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How to Solve Safari Crashes on the iPhone

A handful of tweaks may keep Safari from crashing on your iPhone

crashes on safari

  • Ithaca College
  • Switching from Android

What to Know

  • Restart the iPhone. Check Settings > General to see if an update is available. If it is, install it.
  • Other tips to try include: Clear the Safari history and website data, disable AutoFill, disable iCloud Safari syncing. Turn off JavaScript.
  • If everything fails to help, contact Apple.

This article describes several ways you can solve Safari crashes on the iPhone. These troubleshooting steps work with all currently supported models of the iPhone. Version-specific instructions are noted where applicable.

Restart the iPhone

If Safari is crashing regularly, your first step should be to restart the iPhone . Just like a computer, the iPhone needs to be restarted every now and then to reset memory, clear temporary files, and generally restore things to a cleaner state. To restart the iPhone:

After the iPhone restarts, visit the website that crashed Safari. Chances are, things will be better.

Update to the Latest Version of iOS

If a restart doesn’t fix the problem, verify that you're running the latest version of iOS, the iPhone's operating system. Each update to iOS adds new features and fixes all kind of bugs that could be causing crashes. There are two options for updating iOS:

  • Update using iTunes .
  • Update wirelessly directly on the iPhone.

If there is an update available, install it and see if that fixes the problem.

Clear Safari History and Website Data

If neither of those steps work, try clearing out the browsing data stored on your iPhone, including your browsing history and cookies placed on your iPhone by sites you visit. A "flush" also clears this data from all devices signed into your iCloud account. Losing this data may be a mild inconvenience if the cookies provide functionality on some websites, but it's better than having Safari crash. To clear this data, Tap Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data .

In the menu that pops up from the bottom of the screen, tap Clear History and Data .

Disable AutoFill

If Safari is still crashing, disabling autofill is another option you should explore. Autofill takes the  contact information from your address book and adds it to website forms so that you don't have to type your shipping or email address over and over. To disable autofill, tap Settings > Safari > Autofill.

Move the Use Contact Info slider to off/white to disable your address and phone from populating forms. Move the Names and Passwords slider to off/white to stop username/password pairs from automatic entry. Move the Credit Cards slider to off/white to keep your payment history off.

Disable iCloud Safari Syncing 

If none of the steps so far have fixed your crashing problem, the problem may not be with your iPhone itself. It may be iCloud . One iCloud feature syncs your Safari bookmarks between all Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account. That's useful, but it can also be the source of some Safari crashes on iPhone. To turn off iCloud Safari Syncing, tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud and move the Safari slider to off/white.

Turn Off JavaScript

If Safari is still crashing, the problem could be the website you're visiting. Many sites use a programming language called JavaScript to provide all kinds of features and animations. JavaScript is great, but when it's written badly, it can crash browsers. Try turning off JavaScript by visiting Settings > Safari > Advanced and moving the JavaScript slider to off/white.

Isolating the problem isn't the end here. You really need JavaScript to use modern websites, so I recommend turning it back on and not visiting the site that crashed (or disabling JavaScript before you visit it again).

Contact Apple

If everything nothing has worked and Safari is still crashing on your iPhone, your last option is to contact Apple to get technical support. Learn how to get tech support in this article.

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What to do if Safari keeps crashing

crashes on safari

Does Safari keep crashing on your Mac, iPhone or iPad? Is Safari running so slowly on your Mac that you can’t use it properly? Is Safari just closing on your iPad without warning?

In this feature we’re going to look at what to do when Apple’s Safari web browser isn’t working properly.

There are a few reasons why Safari might be crashing:

There might be something going on in the background of the website you are visiting (or one you have opening another tab).

You might be running an older version of the software with an issue that has since been fixed.

A webpage might be using a plug-in, an extension or other software that has a problem.

Your Mac might be running low on memory or storage space.

There are a few other things that could be causing issues. We’ll look at each below and explain how you can fix, or avoid the problem.

See also: How to use the Safari web browser on the Mac and How to speed up Safari

The first thing to check is how many tabs you have open in Safari. Including any sites you might have ‘Pinned’ in Safari on your Mac.

If you are anything like us, you open new tabs in Safari (Command+T on the Mac, or + on iOS) without closing the one you have stopped using (after all you might need to return to it). Should content of one of these tabs continue to run in the background, then it might be causing an issue.

Each tab or Safari window takes up a little space in memory. Have too many tabs open and Safari starts fighting for resources with other apps, and it ends up running far more slowly than it should.

