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Disable Page Auto Reloading in Safari on Mac

Want to stop the page from automatic refresh or reloading in Safari on Mac? Learn how to troubleshoot and turn off auto-reloading when switching between tabs.

The Safari browser has a memory management system that kills the background webpage whenever it needs more RAM. When you revisit the inactive tab, the page automatically reloads.

In order to stop auto-refreshing, we can turn off the unnecessary process & browser extensions, close unnecessary tabs, empty cache, etc., to fix the issue.

In this guide, we have shared the different methods for fixing the issue with page auto-reloading in the Safari app.

Method 1: Restart the browser app

Restart is the best solution you can do right now – and it’s as simple as turning off your browser and turning it on again.

Browsers tend to get jumbled up with so many processes in the background. Many websites, especially those that use JavaScript and online video streaming sites, tend to freeze and auto-reload. So it’s a good idea to restart the browser.

Method 2: Empty Safari Browser Cache

A browser cache is a set of temporary files websites use to show you content. It is beneficial for heavy websites such as Facebook. But when this temporary cache adds up with time, it starts multiple issues, including web page reloading on Safari Mac.

If you use a Mac with relatively less RAM and Disk space, you must empty the browser cache every three months.

  1. Open the Safari app on the device.
  2. Click on the Safari menu and select the Preferences sub-menu.
  3. Switch to the Advanced tab.
  4. Enable the check box for the Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
    Show Develop menu in menubar on SafariIt will enable a new Develop menu in the Safari menu bar.
  5. Click on the Develop menu on the menu bar.
  6. Select Empty Caches from the drop-down menu.
    Empty Cache from Develop menu in Safari MacIt will clear and empty all the cache files stored within the Safari browser.
  7. Next, Click on the History menu on the menu bar.
  8. Click on the Clear History… option.
    Clear History command under History menubar in SafariIt will display a clear history dialog box on the screen.
  9. Choose a suitable time frame and click the Clear History button.
    Clear History from Safari browser

After clearing the cache and browser history successfully, all your websites will function normally.

Method 3: Turn off Content Blockers

Content blockers are part of a unique feature in Safari, limiting javascript to show you interactive ads or other media while browsing the web. But many websites know about this feature, and they have made counter methods that force the website to reload when these settings are enabled.

I’m sure content blockers help minimize the advertisement clutter on the web. But you have to turn it off to solve this website reload problem.

Here are the steps to turn off content blockers:

  1. Launch the Safari browser on Mac.
  2. Open the website you desire to turn off the content blocker.
  3. Click on the Safari menu, and choose Settings for This Website… sub-menu.
    Settings for This Website option in Safari browser
  4. Now, Disable the checkbox for Enable Content Blockers option.
    Enable Content Blockers in Safari browser

It will immediately disable the content blockers for the website and won’t allow the website to auto-reload. It is risky to disable the content blockers since it enables all the content, including third-party malicious content.

Method 4: Close all InActive Tabs

More tabs equal more resources; that’s quick maths! But this is true as Safari is finetuned to give you the best performance with a limited amount of resources. So if you open many tabs at once, it might freeze or reload websites at random.

So, close the websites which you are not using. If necessary and you want to visit them later, bookmark them or add them to the reading list.

Bonus: Use Alternative Browsers

Safari is a great browser, but not the best. If the websites you intend to consume or work upon need heavy resources to run, they will reload at random no matter what. Because this is how the Safari browser operates, as soon as the website demands more resources, Safari will reload it.

But this is not the case with alternative browsers such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. These browsers do not have a control mechanism to limit computer resources while using the internet.

Bottom Line

The problem of auto-reloading is a classic example of how over-optimization can ruin the experience of end-users.

I’m sure Apple will do something about it in future updates. Hence, make sure to keep your Mac updated with the latest release.

Meanwhile, the above troubleshooting steps will definitely help you auto-reloading issue in the Safari browser. If not, you can install Chrome or Firefox browsers.

Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.

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Kushal Azza

Kushal Azza

Kushal Azza is a Google Certified IT Professional, Digital Content Creator, and Go-To Digital Marketer with Engineering Degree. He has over a decade of experience solving tech problems, troubleshooting, and innovating digital solutions. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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