Safari is one of the most sophisticated and secure web browsers available in the market. Safari browser is developed by Apple and only available for latest Mac and iPhone devices.
Even though Safari is the most preferred browser by iOS and Mac users, but it is not totally flawless. Recently many users start complaining that their Safari hangs up after updating to the latest Operating System.
Troubleshooting Safari lockup issue can be frustrating if you don’t know what is actually causing the issue. That’s why we are here today to share some tricks with you to solve the issue Safari hangs up without using any third party application. So follow the rest of the article carefully to know the reasons as well as the possible solutions.
Possible Reason of Safari Lock Up:
It’s hard to know why exactly Safari locks up or Safari hangs occurs in a device. After going through some research work, our experts have been successful in finding out some potential causes of the problem, these are:
- You tried to do too many things at once, such as using an excessive amount of windows or tabs
- The site you were browsing overload Safari with its plugin use or processing demands
- Safari hasn’t been cleaned in a while and is working with a full cache of history, downloads, and cookies
- An outdated extension or plugin is creating problems
- It’s actually your Mac is running slow, either due to having too many other applications running or the condition of your Mac device
- Your Mac is running a much older version of Safari
Effective Methods to Solve Safari Lockup Issue:
Fixing methods of this particular problem can be easy or difficult, depending on the root cause of the issue or in which Operating System (iOS or MacOS) it is occurring. We try to provide methods for each of them, so choose the most appropriate method according to your requirement to start the fixing process.
Troubleshoot Safari for Mac:
If you are a Mac user, then follow the below troubleshooting methods to fix the hangs up or Safari lockup issue in your device.
Method 1: Diagnosis
Checking a few aspects before applying the complicated troubleshooting method can solve the problem for you instantly. In 7 out of 10 cases, it is found that the Safari lock up or hang problem can easily be fixed after performing some minor changes. So that’s why we provide a list of the things which you have to check before jumping to the main troubleshooting method:
- Close all the tabs, especially pay attention to those web pages that have heavy flash/video ads. They are often the reason for Safari slow issues and tend to reduce your Mac performance as well. One of the most typical symptoms is that your computer will heat up quickly and the fan will start running wild.
- If the startup disk is running out of disk space, then you have to delete some large files which you are not using anymore to create some space.
- You can force quit Safari by clicking on the Safari icon in the dock. Then, choose “QUIT” or “FORCE QUIT”. If your entire computer is frozen, and not just Safari, you’ll need to hold the Power button for three seconds until the screen goes dark. After that, press the power button again to restart your computer.
- Sometimes the hanging or lock up problem stay for some time and eventually go away after a minute or so. You can close background applications to assist in this process.
Method 2: Clear Cache and Preferences Files
Many users have claimed that deleting the cache and preferences files often solve the problem for them. So, you can also try this process by navigating to the following location. Then, remove the below-mentioned files:
~/Library/Logs/
~/Library/Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies
~/Library/Safari
~/Desktop/Safari
~/Library/Preferences/Apple/Safari
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebFoundation.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginHost.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess.plist
~/Library/PubSub/Database
~/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Safari.savedState
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.internetconfigpriv.plist
~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
Method 3: Update Safari Browser
If the Safari lockup problem is causing due to the outdated application, then you can update your Safari browser to get rid of the issue. To use this method, follow the below steps:
- At first, turn on your Mac device and open your Mac’s App Store. Now, click on the Updates tab from the top right corner of the window.
- Next, look for the Safari update from the list. If you find it, then click on the Update button which is labeled at the extreme right of the Safari, to install the new update for your browser.
After installing the latest update, restart your device and check if the problem is fixed or not. You can avoid the same problem again in the future by enabling the Automatically check for updates option. If you don’t know how to do that, then follow the below guide:
- Click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences
- Now, open the App Store option in the System Preferences menu
- Once the window opens, check the “Automatically check for updates” box
- In addition, also check the “Download newly available updates in the background.” You will be notified when the updates are ready and “Install system data files and security updates” box.
