Safari not working on a Mac? 8 fixes to try

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

A page that will not load, a blank window or a Safari that hangs usually comes from one of three things: a faulty extension, stored website data that has gone wrong, or software that sits between Safari and the internet.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings.

Step by step

1. Reload the page

   Choose View, Reload Page or press Command + R. 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

   Safari is updated together with macOS. Open System Settings, General, Software Update, install the updates and restart the Mac.

   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 that causes the trouble, and update or remove it.

   Done

4. Try a private window

   Choose File, New Private Window or press Shift + Command + N. A private window ignores stored cookies and website data. If the page works there, that stored data is 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 and sign in again.

   Done

6. Check the Safari settings

   In Safari, Settings, look at the Websites, Privacy, Security and Advanced tabs. A content blocker or a setting for that website can stop pages from working.

   Done

7. Check Private Relay, VPN and security software

   If you use iCloud Private Relay, choose View, Reload and Show IP Address for a test. Switch off VPN apps and security software from other makers for a moment, to see whether they are in the way.

   Done

8. Test the connection

   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.

   Done

Good to know

If one website still misbehaves, click the page menu button in the address field and choose Report a Website Issue. That goes to Apple and helps to get the site fixed.

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.