It’s important to take certain proactive and precautionary measures when setting up your browser to make sure that you maintain HIPAA compliance and have the best SimplePractice experience.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Updating your operating system
- Updating your browser version
- Enabling JavaScript and cookies
- Turning off AdBlock
- Disabling autofill
- Browser extensions
- Minimum requirements for using SimplePractice
Updating your operating system
For the best SimplePractice experience, it’s important to keep your computer’s operating system up-to-date. System updates can help resolve issues with your browser performance, internet connection, and other key features on your computer. For guidance on how to update your operating system, see:
Updating your browser version
We recommend that you use the most updated version of your preferred browser. Each browser update can come with improvements, new features, and performance fixes.
Note: For the minimum version requirements for all supported browsers, see Minimum requirements for using SimplePractice.
Google Chrome
To update Google Chrome:
- Open Chrome
- Click the 3 vertical dots at the top right
- Choose Help > About Google Chrome
- Select Update Google Chrome
- If you don’t see this button, you're already on the latest version, or your Chrome may have automatically updated when you opened this setting
- Click Relaunch
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox updates automatically by default, but you can check for updates manually.
To update Firefox:
- Open Firefox
- Click the 3 horizontal lines at the top right
- Choose Settings > General
- Scroll to the Firefox Updates section to Check for updates
Safari
Updating your Mac’s operating system will automatically update Safari automatically. For more information, see Updating your operating system.
Opera
Your Opera browser will automatically download an update when one becomes available. Relaunching your browser will complete the update.
To manually update Opera:
- Open Opera
- Click Opera in the Mac menu bar or the Opera icon in Windows or Linux
- Select Update & Recovery…
- Click Check for update
When the update finishes, you’ll be asked to relaunch Opera. Your browser will relaunch in its updated version and according to your startup preference.
Enabling JavaScript and cookies
JavaScript is used for key features in SimplePractice, and cookies are used to store small bits of data in your browser for a consistent experience. While browsers allow you to disable these, we recommend enabling JavaScript and cookies to access all of our features.
Google Chrome
To enable cookies in Chrome:
- Open Chrome
- Click the 3 vertical dots at the top right
- Choose Settings > Privacy and security
- Select Third party cookies
- Select either Allow third-party cookies or Block third-party cookies in Incognito mode
-
- If you select Block third-party cookies in Incognito mode, SimplePractice may not function properly while using Chrome in Incognito mode
- If you prefer to have cookies disabled on all sites except SimplePractice:
- Select Block third-party cookies
- Click Add under Customized behaviors > Allowed to use third-party cookies
- Enter secure.simplepractice.com
To enable JavaScript in Chrome:
- Open Chrome
- Click the 3 vertical dots on the top
- Select Privacy and Security
- Click Site settings
- Under Content, click JavaScript
- Select Sites can use JavaScript
- If you prefer to have JavaScript disabled on all sites except SimplePractice:
- Select Don't allow sites to use JavaScript
- Click Add under Customized behaviors > Allowed to use Javascript
- Enter secure.simplepractice.com
Mozilla Firefox
To enable JavaScript and cookies in Firefox:
- Open Firefox
- Click the three horizontal lines at the top right
- Choose Settings > Privacy & Security
- Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, select Standard
- If you prefer to have cookies disabled on all sites except SimplePractice:
- Click Manage Exceptions
- Enter secure.simplepractice.com
- Click Save Changes
- Return to Privacy & Security
- Select Custom
- Check the box for Cookies
- From the drop-down menu, select All cookies
Note: Disabling JavaScript in Firefox requires third-party extensions. For more information, see Allow and block JavaScript on certain domains in Mozilla’s help center.
Safari
To enable cookies in Safari:
- Open Safari
- Click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar
- Select Privacy
- Uncheck the box for Block all cookies
To enable JavaScript in Safari:
- Open Safari
- Click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar
- Select Security
- Check the box for Enable JavaScript
Note: There isn’t an option to only allow cookies and/or JavaScript for specific websites in Safari. For more information, refer to Safari Support.
