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How to Fix: Safari Unable to Load Website on Mac

The Safari browser on macOS doesn’t load a website for numerous reasons. It can be the case that website is down. However, suppose it’s mainly not working on Safari. Try clearing the browser cache, disabling the content and ad blocker extensions, and checking for the latest software updates. These are a few working solutions that often resolve the loading issue.

You don’t often see problems on Safari loading a web page. Apple’s native web browser is one of the most reliable browsers used by millions for daily net surfing.

And Safari, too, gives a highly polished experience to its users. However, on certain occasions, you can see Safari browser unable to load the website on your Mac.

Unable to load websites on Safari is a severe problem, but it’s not always Safari’s fault. Sometimes the network is not working, or the website is having issues in the backend.

Fortunately, it is not very pressing, and there are multiple solutions to the problem. So, if you cannot load any website or webpage on your Safari Mac, here is what you can try to make things work as usual.

If you are facing such trouble, this must be because of some technical issues. Here are some of the most common fixes for Safari not being able to load a website on your system.

Reload the Webpage

If you fail to load any webpage on the Safari browser, your first move must be to try reloading the webpage a few times. If that doesn’t help you fix it, try closing the application and relaunching it. If the problem was due to some glitch, a fresh start should resolve it seamlessly.

Likewise, you can also perform a hard refresh on the website page to clear unnecessary chunks of cached files.

Here are the steps to hard refresh a page in Safari Mac:

  1. Launch the Apple Safari browser on the computer.
  2. Open the Website that you want to refresh hard.
  3. Keypress and hold the Command button on the keyboard.
  4. Within the URL bar, click on Refresh reload arrow icon in the browser.
    Reload the Website in Safari Browser

Reloading the page after a hard refresh will take some time. The locally cached files are deleted, and new files are downloaded from the server.

Check Network Settings

If you still fail to load the website after relaunching the application, check if you have switched on WiFi or ethernet. This type of problem often occurs when you manually change your network settings, or sometimes a few applications might create auto changes per their requirements.

Here are the steps to check for network settings on Mac:

  1. Click on Apple apple logo for the menu list.
  2. Select System Preferences, and open the Network menu.
    Network menu in macOS System Preference
  3. Make sure the WiFi or Ethernet is connected. If not, please connect the relevant network source.
    Status Connected in Network on System Preference

You can also check the network connection, like WiFi, on the macOS menu bar.

Look for Software Updates

If you are using an outdated version of Safari, check for the latest software updates and upgrade your Mac’s software and operating system. This shall effortlessly fix any Safari-related problem, and you can load websites without further trouble.

Here are the steps to check for software updates on Mac:

  1. Click on Apple apple logo for the menu list.
  2. Select System Preferences and open the Software Update menu.
    Software update in macOS System PreferenceSoftware update in macOS System PreferenceIt will open the Software update window and start checking for any updates.
  3. Click on Upgrade now and wait for the update to process.
    Upgrade now in Software Update in MacOS

This will typically take 30 mins to complete the minor updates. However, you’ll have a fresh look and enhanced Safari browser security.

info iconNote: Make sure to charge your Macbook up to 80% before updating it to the newest version.

Update/Disable Safari Extensions

Sometimes browser extensions can create a hindrance while browsing. Therefore, check for any outdated extensions and update them all.

If updating doesn’t work in your favor, disable them for a while to determine if the problem exists due to an extension. In that case, delete the particular extension to eliminate the problem.

Here are the steps to disable the Safari Extensions on Mac:

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

Connect to a VPN

If the website you are trying to load has been restricted to your region, Safari won’t load the website. You can connect your Mac to any reliable VPN, set up a proxy network, and try opening the website again.

If that does the trick, it means that a particular website/webpage is banned in your country/region, and you cannot view it without a VPN service.

You can use a VPN service like CyberGhost VPN that provides the best and most reliable browsing experience at a nominal cost.

Fast and Secure VPN Service - CyberGhost VPN

Load the Website in a Private Window

When you are trying to load a website on a regular window on Safari, it stores various data in the cache in your browser. If there is any problem with any of these stored data, it might affect the website’s loading.

Hence, try opening it in a private window to avoid storing caches.

Here are steps to open websites in the private window in Safari Mac:

  1. Launch the Safari browser on your Mac.
  2. Go to the File menu and choose the New private window option.
    Open New Private Window in Safari

You can even use the safari keyboard shortcut + Shift + n.

Try Later

If the website server you are trying to reach is busy or having some trouble, it is common to encounter such problems. In this case, it will show you a server error. You can try opening it at a different time to check if the server issue has been resolved.

Bottom Line: Safari unable to load Site

Following the tips mentioned above, you must fix the Safari loading Website issue. Although it might take a while to know the precise cause behind the problem, it will be fine once you discover it.

Disabling the adblocker Safari extension has worked in my favor. It was causing the issue that wasn’t allowed to load the website correctly on the Safari browser.

And if you are facing any issues, let us know, and we will help you.

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Rahul Verma

Rahul is a Computer Science Engineer with an MBA degree. He is keenly interested in the field of tech and cryptocurrency. He has 6+ years of technical content writing experience and is mainly spent experimenting with tech systems. Connect him on LinkedIn.

5 thoughts on “How to Fix: Safari Unable to Load Website on Mac”

  1. Apple people,
    Please also fix the fact that I cannot go back to the beginning of URL or address or search line without deleting everything. It’s a simple fix allow for a “left Arrow..” Finally!

  2. I have pages that open in Chrome but not Safari! This since purchasing a new iMac with Apple chip and also calling Apple to try fixing this issue.
    I’ve tried all you have mentioned in this article and still have issues. Being on a Private window is better but still not all pages open in Safari especially the ones with passwords (ie. Facebook).

  3. hello!

    so im trying to open certain web pages and some open and some dont. the ones not opening i am opening on my phone and they work just fine just not on my macbook air. please help!

  4. I had problems when loading certain webpages in Safari.
    I set “Hide my IP Address” off in Preferences->Privacy and it solved the problem.

  5. I have safari on Mac, will not load most pages and others no problem. chrome works perfect but safari does not and anything with a password or log in will not load fully. No pages will load all the way at ALL!! I done everything online like everyone said to do and it fixed nothing. Ready to just get a new computer :/

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