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Run Cypress against each browser your application promises to support, using an installed browser and cypress run --browser <browser>. Chrome-family browsers and Firefox are Cypress’s established choices; WebKit is available experimentally, with limitations that make it different from treating the run as a full Safari guarantee. Choose a matrix that fits your users, test runtime and CI capacity.
Which browsers can Cypress test?
Cypress’s cross-browser guide says it supports Chrome-family browsers, Firefox, and WebKit (Safari’s browser engine) (Cypress cross-browser testing guide). Its browser-launch reference lists Chrome for Testing, Chrome and preview channels, Chromium, Edge and preview channels, Firefox variants, deprecated Electron, and experimental WebKit (browser-launch reference).
Support is not identical across those choices. Cypress officially supports the latest three major versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. In the current browser reference, Firefox versions below 140 cannot be launched; Cypress 15.0.0 through 15.18.1 instead had a floor of Firefox 135. Check the current reference when setting up or updating a CI image because browser support and minimum versions change.
WebKit is an experiment, not a Safari-equivalent guarantee
Cypress describes its WebKit implementation as an experiment based on Playwright WebKit and warns that issues may occur. Documented limitations include no cy.origin() support, incompatibility with Test Replay, and a disabled forceNetworkError option in cy.intercept(). Use it as additional engine coverage if it fits your tests, not as a drop-in substitute for every real Safari environment.
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Start with the browsers and versions your product explicitly supports, then consider where your users are and which browser-specific behavior could affect them. Cypress does not prescribe one universal matrix: its guidance is to balance confidence against test duration and infrastructure cost (cross-browser testing strategy).
| Matrix approach | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| One primary browser | Fast feedback during local development or a narrowly scoped smoke run. | Does not demonstrate behavior in other supported browser families. |
| Chrome-family plus Firefox | A practical baseline when the application supports both families. | Adds execution time and browser setup to CI. |
| Add Edge | Edge is in the product’s support promise or important to its audience. | Another browser run to maintain; Cypress’s official support covers the latest three major Edge versions. |
| Add WebKit experimentally | You want early signal on Safari’s browser engine and can tolerate known Cypress limitations. | Experimental support and unsupported features mean failures need interpretation rather than automatic treatment as a Safari defect. |
For CI reproducibility, Cypress recommends Chrome for Testing where possible: its binaries are versioned and do not auto-update. Pinning the browser in the CI environment helps avoid silent changes between runs.
Install and run Cypress in another browser
- Install the browser in the developer machine or CI environment. Cypress detects installed browsers; a browser that is not present cannot be selected for the run.
- Run your suite with the browser name:
cypress run --browser chrome,cypress run --browser firefox, orcypress run --browser edge. Use the browser name Cypress detects in that environment. - Run a separate command for each matrix entry. For example, execute the same suite once with
--browser chromeand again with--browser firefox. The selected browser applies to that run. - For interactive runs, select the browser in the Cypress app. Use the browser selector in the app after Cypress detects installed browsers.
- In CI, keep the browser and Cypress versions deliberate. Prefer a versioned Chrome for Testing binary when feasible, and update the matrix intentionally rather than relying on an automatically changing browser installation.
Account for cross-origin and browser-specific behavior
Browser families do not expose every security or launch capability in the same way. Cypress documents that disabling web security is supported only on Chrome-based browsers. If a test relies on that setting, it will not transfer unchanged to Firefox or WebKit (Cypress cross-origin testing guide).
- Keep tests aligned with the application’s real origin and security behavior rather than using a Chrome-only setting as a universal workaround.
- When a test uses
cy.origin(), do not expect it to run in WebKit under the documented current limitation. - Separate a browser-specific limitation from an application regression before making WebKit a required CI gate.
Plan CI runtime and reliability
Each additional browser run improves coverage of browser-specific differences but consumes execution time and CI capacity. A useful setup puts fast feedback where it is most valuable: run a smaller smoke subset across the matrix when appropriate, and use broader suites on a cadence your team can support. This is a trade-off, not a Cypress-prescribed schedule.
- Reproducibility: use versioned browser binaries where available and record the browser/Cypress versions used by CI.
- Maintenance: remove matrix entries that no longer match the supported-browser promise, and review changes to Cypress’s version floors and experimental features.
- Failure diagnosis: compare the failing browser run with the same test in the primary browser, then inspect whether the test depends on a browser-specific capability.
- Infrastructure: estimate total suite time and runner capacity before adding a browser as a blocking gate.
Troubleshoot common browser-run failures
“Browser not found” or no browser is available
The target browser may not be installed in the local or CI environment, or its detected name may differ from the name in the command. Install a supported browser and check the browsers Cypress detects, then pass the detected name to --browser.
Firefox will not launch
Check the Cypress browser reference for the minimum version in your Cypress release. The current reference says versions below Firefox 140 cannot be launched; Cypress 15.0.0–15.18.1 had a floor of 135. Updating or selecting a compatible Firefox version may be required.
Rank #4
A test passes in Chrome but fails elsewhere
Look for assumptions about browser-specific security settings, origin behavior, timing, or supported APIs. In particular, disabling web security is limited to Chrome-based browsers, and WebKit does not support cy.origin() under the documented limitations.
WebKit failures appear unrelated to the application
WebKit support is experimental, and Cypress lists other limitations such as Test Replay incompatibility and disabled forceNetworkError handling in cy.intercept(). Check those constraints before treating a failure as a reliable Safari result or a product regression.
Best Value
CI results change unexpectedly over time
A browser binary that auto-updates can change between runs. Where feasible, use Chrome for Testing, which Cypress recommends for reproducibility because its binaries are versioned and do not auto-update.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFrequently Asked Questions
Can Cypress run tests in Safari itself?
The documented experimental option is WebKit, Safari’s browser engine; Cypress cautions that it is not equivalent to a full Safari run in every context.
Can I select a different browser in Cypress without changing my tests?
Use the browser selector in the Cypress app for an interactive run, or choose the installed browser for a command-line run with --browser.
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