Microsoft Edge
To enable cookies in Microsoft Edge:
- Open Edge
- On the top right, click the 3 horizontal dots and select Settings
- Select Cookies and Site Permissions
- Select Manage and delete cookies and site data at the top
- Toggle on Allow sites to save and read cookie data
- Toggle off Block third-party cookies
- If you prefer to have cookies disabled on all sites except SimplePractice:
- Toggle off Allow sites to save and read cookie data
- Click Add to the right of Allow
- Enter secure.simplepractice.com.
- Check the box for Include third-party cookies on this site
- Click Add
- If you prefer to have cookies disabled on all sites except SimplePractice:
To enable JavaScript in Microsoft Edge:
- Open Edge
- On the top right, click the 3 horizontal dots and select Settings
- Select Cookies and Site Permissions
- Scroll down, and select JavaScript
- Toggle on Allowed
- If you prefer to have JavaScript disabled on all other sites:
- Toggle off Allowed
- Click Add to the right of Allow
- Enter secure.simplepractice.com
- Click Add
- If you prefer to have JavaScript disabled on all other sites:
Opera
To enable JavaScript and cookies in Opera:
- Open Opera
- Navigate to the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner
- Click Go to full browser settings at the bottom of the settings panel
- Select Site settings under Privacy and security
-
Scroll down and click Third-party cookies
- Choose Block third-party cookies in Incognito mode
- Return to the Site Settings page
- Click JavaScript
- Confirm that Sites can use Javascript is selected
Note: To learn more about how SimplePractice collects and uses data, and customize your cookie preferences, please see our Privacy Policy.
Turning off AdBlock
You may have enabled the AdBlock extension for Google Chrome. While SimplePractice will never include ads, enabling AdBlock can interfere with features like Telehealth or Secure Messaging.
For AdBlock to continue blocking ads on other sites, without affecting features in SimplePractice, you can disable AdBlock only for SimplePractice. For more guidance, check See a site by turning off Chrome’s ad blocker from the Google Chrome Help Center.
Disabling autofill
Some browsers have an autofill feature, which allows them to remember addresses, credit cards, passwords, and more to make it easier to fill out forms online. For most consumers, this is a convenient feature.
However, for someone running an internet-based business involving PHI, this can lead to the inadvertent storing of client information within your browser. Additionally, login credentials stored in your browser may be accessible to anyone who uses it.
To maximize the security of your clients’ PHI, we recommend disabling autofill on the browser you use to access SimplePractice.
Google Chrome
To disable Autofill in Chrome:
- Open Chrome
- Click the 3 vertical dots at the top right corner
- Click Settings
- Choose Autofill and passwords
- Select Google Password Manager > Settings
- Toggle off Offer to save passwords and Sign in automatically
- Return to Autofill and passwords in Chrome Settings
- Select Addresses and more
- Toggle off Save and fill addresses
Mozilla Firefox
To disable Autofill in Firefox:
- Open Firefox
- Click the 3 horizontal lines at the top right
- Choose Settings
- Select Privacy & Security
- Under Autofill, uncheck Save and fill addresses and Save and fill payment methods
Safari
To disable Autofill in Safari on Mac:
- Open Safari
- Click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar
- Select AutoFill
- Uncheck the boxes for:
- Using information from my contacts
- User names and passwords
- Credit cards
- Other forms
Microsoft Edge
To disable Autofill in Microsoft’s Edge:
- Open Edge
- Click the 3 horizontal dots at the top right
- Select Settings
- Click Profiles on the left
- Choose Open Wallet
- Open the Settings page within Microsoft Wallet
- Toggle the following options off:
- Save and fill payment info
- Automatically save passwords
- Autofill passwords and passkeys
- Save and fill basic info
Opera
To disable Autofill in Opera:
- Open Opera
-
In macOS:
-
Click the gear icon in the left sidebar
- If there’s no sidebar, select Opera > Settings from the Mac menu bar
- Scroll down and select Advanced
-
Under Autofill and passwords, select Password Manager
- Disable Offer to save passwords and Auto Sign-in
- Return to the Advanced settings
-
Select Payment methods
- Toggle off Save and fill payment methods
-
Click the gear icon in the left sidebar
- Return to the Advanced settings
-
Select Addresses and more
- Toggle off Save and fill addresses
-
In Windows OS:
- Click the Opera menu button in the top left corner
- Select Settings from the dropdown
- Choose the Advanced menu
- Click Privacy & security
- Scroll down to the Autofill section
- Expand each section and use the toggle to disable autofill
Browser extensions
Browser extensions can degrade your browser’s performance, and pose a risk to security. Many common extensions store information and aren’t HIPAA compliant.