This is more likely to be a problem on the Mac than the iPad or iPhone, but it’s still worth following the advice below on an iOS device.

How to close multiple tabs in Safari on the Mac

  • Hold down the Option/Alt key and click on File.
  • Choose: Close Other Tab (if you don’t press Option/Alt you will only see Close This Tab.

Every page other than the one you are looking at will be closed.

Close multiple Safari windows on the Mac

If you tend to open many windows while you are using Safari:

  • Click on File
  • Close All Windows

How to close multiple tabs in Safari on iPad/iPhone

Multiple tabs open on your iPhone or iPad? While this shouldn’t cause issues in the same way it might on the Mac, because the tabs you aren’t using will be suspended (they can still be active on a Mac, playing video for example), you may still benefit from closing them all down (least of all because it gets very difficult to find the tab you opened yesterday if you still have tabs open from this time last year).

  • To close all your Tabs by tap and hold on the tab icon in the bottom right.
  • A sheet will open with the options: Close All [Number] Tabs, Close This Tab, New Private Tab, New Tab.
  • Tap on Close All [Number] Tabs.

Close tabs safari iphone

Check what’s responsible

Check what's responsible

You could also look to Activity Monitor to see if a particular site is being singled out for taking up a lot of resources.

  • Open Activity Monitor.
  • Click on Memory.
  • Sort by Memory to see what is using up the most of your RAM.
  • You can select that site in Activity Monitor and then click on the X to close that process.

The benefit of this method is that you can close the page that is causing the problem and keep other pages open.

Update software

Update software

Apple regularly updates Safari to address security concerns, so it may be that you are experiencing problems that have been corrected by an update (or problems caused by a software update).

You could start by checking what version of Safari you are running.

  • In the Safari menu on your Mac, click on Safari.
  • Click About Safari.
  • A box will pop up that states the version of Safari you are running.

However, your Mac should update Safari automatically whenever Apple releases an update to Safari, because Safari comes as part of macOS. So your version of Safari should be up-to-date as long as your MacOS is…

To check to see if there is an update to macOS you need to follow these steps:

If you are running Mojave:

  • Open System Preferences.
  • Click on Software Update.
  • Your Mac will check for updates before comfirming if your Mac is, or isn’t, up to date. If you need to run an update do so as this may fix any issues you are experiencing.

If you are running High Sierra or older:

  • Click on the Apple logo in the right corner of your Mac screen.
  • Choose Software Update.

It’s the same on an iOS device. The update to Safari will come as part of the operating system update.

To check if iOS needs to be updated:

  • Tap on Settings.
  • Software Update.

Note that sometimes it’s a software update that causes the issues you are experiencing.

For example, back in January 2016, many iOS and Mac users found that their Safari browser would crash every time they tried to tap the URL bar or open a new tab. The Safari app would close, forcing them to launch it again, only for the issue to reoccur.

The problem was reportedly caused by Apple’s Safari Suggestions, the feature that offers up automatically completed URLs as you type in the URL bar.

By the end of January 2016 Apple had apparently fixed the problem with an update, but it seems that for a few months that year Safari continued to be plagued by the issue on and off.

Clear website data and cache

Clear website data and cache

When you visit a web page in Safari it stores a copy of it in a cache. This copy enables it to load the web page faster next time you visit.

Sometimes the web will start to behave oddly if something goes wrong with the cache. Perhaps Facebook seems stuck on what it was displaying yesterday evening, for example.

The best way to fix this is to clear the cache.

How to clear Safari cache on a Mac

You can start by getting rid of all your website data, including your web browsing history.

  • Click Safari in the menu at the top of the screen.
  • Choose Clear History. In older versions of Safari this listed and Website Data as well, but in new versions Website Data is automatically cleared as well (unless you press Option/Alt in which case you see the option to keep Website history). 
  • This will actually clear data on all your devices that are logged on to the same iCloud account, so your Mac, iPad and iPhone can be done at the same time. Choose from the last hour, today, today and yesterday, and all history.
  • Make your choice (we recommend All History) and click on Clear History.

That clears your history, but if you want to clear your cache specifically, follow these steps:

  • Click on Safari > Preferences.
  • Click on Privacy.
  • Click on Manage Website Data.
  • Selecting the Privacy icon and clicking the ‘Manage Website Data…’ button.
  • You can delete all cookies and cache by clicking the Remove All button.

The problem with doing this is your Mac will ‘forget’ the autocomplete information you are probably used to it filling in, such as passwords and login details.

Another way to clear your cache is to use the Safari Developer menu to just clear the cache, leaving cookies and other info alone. We have more information about how to clear Safari cache here .

