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How to Fix: Safari Unable to Load Website on Mac

Learn how to fix the macOS browser Safari unable to load a website. Perform a hard refresh, check software update, disable extensions, and few tips to resolve.

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.

Fix: Unable to Load Page Properly on Safari browser

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 has issues in the backend.

Fortunately, it is not very pressing, and the problem has multiple solutions. 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 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.

  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 problem often occurs when you manually change your network settings; sometimes, a few applications might create auto changes per their requirements.

Here are the steps to check for network settings:

  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 on the macOS menu bar, like WiFi.

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.

  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 icon
Note: 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:

  1. Launch the Safari browser on your PC/Laptop.
  2. Click on the Preferences/Settings 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, 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, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, etc., that provides the best and most reliable browsing experience at a nominal cost.

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.

  1. Launch the Safari app 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 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

Following the tips 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.

Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback on How to Fix: Safari Unable to Load Website on Mac, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.

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Rahul Verma

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

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

  1. Bulk of browsers today are built from Chromium web engine. Safari built from WebKit so some compatibility issues can occur. Firefox does not use Chromium either and has had similar rendering issues at times. Web sites have become lazy in just testing their site on Chromium because it serves the bulk of users accessing their site. I have had web sites flat out tell me they do not support Safari and suggest Chrome.

    1. I truly agree with your John. The website built on older technology do want to scale into future tech. They are eventually going to face a major setback. Forcing the users to use the common browser stack is not a great user experience.

  2. Staring around Jan 2023 Safari just stopped loading pages. Firefox, Chrome all load pages no problem. It is random. It will load a page one time, but then not another.
    My issue is that all my passwords are stored in Safari so they do not work in other browsers.

    I was on the phone for 90 minutes with Apple support without any resolution except to reinstall my OS.

    Thanks Apple.

    1. Hi Chi, I understand your problem. Perhaps you should export the Passwords from the Safari browser and import them into another browser that you’re currently using.

      Here are the steps that you can follow to export the passwords saved in Safari:
      1. Launch the Safari browser and click on the File from the Menubar at the top.
      2. Click on the Export menu and select the Passwords option.
      3. Download the export in .CSV file format.

      You can view the exported password in textEditor on Mac or you can also import the .CSV file into any other browser from the File > Import option.

      You can easily import the passwords into Google Password Manager from the passwords.google.com, which shall be available in the Google Chrome browser for autofill.

      I hope this helps!

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