When using SimplePractice, we recommend removing all browser extensions.
Google Chrome
To remove extensions in Google Chrome:
- Open Chrome
- Click the 3 vertical dots at the top right
- Choose Settings
- Select Extensions
- Click Remove for each extension you’d like to uninstall
Mozilla Firefox
To remove extensions in Firefox:
- Open Firefox
- Click the 3 horizontal lines on the top right
- Choose Add-ons and themes
- Select Extensions
- Click the 3 dots next to the extension you’d like to uninstall
- Select Remove
Safari
To remove extension in Safari:
- Open Safari
- Click Safari on the top menu bar
- Select Settings
- Click the Extensions tab
- Select an extension on the left, then click Uninstall
Microsoft Edge
To remove extensions in Edge:
- Open Edge
- Click the 3 horizontal dots on the top right
- Select Extensions
- Choose More actions next to the extension that you’d like to remove
- Select Remove from Microsoft Edge
- Click Remove
Opera
To remove extensions in Opera:
- Open Opera
-
Click the extensions icon in the left sidebar
- If there’s no sidebar, select Opera > Settings from the Mac menu bar
- Choose Enabled
- Click Disable
Minimum requirements for using SimplePractice
With a reliable internet connection, you can securely access your SimplePractice account from any computer, mobile device, or tablet. However, only certain browsers and operating systems are supported for clients’ information security and provide the best SimplePractice experience.
To take advantage of all the features available in SimplePractice and ensure the security of your data, your device and browser will need to meet our minimum requirements.
Computers
- For Mac computers, we support the following operating system versions:
- macOS 15: Sequoia (recommended latest version)
- macOS 14: Sonoma
- macOS 13: Ventura
- For Windows computers, we support the following operating system versions:
- Windows 11 (version 22H2) (recommended latest version)
- Windows 10 (version 22H2)
- We recommend using newer devices purchased in the last two years
- This is a security precaution as older devices may be more likely to compromise your data
- Use a computer that has at least a 2.5 GHz processor and 4 GB of RAM
- For best results, we recommend using a computer with 8 GB of RAM or more
Mobile devices and tablets
- For iPhones, the minimum requirement is iOS 15, though we recommend iOS 16 or newer
- For Android, the minimum requirement is Android 10, though we recommend Android 14 or newer
Web browsers
- Google Chrome version 134, 133, 132, or higher
- Mozilla Firefox version 136 (current version), 135, or higher
- Safari version 18 or higher
- Microsoft Edge version 134, 133, 132, or higher
- Opera version 117, 116, 115, or higher
- Internet Explorer is no longer supported
- Due to security concerns, Microsoft no longer recommends using this browser
- Make sure cookies are enabled in your browser
Tip: While these versions are the minimum we suggest, for the best SimplePractice experience, we recommend keeping your browser up-to-date with the latest version. To learn more about the minimum requirements for using Telehealth, see Telehealth FAQs.
Internet connection
- A reliable, high-speed internet connection with a bandwidth above 10-15 mbps will minimize connection issues and provide the best experience
- You must have an internet connection and can't work offline, so any changes made while offline won’t be saved
Note: For the smoothest client experience, the Client Portal supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. Your clients can also use the Client Portal mobile app to access their portal on Android and iOS.