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Which Browser Is Not Supported by Selenium WebDriver?

Opera is the main browser that is no longer supported by Selenium WebDriver, because the official OperaDriver is not maintained for modern Selenium and the W3C WebDriver standard. Selenium also does not support Safari on Windows, since Apple discontinued it, and offers only limited legacy support for Internet Explorer that is not recommended for new tests.

Understanding Selenium WebDriver Browser Support

Selenium WebDriver can only automate a browser when a matching browser driver exists and is actively maintained. Chrome uses ChromeDriver, Firefox uses GeckoDriver, Edge uses EdgeDriver, and Safari uses the built-in safaridriver. If a browser has no maintained driver, or its driver falls behind the W3C WebDriver protocol, Selenium can no longer control it reliably. This is why "unsupported" in Selenium usually means the driver, not the browser, has been deprecated.

Browsers Not Supported by Selenium WebDriver

Opera: The official OperaDriver is no longer maintained for modern Selenium, so Opera automation is effectively unsupported. Because Opera is Chromium-based, teams usually cover it through Chrome or a cloud grid.
Safari on Windows: Apple discontinued Safari for Windows, so there is no driver to automate it. Safari is only supported on macOS through safaridriver.
Internet Explorer (limited): IE still has an IEDriver, but it is legacy, slow, and error-prone. Microsoft has retired IE, so it is not recommended for new automation.
Niche and older browsers: Browsers without a maintained WebDriver implementation, such as older or region-specific browsers, cannot be automated by Selenium.

What Selenium WebDriver Cannot Automate at All

Beyond specific browsers, Selenium WebDriver is scoped to web applications only. It cannot automate the following, regardless of browser:

Native mobile apps: Use Appium, which extends the WebDriver protocol to Android and iOS.
Desktop applications: Use tools like WinAppDriver for Windows desktop apps; Selenium has no support for them.
Mobile browsers directly: Standalone Selenium cannot drive mobile browsers; you need Appium or a real device cloud.

Why a Supported Browser Can Still Fail

Often a browser is technically supported but tests fail because the driver version does not match the browser version after an auto-update. From Selenium 4.6, Selenium Manager can resolve the correct driver automatically. A minimal Java setup that lets Selenium Manager handle the driver looks like this:

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class BrowserSupportExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Selenium Manager resolves the matching driver automatically
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.get("https://www.example.com/");
        System.out.println("Page title is: " + driver.getTitle());
        driver.quit();
    }
}

If Chrome updates and your driver is stale, aligning the versions or relying on Selenium Manager usually resolves the "browser version not supported" error. For a deeper look, see why Selenium is not compatible with the latest web browser version.

Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting

Expecting Opera to just work: Modern Selenium cannot drive Opera reliably. Route that coverage through Chrome or a cloud grid instead.
Trying to run Safari on Windows: There is no Windows safaridriver. Test Safari on macOS or a cloud device.
Driver and browser version mismatch: A stale driver causes session errors. Use Selenium Manager or a driver manager to stay aligned.
Confusing unsupported browser with unsupported command: Some errors are UnsupportedCommandException from a specific browser engine, not a missing driver.
Assuming Selenium handles mobile: It does not. Add Appium or a real device cloud for mobile browsers and apps.

Covering Unsupported Browsers Across Real Environments

Because local Selenium is limited to the browsers you can install and driver support you can maintain, coverage of legacy, mobile, and less common browsers is hard to achieve on your own. With TestMu AI, you can run Selenium WebDriver tests on a cloud grid of 3000+ real browsers and devices, including older browser versions and mobile browsers you cannot install locally. You point your existing RemoteWebDriver scripts at the cloud, which pairs naturally with cross-browser testing and Selenium automation at scale.

Conclusion

Selenium WebDriver no longer supports Opera through an official driver, cannot automate Safari on Windows, and offers only limited legacy support for Internet Explorer. It is also scoped to web applications, so mobile and desktop apps need Appium or other tools. Understanding these boundaries helps you plan reliable coverage and offload legacy and mobile browsers to a cloud grid when local support falls short.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which browser is not supported by Selenium WebDriver?

Opera is no longer supported by Selenium WebDriver because the official OperaDriver is not maintained for modern Selenium. Safari on Windows is also unsupported since Apple discontinued it, and Internet Explorer has only limited legacy support that is not recommended for new tests.

Does Selenium WebDriver support Safari?

Selenium WebDriver supports Safari on macOS through the built-in safaridriver, but it does not support Safari on Windows because Apple stopped releasing Safari for Windows years ago. You cannot automate Safari on a Windows machine with Selenium.

Why is Opera not supported by Selenium anymore?

The OperaChromiumDriver has not kept pace with modern Selenium releases and the W3C WebDriver standard, so Opera is effectively unsupported. Because Opera is Chromium-based, testers who need Opera-like coverage often rely on Chrome or a cloud grid instead.

Can Selenium WebDriver automate mobile browsers?

Selenium WebDriver on its own cannot automate mobile browsers or native mobile apps. You need Appium, which extends the WebDriver protocol to Android and iOS, or a cloud platform that provides real mobile devices for browser automation.

Why does a supported browser suddenly stop working with Selenium?

This usually happens when the browser auto-updates and the installed browser driver no longer matches the new browser version. Aligning the driver with the browser version, or letting Selenium Manager resolve the driver automatically, fixes most of these compatibility errors.

How can I test on browsers Selenium does not support locally?

Use a cloud Selenium grid such as TestMu AI, which hosts 3000+ browser and operating system combinations, including legacy and mobile browsers. You point your existing RemoteWebDriver scripts at the cloud and run them across environments you cannot install locally.