How to clear Safari cache on an iPhone/iPad

You can also clear your Safari cache on your iPhone of iPad. As with the Mac, we’ll start off by clearing your history and website data – which includes the cache. Here’s how to do that:

  • Find Safari (in the list with Passwords & Accounts at the top).
  • Scroll down to Clear Website and History data and tap on that.

That will clear all your history, cookies and other browsing data. Luckily it won’t change your AutoFill information.

It’s not possible to clear only the Safari cache on iPad or iPhone as you can on a Mac.

Remove Flash

Remove Flash

Flash is software used to play video and other interactive content. Many websites switched to HTML 5 some years back because it is less problematic. We think you’ll be happier if you get rid of Flash.

Here’s how to uninstall Flash Player .

If you need Flash for some reason – you may see a Missing Plug-In alert, make sure you have an up to date version and make sure you get it from Adobe . One of the favourite disguises of malware is as a Flash update.

Turn off extensions

Turn off extensions

Extensions (often called plug-ins on other browsers) provide additional functionality to Safari, but they can cause problems.

  • Choose Safari > Preferences > Extensions to see all the extensions on your system.
  • Deselect any extensions you don’t want to run, or even better, uninstall them.

Older versions of Safari had the option to turn off extensions. This setting is no longer available in Safari.

If Safari works better with all extensions turned off, you could go through your extensions one at a time to find out which one is causing problems. Use the check-box next to each extension and turn them all off. Then turn them on one at a time to see which one is problematic, and leave that one set Off until an update is provided.

There are dozens of extensions available for Safari. Read more about the new Extensions for Safari here. 

Turn off Virus scanners

Turn off Virus scanners

Virus scanners pay close attention to Safari, because it’s the Mac’s main portal to the internet. It should allow you to get on fine, but if you have a virus scanner try turning it off to see if that helps. If that helps try switching to a different virus program.

Use Reader mode

Use Reader mode

If you find Safari isn’t working for just one website, you could try viewing it in Reader mode.

  • Click on the icon that looks like a cluster lines on the left of the url/search bar.
  • This will open a Reader view of the webpage, removing some of the things that could be causing problems for you, such as adverts.

You can choose for that website to always divert to Reader view.

Just right click on the Reader icon and choose Use Reader Automatically on [website name].

We have more information about using Reader view here .

Delete preferences

Delete preferences

If you’ve tried everything else and Safari still doesn’t work you can delete the preferences from your Home/Library folder.

  • Quit Safari and choose File > Go To Folder in Finder.
  • Enter ~/Library/Safari/ into the Go To Folder Window (don’t miss the tilde ‘~’ at the start) and click Go. This opens your preferences folder.
  • Drag everything in this folder to Trash and restart Safari.

When you restart Safari it will recreate these files as if you have just performed a clean installation.

How to use the Safari web browser on the Mac

Use another browser

Use another browser

Alternatively, try using a different browser. Some websites, especially old sites, struggle with providing support for a variety of browsers. Read our article that evaluates the best Safari alternatives here: Best Mac Browsers and the same for iPhone .

Get more RAM or clear some space

Get more RAM or clear some space

It might not be Safari’s fault. If your Mac (or iOS device) is running out of storage space, or you are low on RAM it might be causing problems for any apps you are running.

You could look into making more space on your Mac – more info here .

Of you could try and free up some RAM . Or Install more RAM in your Mac .

We also have how to clear cache and free up RAM on an iPhone here.

Fix: Safari Keeps Crashing on Mac in 11 Ways

Nick deCourville

Do you find that Safari keeps locking up on your Mac? While annoying, it can be a simple problem to solve. From browser extensions to a built-in ad blocker and superb privacy options, there are a lot of reasons to use Safari. However, there can be times when the browser acts up. Keep reading to find out what to do if Safari keeps crashing on your Mac.

Why Is Safari Locking Up?

While it can be easy for a user to assume that some form of virus or malware is causing the issue, it may be something far more simple. For example, common reasons such as software plugins, extensions, corrupt installation files, or even a website that contains poor coding can all cause Safari to lock up and crash. 

Fortunately, many of these problems are rather easy to fix, so long as you know the right solution. 

How to Stop Safari From Crashing

1. force quit and restart safari.

One of the first things a user can try is force quitting Safari and restarting it. Usually when there’s an issue with any program, a simple restart can help with specific problems. 

