Posted on 3 Apple

Safari not working on Mac after update? 10 ways to fix it!

Quick Solutions for Safari Not Working on Mac After Update:

  • Visit the system status page to see if the Apple servers are down.
  • Make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet.
  • Make sure the servers of the website you are trying to access are not down.

With each new update, Apple adds new features to the Safari browser on Mac. Unfortunately, sometimes these updates can bring unexpected guests, such as bugs, that can affect how the browser works. So, let’s look at the solutions to help fix Safari not working on Mac after update.

1. Reload the web page

Since Safari won’t load web pages on Mac after an update, you can start fixing this by reloading the web page you’re trying to access or the one you’re currently on. Because this will force the browser to send and receive data again to load the page, eliminating any errors preventing it from loading.

To reload: press Cmd (⌘) + R.

Alternatively, click View in the menu bar and choose Reload Page. If none of them work, make sure you have a stable internet connection and check out other fixes.

2. Force Quit Safari

If Safari is stuck or won’t load, try force quitting the app and see if that helps.

After that, open the app again and it will automatically continue from where you left it. If you’re sure a website is interfering with Safari on your MacBook Air or other Mac models, you can disable it.

3. Check and reset network settings

If some bugs have changed the default settings, even that can prevent Safari from working. To fix this problem, you can reset the network settings on your Mac and see if you are still facing the issue.

4. Access via VPN

Choosing the right VPN can help fix the problem of Safari not working on Mac. Sometimes it may not be Safari, but a specific website that is causing problems. The site may be blocked in your region. So, we have compiled a detailed list of the best VPNs for Mac, and you can choose the one that suits your needs.

Mentioning the use of a private window

Interestingly, you can easily access some websites by opening them in a private window. To open a private window in Safari, use Cmd (⌘) + Shift + N.

5. Delete Safari history, cache and cookies.

Have you ever wanted to erase some of the memories in your life so you can start over? While it’s not entirely possible in real life, you can clear cache, history, and cookies in Safari on Mac.

If that’s not all, you can remove other unwanted files from Safari using Finder. Here’s how:

  1. Open Finder → click “Go”in the menu bar.
  2. Select “Go To Folder”.
  3. Now type/paste the following: ~/Library/Safari.
  4. Now delete the History.db and LastSession.plist files.

With it, you can clean up corrupted Safari PLIST files and database. Don’t worry; these files will eventually be restored by Safari. Clearing these files will also remove anything that is preventing Safari from working on a Mac after an update.

6. Disable Safari Extensions

While you downloaded them to improve your browsing experience, some extensions may be the reason why Safari doesn’t work on Mac after an update.

  1. Launch Safari → click Safari in the menu bar → go to Preferences.
  2. Click “Extensions”→ disable extensions by unchecking them.
  3. To remove these extensions, click Remove.

7. Check your boot drive

The Disk Utility tool can scan for errors and then fix them, giving you the solution from Safari not responding on Mac.

  1. Open Disk Utility → select Macintosh HD.
  2. Click “Ambulance”.
  3. Click Run → click Continue.
  4. Wait until the process completes. During this time, you will not be able to use your Mac.
  5. Click “Finish”after the process is complete.

Repeat the process 2-3 times and restart your Mac.

8. Delete settings files

As you might guess, Safari preferences files contain information about all the settings and changes that you have made in the browser. This may be why Safari doesn’t work on Mac after an update. To solve this problem, you can simply clean it up:

  1. Exit Safari if it is running.
  2. Launch Finder.
  3. Hold down the Option key and click the Go menu.
  4. Select “Library”. You can also use Shift + Command + L.
  5. Go to Containers → Safari → Data → Library → Safari. Even if you see multiple Safari files, only one of them will have the correct path.
  6. Delete all files that end with the following extensions:
    • dB
    • db-shm
    • db-val

9. Clear DNS Cache on Mac

Sometimes users may add multiple Domain Name System (DNS) and this may be the reason why Safari doesn’t work on Mac after update. The solution is to flush the DNS cache and see if the issue is resolved.

10. Enter Safe Mode

Have you ever heard of safe play? While this is nearly impossible in real life, on macOS it is possible in safe mode. Thanks to this, you can save Safari from freezing.

General Fixes

Apart from these fixes, you can also try the solutions below to fix Safari not opening on Mac after update.

  • Restart your Mac: With a quick restart on your Mac, you should be able to fix this problem: Click the Apple logo → Restart → Click Restart again to confirm.
  • Update Mac: Check if any updates are available for your Mac. If there is, update your Mac quickly, as this may fix bugs that may cause Safari to not work.
  • Contact Apple Support. If none of the solutions worked, as a last resort, contact Apple Support and see if they can help you sort out the problem.

FAQ

Safari is the main system app bundled with macOS; therefore, it cannot be uninstalled or reinstalled.

If Safari is infected with some kind of browser virus, the same can affect your Mac as well.

Happy browsing with Safari

I hope that with the help of this guide, these solutions will help you prevent Safari from working on your MacBook Air or other Macs after an update. If you still have any doubts or suggestions, let me know in the comments.

CDN CTB