Safari is the web browser of choice for all Apple products. Thanks to its blazing fast speed, users can surf the Internet effortlessly across all their Apple devices. Even though Safari provides an amazing web browsing experience with its multi-touch gestures for optimal viewing and swiping between different pages, you may face operational glitches at times.
If you are working on a Mac and face troubles with Safari, don’t flinch or think of throwing your MacBook out the window. You can resolve the issues with easy troubleshooting tricks. Read along to know some of the most common Safari issues and their fixes.
Connection is not a private error
“This connection is not private” error is a common one and faced by several Safari users. The error is a result of digital certificates, which might be damaged or missing. Sometimes it might be because of server issues or incorrect date/time. But mostly, the error is code language for the browser informing you that the website you’re trying to visit is not secure. Your computer and personal information might be at risk.
If you face the problem ‘the connection is not private’ error, it is best to avoid visiting the website in question. However, if you have to visit the page, open incognito mode or reload the page.
Sometimes the connection is not private errors are caused due to date and time errors. It can be fixed by going to System Preferences and ensuring the Date and Time is accurate.
Safari is running slow
Safari running slow is one of the most common problems faced by Safari users. The web browser might be running slow because you are running multiple tabs. You can consider closing the tabs you don’t need anymore, and it may ensure that the web browser is not struggling to perform optimally.
If your cookies, cache and website data history is not cleared, it may make Safari sluggish. There’s no reason to keep an irrelevant browsing history and make your web browser slow. You can improve your browsing experience by removing such browsing history.
The web browser is regularly crashing
Some users complain that Safari crashes frequently. It can be quite frustrating if your web browser suddenly malfunctions or quits. Safari may crash if you are engaging websites that are heavily reliant on JavaScript. However, the challenge can be overcome by updating your system to the latest macOS version.
If the browser crashes after launch, it might be a result of operating multiple tabs at once. You can consider closing a few tabs to improve the browser’s functionality.
The browser may even crash because it doesn’t have enough memory. You have to clear the things that are eating up the browser’s memory.
“Safari can not be opened because of a problem” error
It might be rare, but Safari users have been found to complain about receiving the “Safari can not be opened because of a problem” message. The message would appear at every attempt of opening the browser.
One of the reasons for this is the iTunes 12.8.1 update which made Safari somehow unavailable for users. A few Apple enthusiasts found the solution. If you face the same problem, you can go to /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/ from Finder and delete the Mobile Device.framework file. Deleting the file is the only way to make Safari work as normal again.
Safari is unresponsive
Has Safari suddenly stopped working or responding? You can try the following things to make your browser work again.
Force quit Safari
If Safari is unresponsive, you can try force quitting the application. Go to the Apple menu > select Force Quit > choose Safari from the list of applications > click Force Quit and confirm your action.
After force quitting Safari, you need to wait a couple of minutes and then try relaunching the application again.
Close specific processes that are frozen
If you restart the application and it doesn’t solve the problem, you might be dealing with specific processes that are causing Safari to freeze or not respond. It would help if you terminated them in the Activity Monitor. Go to Activity Monitor > enter Safari in the search field, and you’ll see all the processes running. Then let Activity Monitor run a little diagnostic and mark some of the processes that are not responding. If you notice red-colored Safari-related lines, it means they’re the issues affecting the application’s performance. It would help if you double-clicked on the processes to quit them.
After that, you can restart your Mac to see if the issue is resolved.
Conclusion
Safari is the browser of choice for Mac users, but it can cause trouble sometimes. It may function slowly or become unresponsive. It might even crash immediately after launch. Before you get frustrated, try the quick fixes mentioned above. If the issue persists, you may have to update to the latest macOS version or reinstall the app on your device.