Time needed:  1 minute

Here’s how to Force Quit an app on your Mac:

Force Quit Safari Safari Crashing Mac

2. Restart the Mac

Another thing a user should try before diving into the nitty-gritty is simply restarting their device. Much like force quitting and restarting Safari, performing a restart can rid the browser of any small bugs that might be causing technical issues. This quick solution can potentially alleviate Apple Safari of any small issues or bugs. Simply go to Apple > Restart from the menu bar to restart your device. 

3. Update macOS and Safari

Updating macOS and Safari may also be a good idea for users. In addition to potentially solving any issues a user may be experiencing with Safari, it’s generally a good idea to check for a device update on your Mac, as it can greatly increase your chances of avoiding major issues. Updates to an operating system also provide critical security patches, as well as other things that help protect your machine. You can always check for macOS updates by going to Settings > General > Software Update and see if an update is available. 

crashes on safari

Even better, updating macOS ensures that Safari is also up to date. 

4. Create a New User Profile

When it comes to simple solutions, a user may need to create a new Safari profile to prevent future crashes. Seeing an introduction in macOS Sonoma, profiles allow users to have a browsing history that’s unique to them. There are rare occurrences when a specific problem is tied to a user’s profile, meaning creating a new one could easily solve a specific issue. 

To create a new profile in Safari on Mac, simply follow these steps:

  • Open Safari, and then go to Safari in the menu bar.
  • Select Settings .
  • Go to the Profiles tab and select New Profile .
  • Fill out the relevant information and click Create Profile . 

5. Boot Your Mac into Safe Mode

If you need to get an idea of why Safari might be crashing, booting into Safe Mode may help illuminate your problems. Safe Mode helps stop login items and startup items from loading and opening automatically. It also disables certain fonts and deletes certain cache files. If you’re having issues with Apple Safari crashing, seeing if it operates in Safe Mode can help diagnose your problems. 

You will need to know if you are running an Intel processor or Apple silicon. You can check this from the menu bar by going to Apple > About This Mac and checking your processor information. 

For Apple silicon:

  • Shut down your Mac by going to Apple > Shut Down . Wait for the Mac to shut down entirely.
  • Press and hold the power button on your Mac. Hold it until you see a Loading startup options message.
  • Select your drive volume.
  • Then, press and hold the Shift key. Click Continue in Safe Mode . Your computer will then restart automatically and you should see the words Safe Mode in the menu bar. 

For Intel-based Macs:

  • Restart your Mac or turn it on. Then, immediately press and hold the Shift key. Hold it until you see a login window.
  • Log in to your device.
  • You should see Safe Mode in the menu bar, though you may also be asked to log in twice. 

If Safari is operating normally while in Safe Mode, it may be third-party software, extensions or certain startup files causing issues.

6. Delete Safari Cache Files

It’s also a good idea to delete Safari cache files. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, your browser downloads the data from the website, making the site load faster the next time you visit it. While this can be extremely helpful for casual internet browsing, users can amass a large cache over time. In essence, it’s possible that your cache is causing issues with Safari, or it’s even possible you may have collected something dubious from your cache. 

To delete your cache in Safari, we recommend two methods. Firstly, you can simply open the browser and go to  History > Clear History from the menu bar. Click the pop-up menu, and then choose how far back you would like to go. In this instance, I would suggest deleting everything, though be warned this may make webpages load slower until you download certain cache files again. 

Clear All History Safari Crashing Mac

The second method, which is also the easiest, is a powerful cleaning tool like Intego Washing Machine that will erase all cache and other clogging files from your device while optimizing its performance in real time.

➡️ Get Intego Washing Machine

7. Delete All Website Data

If none of the above solutions are providing an answer to your Safari woes, it may be time to consider deleting all of your website data from Safari. Items such as cookies and other data may potentially be causing problems with Safari, causing it to crash. Fortunately, deleting all website data from Safari isn’t too much of a hassle, though users may need to log back into certain websites. 

  • Open Safari on your Mac. Then go to  Safari > Settings .
  • Tap  Privacy.

crashes on safari

8. Disable Safari Extensions

Users may also want to consider disabling any extensions they are running with Safari. This includes third party extensions. As you can turn off one or multiple extensions, it may be wise to disable all extensions, and then bring them back to your browser one by one to see if there is one causing particular issues. Users may want to delete any extensions they do not recognize. Outdated extensions or problematic extensions may be causing issues as well. 

To disable third-party extensions or any extensions, follow these steps: 

  • From the Safari app, go to Safari > Settings (or Preferences ).
  • Click  Extensions from the list of options.

Deselect Safari Extensions Safari Crashing Mac

  • To uninstall an extension, click on it and then click the  Uninstall button. 

9. Reset PRAM or NVRAM 

Users who are experiencing problems with Safari may also want to reset their NVRAM or PRAM. These sections of memory help store certain settings, and these settings may have an impact on your browser and its performance. Fortunately, we have a rather extensive guide on how to reset your NVRAM/PRAM as well as your SMC . If you are having issues with Safari and none of the above options work, check out our article to see if this provides a solution. 

10. Run Disk Utility 

Another option users have is running Disk Utility. An incredibly useful app that comes baked directly into macOS, users can run this program to check for any errors on their drive. It can be especially useful in situations such as these when an app is misbehaving or crashing. Even better, using Disk Utility is rather straightforward, and can help repair your startup disk. In this instance, users will be taking advantage of the First Aid option for their disks. Remember that Disk Utility can be found in Finder by going to Applications > Utilities. 

  • Open the Disk Utility app.
  • Select your primary drive. It will likely be named Macintosh HD . 

Run First Aid Disk Utility Safari Crashing Mac

  • A pop-up will notify you that the app is about to check the disk for errors and repair them if necessary. Select Run . 
  • Wait for Disk Utility to finish. 

11. Use Apple Diagnostics to Check for Hardware Issues

While this is more of a last resort, it may be hardware problems causing Safari to crash. Though this hopefully isn’t the case for users, it may be a possibility that a hardware problem may be causing issues with Safari. Fortunately, there is a way to inspect and test your hardware, thanks to Apple Diagnostics. I’ve personally written a guide about how to test your Mac using Apple Diagnostics , and I would suggest giving it a read if this is a route you are considering taking. 

If there are issues with your hardware, or if you have tried all of these methods and none seem to work, it may be time to talk to Apple Support . 

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  • Nick deCourville

crashes on safari

Safari Keeps Crashing on Mac? 5 Ways to Fix It

Mac users are pretty familiar with Safari crashing on their systems, but it's nothing you can't fix. Here are all the important troubleshooting steps.

Safari is the go-to browser for almost all Mac users. It works well and is faster than other browsers due to its integration with macOS.

But just like any other browser, Safari is prone to error, too. It often tends to freeze or crash, sometimes getting stuck on the dreaded spinning beach ball and displaying the "Safari quit unexpectedly" error.

In some cases, Safari will cause your entire Mac to stop responding, leaving you no choice but to restart your system. Don't fret, though, because Safari crashing is pretty common among Mac users, and there are many fixes for it.

Why Does Safari Keep Crashing on Your Mac?

Safari constantly crashing can ruin your browsing experience. Here are some reasons why it might be happening:

  • You have too many tabs open, and they're putting a strain on the CPU. Although Safari indeed uses less memory than Chrome and other browsers, opening too many tabs will still cause it to crash sometimes, especially if you have other resource-intensive applications running simultaneously.
  • You're using a browser extension that's causing Safari to crash.
  • You're using an older version of macOS and Safari. Safari updates itself when you update macOS. So, if you haven't updated your Mac in a long time, it could be why the browser is acting up.

5 Potential Fixes When Safari Keeps Crashing on Your Mac

Here are five things you can do if Safari keeps crashing on your Mac despite restarting and closing other tasks:

1. Force Quit Safari

Force quitting Safari is the first thing you should do if it stops working. First, try closing Safari by pressing Command+Q or by clicking on Safari in the menu bar and selecting Quit Safari from the drop-down menu.

If you can't click on anything, you'll have to minimize Safari and open the "Force Quit Applications" window. To do that, click on the Apple logo in the menu bar and choose Force Quit in the drop-down menu.

Select Safari in the list of applications and click on Force Quit .

2. Clear Cache Files

Cache files are temporarily stored files meant to speed up web pages, but too many cache files can actually slow down your browser and cause it to crash. That's why it's essential to clear cache files from Safari regularly.

Clearing cache is one of the many ways to reset Safari to default settings on your Mac . To delete cache files, click on Develop in the menu bar, and select Empty Caches .

If you don't see the Develop menu in the menu bar, you'll have to activate it by going to Safari > Preferences and then checking the "Show Develop menu in menu bar" option in the Advanced tab.

3. Delete Website Data

You can select which websites to delete, but since there will be so many, it'll be easier to just delete all of them.

To delete website data, click on Safari in the menu bar and select Preferences . Go to the Privacy tab and click on Manage Website Data . Click on Remove All and now relaunch Safari to see if crashes again.