If you already have the latest Safari browser installed in your browser, then jump to the next method.
Method 4: Reinstall Safari Browser
It can also be possible that the problem is causing because your Safari browser is infected by malware. So, in this case, you can reinstall the Safari browser to solve the problem. If you are not able to uninstall Safari browser in the normal way, then you can also use the following guide to reinstall the Safari browser in a roundabout method:
- At first, close all the running App and launch the Terminal from the /Applications/Utilities.
- In the command line window, type cd /Applications/ command and hit the Enter button in order to change the current working directory(CWD) to the Applications directory.
- Now that, you are in the Applications folder, you can start deleting apps without any interruption or warning notification from the system.
- Next, type sudo rm -rf Safari.app/ to permanently delete Safari and all of its program files (temporary files and settings are not included).
- Now, visit the official website of Apple by pasting the www.apple.com/Safari/ in the search bar of any browser from your device
- From the window, select the latest or your preferred version of Safari application
- After that, choose your computer’s Operating System and then press the Download Now button
- After downloading the installer, run it in your Mac device and then drag the application in your dock.
- Now, simply open the programme to check if everything is working correctly or not
Method 5: Open Safari in Safe Mode
If Safari browser hangs up problem is occurring because of a third party application, then, in this case, you have to try to run the Safari browser in safe mode to confirm the statement. Safe mode allows you to load Mac without activating all the application and drivers. To start the Safe mode, follow the below steps:
- At first, click on the Apple icon and choose the Restart option.
- Once the restarting begins, press and hold the shift key.
- After that, wait till the login screen pop up. It can take one to two minutes to enable the Safe Mode so wait patiently.
- When the login screen appears, your Mac should be in Safe mode. Once you see the login screen, release the Shift key.
Now, simply try to open Safari browser. If you are able to open the Safari browser without any problem in Safe mode, then it’s confirmed that the problem is occurring due to some third-party application so simply identify the third-party application and remove it from your Mac to solve the issue.
Troubleshoot Safari For iPhone/iPad:
If you are iOS users, then follow the below troubleshooting method to fix the error problem in your device.
Method 1: Resetting iPad/iPhone
When the Safari hangs up problem shows up in your iOS device, the first thing that you should try is resetting iPad/iPhone. If you didn’t use the method already, then follow the below steps:
- At first, double-tap on the Home button to open your recent apps
- Now, swipe up on the Safari tab to close the current instance of Safari allowing you to try launching it again.
- Next, press and hold the Power and Home buttons if your iPad/iPhone is completely frozen. Pressing this button combination will force your iPad to shut down and restart. Continue holding both the Power and Home buttons until you see the Apple logo. This may take about 10 seconds to 60 seconds for your iPad/iPhone to boot back up.
- Now, enter your passcode if it asked you to do so.
After resetting, try to run Safari again to check the status of the problem.
Method 2: Change Few Safari Settings
If Safari is only freezing on certain sites, then it will be best to simply avoid those websites on your iPad/iPhone. But if Safari is crashing randomly regardless of the site you’re visiting, then you can try changing the Settings related to the Safari browser to fix the problem.
To use this method, the first thing you should do is turn off Safari Suggestions. You can do that by simply opening the Safari section from the Settings of your iPhone/ iPad and then change the slider of Safari Suggestions to the disable position.
It can also possible that Safari getting tripped up by trying to sync with your iCloud account. To check if your device is also facing the same problem or not, open the Settings and then click on the iCloud option. Now, from the new window, locate the Safari application and change its slider to the off/disable position. But keep in mind that after disabling the iCloud sync option, you will no longer able to access the synced bookmarks and reading list.
Wrapping it Up
We hope our article was able to clarify your query regarding the Safari lock up. We have tried our best to provide all the methods to solve the problem. In case, we have forgotten to mention any effective method, then please let us know. We will update our article as soon as possible. If you’re still facing problems after following the methods, then we highly recommend contacting an expert for better guidance.
