, Safari rebuilds the page and doesn’t notify extensions, so your highlights aren’t carried over. For now, please highlight the regular version of the page. I’ll revisit this if Apple gives extensions access.
Does it work on every site?
Almost. A few sites build their pages in ways it can’t read, such as canvas-based readers, heavy iframes, or PDFs. For regular articles, blogs, and docs, it works fine.
Still have a question?
Have a look at common issues, or reach out directly — I read every message.
See common issues