7 of the Most Common Safari Problems and How to Troubleshoot Them

March 19, 2020

Apple currently ranks as the most valuable brand globally, with a net worth of $205.5 billion. The brand’s ecosystem is one of the most trusted globally, with thousands of Apple products sold daily.

One of the many critical products in Apple’s portfolio offering is the Mac personal computer. Apple sold Macs worth $26 billion in the year 2017, an aspect that confirms the extent of brand recognition the company enjoys. However, even with such impressive statistics, Mac faces inevitable operational hitches at times.

If you are operating a Mac, Safari problems may occur at times. If this happens, don’t flinch. Here are seven of the most common issues related to Apple’s Safari and how to troubleshoot them.

What Is Safari Used For?

Most Mac users know that their devices use Safari but don’t have an idea of its relevance. Safari is a graphical web browser that’s available to both MacOS and Windows. Apple developed the web browser to offer Apple users the best internet experience. However, often, safari issues emerge due to various reasons.

Safari Problems and How to Troubleshoot

Let’s assess some of the common problems and probable interventions.

1. My Safari Is Running Slow

This is one of the most common issues when using the Safari Web browser. Well, when this happens, it could be due to a few problems.

First, it could be that you’re running a gazillion tabs on your device. When your Mac has multiple tabs running, the possibility of ending up with a slower Safari is high. You may consider shutting most of the tabs that you don’t need urgently, which would ensure that your Safari is not struggling to function at optimum.

The second reason could be that your cache, cookies and website data history dates back to antiquity. Well, often, most such browsing history is irrelevant, but it can significantly affect your Safari’s optimal functionality. You may consider clearing such browsing history to enhance your internet browsing experience.

2. Safari Is Unresponsive

Mac users complain that at times, Safari decides to act up and won’t respond. If you’ve been in such a situation, it can be frustrating. The never-ending cycle of attempts to load the net depicts a probable underlying issue with your browser.

The good news is that this is an easily fixable issue. You can begin by doing the basics, which is quitting and relaunching Safari. Most times, this works, especially where the browser was frozen.

If the first option does not work, you may consider fine-tuning safari preferences. The problem may be that the page you are trying to load may be flagged as fraudulent.

You may decide to enable or disable JavaScript-security features to test whether the issue is with security restrictions. You’ll find these settings by going to preferences and navigating to the Security tab.

If the problem persists, you can consider managing extensions better. Some of these Safari problems are a result of issues related to caches, extensions, and plug-ins. It would help if you considered clearing your caches and assessing the extensions, scripts, and plug-ins to keep your Mac all tidied up.

3. Safari Crashing Regularly

Some users express concern that their Safari browser tends to crash frequently. When your Safari suddenly quits or malfunctions, it can be frustrating.

Your Safari crashes, often when engaging web sites that rely on JavaScript heavily. But you can overcome the challenge by updating your device to the latest version of macOS. This is a simple wireless process that won’t take much of your time.

Sometimes your Safari browser crashes immediately after launch. Such a reaction may be a result of operating multiple tabs. If this is the situation, you may consider working with fewer tabs to enhance functionality.

Most of the time, the instances of Safari crashing due to memory usage. If the browser does not have enough memory, it will undoubtedly collapse. You may need to consider clearing most of what eats up your memory to ensure that your system operates optimally.

4. Safari Hides Full URL

Most of the recent versions of Safari do not display the full website address. Well, this may obscure specific outcomes especially, when you want to copy such URLs for varying reasons. If your Safari browser doesn’t display the full URL, you need not panic.

Just navigate to Safari’s settings, then to preferences, then to advanced settings. Once you select “show full website address,” you’ll be able to see the entire website URL.

5. Safari Keeps Displaying Pop Up Notifications

Nothing is more annoying than those web-based push notifications that keep popping up when online. Most Mac users assume that this could be a problem that is purely associated with the macOS. However, with the proliferation of push technology, this trend will continue.

Nevertheless, you don’t have to endure these annoying notifications. You can go to Safari’s settings on preferences, then navigate to websites, then to notifications. Once there, you can switch off anything you don’t like and effectively stop such notifications.

6. Safari Won’t Stream Videos Online

Have you had trouble loading or playing some videos online? Most Mac users complain about such instances. When your Safari doesn’t play specific videos, it could be because of external factors or internal factors.

The problem could be that the graphic web browser does not support the format of the video. Your browser may also have been affected by a bug at some point. In both cases, you only need to clear, caches, cookies, and extensions.

Once the system is clear, you can then update your Safari for the best experience.

7. Partially Loaded Web Pages

With Safari 5.0.1 and newer models, there has been the addition of the DNS prefetching. This option allows you to load links to specific pages before clicking them. But often, this is the reason for the partially loaded pages.

You can go to your Mac’s settings and proceed to disable the DNS prefetching. This means that the DNS prefetching is no longer active. You may also consider changing the DNS network to ensure all the loaded pages work well, you can learn all about troubleshooting Safari problems here https://setapp.com/how-to/fix-safari-problems-on-mac.

Your Frustrations With Safari Have Come to an End

You no longer have to worry about safari problems when online. Your Mac device can perform a wide range of functions online without having to frustrate you. All you need to do is to pay attention to these troubleshooting tips, and you’ll be good to go.

Was this article useful? Explore on for more content.