4. Delete Browser Extensions

Browser extensions are useful tools, but sometimes they can negatively affect your browser's speed because some of them consume an excessive amount of memory. It's best to delete extensions that you don't use frequently.

To delete extensions, go to Safari > Preferences and click on the Extensions tab. Uncheck the boxes next to any extension you don't want to use. Remember that this only disables the extension. To completely remove it, click on Uninstall under the extension's name.

5. Update macOS​

One of the ways you can fix high CPU usage on macOS is by updating your Mac. Apple frequently releases macOS updates that contain fixes for bugs and glitches.

So, if none of the solutions above work for you, then you should check if any software updates are available for your Mac. Click on the Apple logo in the menu bar and go to System Preferences .

Click on Software Updates and if you see any updates there, click on Restart Now to start installing it.

Enjoy a Stable Safari on Your Mac

No one likes a slow browser. Safari is one of the fastest browsers, but it's susceptible to problems, too. It often crashes, which can make anyone's browsing experience unpleasant. You can fix it by performing certain actions, such as clearing the cache and resetting it.

If nothing else works, you should check if you have any pending macOS updates. Safari crashing isn't a major issue, and with a few tweaks here and there, you should be able to improve your browsing experience.

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Top 7 Ways to Fix Safari Keeps Crashing on iPhone

When it comes to browsing, Safari for iPhone is quite reliable. And most users wouldn’t consider switching to an alternative now that the browser also offers features like extension support and the ability to group tabs . But it’s just an app at the end of the day, and it is bound to run into issues often.

Top Ways to Fix Safari Keeps Crashing on i Phone

Whether Safari for iPhone is not responding or crashing abruptly, there can be many reasons behind this. This guide will help you get Safari working as usual. So, let’s get right to it.

1. Close Tabs and Relaunch Safari

The Safari is built to be memory efficient while you’re browsing the web. But when you’ve too many tabs open, Safari might run out of memory and crash. To resolve this, you can try closing some unwanted tabs and relaunch Safari to see if it works fine now. Of course, you wouldn’t want to lose out on any website or data you were accessing, but this could help you fix the issue or figure out which website is causing Safari to act weirdly.

Close All Tabs Safari

2. Restart iPhone

Usually, restarting Safari or iPhone helps. But if it doesn’t, then you’ll need to roll your sleeves and get ready to troubleshoot the problem further.

3. Clear Safari History and Website Data

Safari gathers site data, browsing history, cache and cookies to improve the overall browsing experience. But when that data gets old, it creates conflicts with the new website data which Safari tries to download. Thus, you can try removing old website data from Safari .

Note: Removing Website Data and History resets everything in Safari, and you’ll be logged out of all sites automatically.

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to Safari.

Safari App

Step 2: Tap on the Clear History and Website Data option. Choose Clear History and Data from the resulting menu.

Clear History and Website Data on Safari

5. Disable Autofill

Autofill is a nifty feature on Safari that saves you from the tedious exercise of entering your personal information time and again. It’s possible that Safari is having trouble loading up that information for some reason. If that’s the case, then it might cause Safari to crash abruptly. You can try disabling the Autofill functionality momentarily to see if it resolves the issue. Here’s how.

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and scroll all the way down to go to Safari.

Step 2: Scroll down to General and tap on Autofill. Now toggle off the switches next to Use Contact Info and Credit Cards.

Autofill Settings on i Phone

Now restart Safari to see if it works fine now.

4. Turn Off JavaScript Temporarily

JavaScript is a programming language that websites use these days to provide all kinds of features. However, if there’s an error in the code, Safari might fail to load the website and crash. So, if the Safari crashing issue is limited to only one or two websites, the problem might be with those websites. To load the minimum version of such sites, you can disable JavaScript in Safari. Here’s how.

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and go to Safari.

Step 2: Scroll down to go to Advanced settings and turn off the switch next to JavaScript.

Advanced Settings on Safari

Now, visit the same website to see if it opens without issues.

6. Disable iCloud and Safari Syncing

Safari syncs all your data with your iCloud account as a backup and also to make the same available on your Mac and iPad. If this sync is interrupted, the mismatch of information could cause Safari to freeze or crash. You can try disabling iCloud Safri syncing momentarily. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open Settings app on your iPhone. Tap on your name at the top.

Settings on i Phone

Step 2: Go to iCloud settings and turn off the toggle next to Safari to disable sync.

I Cloud Settings

Next, use Safari to see if it works fine now.

7. Update iOS

If you’ve been a really old version of iOS, then you’ll need to update your iPhone to the latest version. These updates pack under the hood improvements and several security fixes that make Safari secure.

