If Safari won’t open a page or work as expected on your Mac

If Safari won’t load a web page, stops responding, closes unexpectedly or otherwise isn’t working as expected, these solutions may help.

These solutions are for issues that can affect Safari on Mac, including issues such as these:

  • A web page is blank, won’t load all of its content or otherwise isn’t working as expected.

  • You can’t sign in to a web page, despite using the correct sign-in information.

  • A web page asks you to remove or reset cookies.

  • Safari slows down, stops responding or closes unexpectedly.

If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, find out about solutions for Safari on iPhone and iPad.

Reload the page

From the menu bar in Safari, choose View > Reload Page. Or press Command-R.

If Safari won’t reload the page, close Safari, then try again. If Safari won’t close, you can press Option-Command-Esc to force Safari to close.

If Safari reopens unwanted pages automatically, close Safari, then press and hold the Shift key while opening Safari. Find out how to control which windows Safari reopens automatically.

Install software updates and restart

Update macOS, which can include updates for Safari. If your Mac didn’t restart automatically, choose Apple menu  > Restart. Some important background updates will only take effect after restarting.

Check Safari extensions

If you’ve installed any Safari extensions, turn the extensions off. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Settings (or Preferences). Click Extensions, then untick each extension to turn it off. Find out more about Safari extensions.

If you find that an extension is causing the issue, make sure the extension is up to date.

Test with a private window

A website can store cookies, caches and other data on your Mac, and issues with that data can affect your use of the website. To prevent the website from using that data, view it in a private window: from the menu bar in Safari, choose File > New Private Window, or press Shift-Command-N.

If that works, use the following steps to remove the website's data, including its caches and cookies. The website can then create new data as needed. If it's a website that you sign in to, make sure you know your sign-in information before continuing.

  1. Choose Safari > Settings (or Preferences), then click Privacy.

  2. Click Manage Website Data.

  3. Select the affected website from the list that's displayed.

  4. Click Remove.

  5. Click Done.

  6. Open the website again in a non-private browser window.

Check Safari settings

The web page may not be compatible with one or more browser settings, which you can turn on or off as needed. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Settings (or Preferences). Then click Websites, Privacy or Security to access these settings:

  • Privacy settings. These settings apply to all websites. For example, a website may require that you allow cross-site tracking, show your IP address or allow cookies.

  • Security settings. These settings apply to all websites. For example, a website may require that you enable JavaScript.

  • Websites settings. These settings can be configured for specific websites. For example, a website may require that you allow pop-up windows, allow downloads, allow access to your camera or microphone, or turn off content blockers.

Check iCloud Private Relay

If you subscribe to iCloud+ and are using its Private Relay feature, try reloading the page without Private Relay: from the menu bar in Safari, choose View > Reload and Show IP Address. This menu item will only appear when Private Relay is turned on for your network. Find out more about iCloud Private Relay.

Check VPN or other security software

If you've installed VPN or other software that monitors or interacts with your network connections, that software could be affecting your use of the website or the internet. Find out about network issues related to VPN and other software.

Check network settings

Certain network settings, such as custom proxy settings or custom DNS settings, can affect access to content on the internet. Even if you haven’t changed these or other network settings yourself, you may have installed software that changed them for you.

To find out whether the issue is with the network settings on your Mac, try viewing the page from a different web browser or different device on the same network. Or reset your network settings by setting up a new network location on your Mac.

If the issue affects other devices and web browsers on the same network, the issue is probably with the website, and you should contact the website developer for help.

Learn more

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