If Safari doesn’t work as expected on Mac

If Safari doesn’t load a web page correctly, stops responding, quits unexpectedly or otherwise doesn't work as expected, these solutions might help.

About these solutions

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 using an iPhone or iPad, find out about solutions for Safari on iPhone and iPad.

Reload the page

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

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

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 automatically reopens.

Install software updates and restart

Safari is included with macOS. If a later version of Safari is available for your device, you can get it by following the steps to update macOS. If your Mac doesn’t restart automatically after updating, choose Restart from the Apple menu . Some important background updates only take effect after restarting.

Check Safari extensions

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

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

Check cookies, caches and other data

A website can store cookies, caches and other data on your Mac. 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 File menu in Safari, choose 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. From the Safari menu, choose Settings (or Preferences).

  2. Click Privacy, then 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 Safari menu, choose Settings (or Preferences). Then click Privacy, Security, Websites or Advanced to access these settings:

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

  • 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 turn off content blockers, allow access to your camera or microphone, allow downloads or allow pop-up windows.

  • Advanced settings. These settings apply to all websites. For example, a website may not work as expected until you reduce advanced privacy protections, such as by deselecting “Use advanced tracking and fingerprinting protection”. It may also require that you not block cookies.

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 View menu in Safari, choose 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 for 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. Contact the website developer for help.

Report a website issue

If the issue continues to affect a particular website, or the website incorrectly says that Safari is out of date, report the issue to the website owner or developer.

Beginning with Safari 26, you can also report the issue to Apple to help Apple improve web compatibility. Safari 26 is included with the latest updates for macOS Sequoia 15 or later.

  1. Reload the page.

  2. From the Smart Search field at the top of the Safari window, click the Page Menu buttonnull, then choose Report a Website Issue. This menu item only appears after reloading the page in Safari 26 or later.

  3. In the dialogue that opens, use the menus to describe the issue you’re experiencing. Then click Report.

Find out more

പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ച തീയതി: