Safari not working on a Mac? 6 fixes to try

howtosimply.com/guides/safari-not-working-on-a-mac-8-fixes-to-try/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.0.1

6 of 6 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)

App

Safari

Real screenshots

6 of 6 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Reload the page

   Open the page first, then choose View, Reload Page or press Command-R. On our MacBook Neo, Reload Page sits under Stop in Safari's View menu, with Command-R next to it. In our picture Safari shows its Start Page, where no web page is loaded, so Reload Page is greyed out. If Safari does not react, press Option-Command-Esc, select Safari and click Force Quit. Then open it again.

   Done

2. 

   Install updates and restart

   Open System Settings, General, Software Update, click Check for Updates, install the updates and restart the Mac. Apple's macOS 27 guide says macOS updates come with improvements for built-in apps like Safari. Our MacBook Neo shows Your Mac is up to date.

   Done

3. 

   Switch off extensions

   Choose Safari, Settings and click Extensions. Untick every extension, then test. If Safari works, switch them on one at a time to find the one at fault, and update or remove it. Our MacBook Neo has none installed: the tab shows Browse Extensions.

   Done

4. 

   Try a private window

   Choose File, New Private Window. Our MacBook Neo opens it with a Private Browsing note: Safari won't remember the pages you visited, your search history or your AutoFill information. If the page works there, the stored data of that site may be the problem.

   Done

5. 

   Remove the data of that website

   Choose Safari, Settings, click Privacy and click Manage Website Data…. Search for the website, select it and click Remove. You are signed out of that site. On our MacBook Neo the Privacy tab shows the button next to Website data, between Hide IP address from trackers and Private Browsing.

   Done

6. 

   Check the Safari settings

   In Safari, Settings, look at the Websites, Privacy, Security and Advanced tabs. On our MacBook Neo the window title reads Websites when that tab is open, and the list starts with Reader, Notify Me, Content Blockers, Auto-Play and Page Zoom. With Content Blockers selected it reads No Active Content Blockers, and When visiting other websites is set to On.

   Done

If you do not see this option

• No Reload and Show IP Address Safari's View menu on our MacBook Neo shows Stop, Reload Page, Translation and the zoom items, but no Reload and Show IP Address. Under Safari, Settings, Privacy it lists Hide IP address from trackers.
• No extensions to switch off Our MacBook Neo had no Safari extensions installed: the Extensions tab shows only Add Extensions and Browse Extensions.

If this does not work

• Pages fail with a VPN app running Quit VPN apps and security software from other makers for a test. On our MacBook Neo, VPN has its own row in the System Settings sidebar.
• Pages fail with iCloud Private Relay on Apple's Safari article: if you use iCloud+ Private Relay, reload the page without it: from the View menu choose Reload and Show IP Address. Apple says this item appears only when Private Relay is on for your network; our MacBook Neo's View menu did not show it. Source: If Safari on Mac doesn't open a webpage or isn't working as expected
• Custom proxy or DNS settings Apple's Safari article says custom proxy or DNS settings can affect access to the internet, even if software changed them for you. To reset them, set up a new network location on your Mac. Source: If Safari on Mac doesn't open a webpage or isn't working as expected
• Safari still freezes Start the Mac in safe mode to see whether software that loads at startup is involved. Our MacBook Neo has Apple silicon: shut down, hold the power button until Loading startup options appears, select a volume, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode. Source: Start up your Mac in safe mode
• Pages do not load in any browser Open the page in another browser or on another device on the same network. If it fails there too, the problem is the website or your internet connection, not Safari. Apple's System Status page shows whether an Apple service has a problem. Source: If Safari on Mac doesn't open a webpage or isn't working as expected

About this guide

A page that will not load, a blank window or a Safari that hangs can come from an extension, stored website data, or software between Safari and the internet.

Screenshots: MacBook Neo, macOS 27.0.1, dark mode.

Good to know

If every app has trouble getting online: Mac won't connect to Wi-Fi: 8 fixes that work.

To clear more than one site: how to clear browsing history in Safari on a Mac.

Safe mode shows whether other software on the Mac is involved: how to start a Mac in safe mode.

In short: Reload or force quit, update, extensions off, private window, remove website data, check settings, Private Relay and VPN off, test elsewhere.