No More Safari Crashes

With every major iOS update, Apple has been introducing some new features to Safari. Whether it’s the introduction of Picture-in-Picture mode or built-in webpage translations , Safari has never been short of features. But sadly, such crashes or issues can disappoint users at times. That said, with the above solutions, it shouldn’t take long before you resolve the issue and get back to browsing the web.

Last updated on 05 February, 2022

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

Top 6 Ways to Fix Safari Keeps Crashing on Mac

DID YOU KNOW

crashes on safari

Pankil Shah

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides on Android, iOS, Windows, and the Web at Guiding Tech. When time permits, he also writes at MakeUseOf and Techwiser. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and continues to plan his international travels with his wife.

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Safari crashing on Mac? 11 Ways to fix it!

Safari has a series of commendable features, but once in a while, its loyal users may encounter crashes and glitches. If you are one of them, don’t worry. You can swiftly get your favorite browser back up and running by employing a few simple solutions. Follow this guide to explore the most common fixes to solve Safari crashes on Mac.

  • Force Quit and restart Safari
  • Clear Safari cache on Mac
  • Remove Safari History and Website Data
  • Delete Safari Extensions
  • Delete Safari preferences
  • Reset PRAM or NVRAM
  • Boot your Mac in Safe Mode
  • Run Disk Utility
  • Update Safari and update macOS
  • Reset your Mac

1. Force Quit and restart Safari

It can be frustrating to experience Safari crashes on Mac whilst you’re in the middle of a task. But fear not; follow the following steps to troubleshoot this problem completely.

Click apple logo, force quit safari

  • Once Safari successfully shuts down, wait for a few seconds.
  • Now restart the web browser like you normally do.

While this process is plain and simple, it tends to do the job. As you access your browser again upon successful termination, any lingering problems or conflicts should be resolved.

2. Clear Safari cache on Mac

It is worth noting that if this problem persists despite forced quitting, then you must consider a more comprehensive solution. Safari, like any other browser, stores temporary files and data to provide a faster response to its users for future visits.

However, over time, this cache can become clogged with excess data or corrupted files, resulting in crashes. Let’s explore how you can clear the same.

  • Click the Safari option from the menu tab.

Click Safari, Settings in Safari

  • If you want, you can close the preference menu now.

Click Develop, Empty Caches for All Profiles in Safari

  • Now let the process run its course and quit Safari .
  • Wait for a moment before you restart the Safari browser.

Hopefully, the problem is now rectified. Moreover, this process is not solely dedicated to bringing your browser back from the dead but also enhances browser performance and improves security. By following these steps, Mac users can ensure a seamless browsing experience on Safari and minimize disruptions caused by crashes.

3. Remove Safari History and Website Data

If Safari continues to crash, you should consider removing its history and website data. There’s a high chance that any conflicts or errors might resolve occurring within your browser.

  • Click History from the menu bar.

Click History, clear all history

Clearing history and website data not only helps fix potential crashes but also improves browser performance by freeing up disk space. However, it’s important to consider that following this method may result in removing the preferences and settings you saved earlier.

4. Delete Safari Extensions

Removing all active extensions from Safari can turn out to be very effective.

Extensions are basically a helping hand leading users to upscaled accessibility. However, these can often get in the way, becoming the source of conflicts and instability. As a result, it becomes prominent to get rid of extensions to enrich Safari with uninterrupted performance.

  • Navigate to the Extensions menu.

Click extensions, select an extensiion, click uninstall in Safari

  • Further, Disable the respective extension.

Click Show in Finder in Safari extensions

However, before you adhere to this process, it’s important to consider all drawbacks regarding the process. Ultimately, upon complying with the steps discussed above, you may lose a saved password and setting preferences.

5. Delete Safari preferences

For those who have just had it with Safari crashes, let’s try something extreme – completely removing Safari preferences. This process will get rid of every misconfigured setting that might be hindering the browser.

  • Force Quit Safari following the steps discussed above.
  • Launch Finder .

Select Go, Computers in Finder

  • In this instance, you must locate all files starting with “ com.apple.Safari” .
  • Select them all and perform the Move to Bin action.
  • Ensure to clear these files from Bin as well.
  • Now simply restart your Mac.

Upon completing these steps, the application will create a new set of preferences removing all aspects saved earlier. However, stay cautious, as this process will remove all customizations or saved data associated with Safari.

