How to Fix: Safari Can’t Open the Page Error

Safari is one of the best browsers, no doubt, but still, there are occasions where you might encounter several issues, such as the ‘Safari Can’t Open the Page’ error.

In this error, the website you are trying to visit will not open despite having a working internet connection. I have faced these issues multiple times, most with the websites I visit, including Wikipedia and YouTube.

Now, chances of these websites going offline or unresponsive are rare, so the issues lie inside my macOS or Safari browser.

In my scenario, the issues always go away after a simple device restart or by cleaning browser data. This led me to write this comprehensive guide to fix Safari Can’t Open the Page Error on your macOS computer.

The error might occur for many reasons, such as a bad internet connection, damaged cookies, URL doesn’t exist, etc., or it might be due to a server issue.

Apart from this, you don’t need to worry because we have some effortless and straightforward troubleshooting to quickly resolve this problem by following the troubleshooting steps below.

Check Internet Connection

Suppose your Mac, iPhone, iPad, etc., displays that Safari can’t open the Page error message while surfing the internet. In that case, it might be possible that this happens due to an inactive internet connection.

iPhone has a unique feature where you can limit the internet connection to apps. Make sure you have given Safari permission to access and use the internet.

1. Open Settings app
2. Choose Mobile Data settings.
3. Scroll down and make sure Safari has the toggle enabled.
   

Instead of trying too many things, check whether your internet connection is active and functioning well. You can try loading www.google.com or check your internet speed at fast.com.

Sometimes, the smartphone temporarily disables the internet connection due to a low battery. Before doing anything, ensure your internet works and then load the page again.

Turn Off Safari Extensions

AdBlocker/VPN Extensions often try to interrupt the connection to the website. Hence, this might lead to encountering the error.

Even if you have the latest versions of Safari extensions, turn them off to ensure they aren’t affecting the browser network connectivity. Here are the steps to disable the Extensions:

1. Launch the Safari browser on your PC/Laptop.
2. Click on the Preferences option from the menu bar, followed by Extensions.
3. Deselect the checkbox located right next to the extension to turn it off.

Your installed extensions may block a few websites. So, temporarily disable them while browsing and enable them again by following the same.

Check URL Address

This method is essential for checking the validity of the current URL. So, you need to check the URL address first to ensure you’re searching for a valid one. This is the most common reason you have a ‘can’t open the page’ error message.

Using a search engine like Google, you can cross-verify if the address is correct. Just enter the URL and hit the search button to get the correct web address. You can also check the URL in any other web browser installed on your macOS.

Hard Refresh the Web Page

Refreshing the page might fix the issue as well. Meanwhile, sometimes due to connection interruption, your web page fails to open and shows that Safari can’t open the page error. So, after connecting to a stable internet connection hard-refreshing, the web page might fix this issue.

You can refresh the page smoothly by clicking on the Reload near the address URL bar, and holding down the option button on the keyboard help to hard refresh the web page without caching forcibly.

Quit and Relaunch Safari

This is the solution to many problems. This method might often fix the issue where a web page can’t be able to load. So, close your Safari browser on your Mac or iOS device and open it again. Quitting and relaunching Safari might fix the issue, and the web page load fine.

If the Safari browser is stuck and not closing, you can try to force quit the browser.

Check DNS Settings

DNS servers might be one of the reasons why you are having such kind of issue. Your problem might be resolved using a custom Google public DNS server in such a case.

Some Google public DNS servers are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. You may also change your DNS settings if you want. Here are the steps to use Google DNS on Safari iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app on iPhone
2. Choose the Wi-Fi menu and select the Wi-Fi you are connected to.
   
3. Scroll down and select the Configure DNS option.
   
4. Switch to Manual and add DNS server details.
   
5. Type 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as the new DNS server address
6. Hit on the Save command option.

Just check if this resolves the error in the Safari browser on iPhone.

Similarly, we can also change the DNS settings on Mac computers. However, this setup is network-wide and not limited to the Safari browser.

Here are the steps to change the DNS server settings on Mac:

1. Click on the Apple menu, and choose System Preferences/Settings.
   It will open the Preferences window with the list of options.
2. Click to open Network preferences.
3. In the list at the left, select the network connection you want to use (such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
4. Hit on the Advanced command button.
   
5. Switch to the DNS tab, then click the Add button at the bottom of the DNS Servers list.
6. Enter the Google DNS Server addresses — 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
   
7. Hit the OK command button to save the changes.

It will set the new DNS server address on a Mac computer and Safari iOS browser. Reload the website or page facing a loading error to confirm if it is fixed.

Check for Software Update

If the above methods don’t work, update your Safari browser or system software. So go to your settings menu and check if you have any latest system updates available for your device.

Moreover, hover over the app store to check if the Safari browser has any update available and install it. Sometimes, this type of problem occurs due to an old software version.

Clear Safari Cache and Site Data

This method might be a remedy to your problem. However, clearing your cache and site data on iOS and macOS isn’t tough. You may need to follow the procedure below to clear the Safari Web browser cache and site data on your Mac and iOS devices.

Clear Site Data from Mac

1. Go to the menu bar on your Safari browser, and select Preferences/Settings.
2. After that, switch to the Privacy tab.
3. Hit on the Remove All website data command button.
   Then, a confirmation message will pop up.
4. Tap on it to confirm that you want to remove website data.

Clear Site Data from iOS

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Select Safari from the list of applications.
3. Tap on the Clear History and Website Data options.
   This will request confirmation.
4. Hit on the Clear History and Data command button.

This will immediately clear the browsing and site data from the Safari browser. You can now check if the website or page is loading correctly or still having issues.

Try a Different Browser

If the issue persists, another choice is to go with alternative browsers for Mac. You may try opening the same URL in a different browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

If the website is opened in another browser, the problem is only specific to the Safari browser.

Bottom Line

Sometimes it’s just an issue with the website, so panic is unnecessary. Just keep checking. If none of these methods work, loading the website on other browsers, such as Chrome or Firefox, is a good idea.

Check browser extensions that conflict with the network connection, as they might block certain websites on your Mac.

Let us know what has worked for you to fix the issue with the error. As I mentioned, clearing the website cache and site data has helped resolve the issue.

Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback on How to Fix: Safari Can’t Open the Page Error, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.