6. Clear RAM

A potential solution to Safari crashing on your Mac is clearing the RAM. Over a significant period of time, our devices get burdened with a series of activities. So, if Safari crashes frequently on your Mac, it might be due to insufficient memory required for smoother browser performance.

There are many apps that can clear your RAM in a jiffy. So, take a deep understanding of these  Mac cleaner apps  and find what suits your preference.

Moreover, it’s highly recommended to perform this action on a regular basis so that you’re not bothered by such issues anywhere in the future.

7. Reset PRAM or NVRAM

However, if you do not want to try something as harsh as resetting your entire system, there is a way out. You could always opt to reset the  PRAM or NVRAM of your Mac . Remember, the M series Macs perform this action on their own.

However, on the older Macs, it is solely dedicated to resetting certain settings such as screen resolution, sound volume, startup disk selection, and even Safari-related preferences. Overall, by resetting these memory components, you can resolve possible corruption files disrupting the smooth performance of Safari.

But this process somewhat depends on luck. This solution cannot guarantee the complete retrieval of Safari in comparison to other discussed solutions. It is also advisable to back up important data prior to attempting any changes to system settings.

8. Boot your Mac in Safe Mode

If you’re experiencing browser errors while using Safari, you can investigate and troubleshoot the issue by delving into the system settings via Safe Mode. It will allow you to determine whether the problem lies with an incompatible or malfunctioning software or extension.

For those who are unaware of this process, don’t worry; we have got a dedicated guide to accessing  Safe Mode on Mac .

Upon successfully navigating to Safe Mode on Mac, launch Safari again. If Safari responds according to your commands, then it’s safe to assume that a third-party app is interfering with your system performance.

You must now exit Safe Mode and proceed to remove recently installed extensions or applications that could cause this problem.

9. Run Disk Utility

Disk Utility can also help fix Safari crashes on Mac. This tool is integrated into your macOS by default exactly to encounter such errors. Let’s see how you can execute this tool:

  • Launch Finder on your Mac.

Click Applications, Utilities in Finder

  • Choose your primary drive . It is most likely to be named Macintosh HD .

Click First Aid in Disk Utility

  • Now, let the process run its course.

Note that you will not be able to interact with your computer until this process is complete.

Upon successful completion of the process, simply restart your Mac and test Safari again to see if it continues crashing. This method not only resolves the issues tampering with Safari but ensures the overall performance of your macOS.

10. Update Safari and update macOS

Apple regularly rolls out updates with the consciousness of removing common bugs and an overall improvement to the entire system. So, there is a high chance that Apple will provide an application update to resolve this issue seamlessly.

The same verifies macOS system updates as well. If there is no dedicated update available for Safari, you can opt to update your macOS for an overall upgrade. This should contribute positively towards eliminating Safari crashes on Mac.

If Safari is experiencing an issue that cannot be fixed, it is likely that Apple will investigate and promptly provide an update to resolve all problems for the users.

11. Reset your Mac

For those who heavily rely on Safari for their work, this problem can be pretty annoying and frustrating. They should consider performing a factory reset on your Mac . 

This process will completely wipe away the entire cache, extensions, and plugins saved onto your device and mitigate crashes caused by conflicting software. Although, before you get started with this alternative, it’s wise to take a backup and store your important files away.

Contact Apple Support

Finally, if none of these steps prove successful, it may be worth contacting Apple Support or seeking assistance from a professional technician to further troubleshoot the problem.

They will guide you through more advanced troubleshooting steps or recommend potential software or hardware fixes tailored to your specific situation. You can further take part in Apple discussions to verify your concerns among fellow macOS users.

Yes, some third-party software or applications can interfere with Safari’s performance and cause crashes. Particularly, internet security suites or browser-related plugins may be problematic. Try disabling or uninstalling such software temporarily to see if it resolves the issue.

Yes, you can create a new user account on your Mac and try using Safari in that account. If Safari works fine in the new account, it suggests that the issue is related to your user account’s settings or preferences.

Reinstalling Safari is not recommended, as it is an integral part of macOS. However, you can reset Safari, as mentioned earlier, which can often resolve issues without the need for a full reinstallation.

Explore and control!

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge to combat Safari crashes on your Mac, you can confidently navigate the web without the fear of abrupt interruptions.

Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to boult your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

  • How to lock Safari private tabs on iPhone, iPad and Mac
  • How to create Safari profiles on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
  • How to create Safari web apps on Mac
  • Safari running slow on Mac? Easy ways to fix it!

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Safari Crashing on iPhone / iPad? Here is How to Fix Safari Crashes & Freezes

Fix Safari Crashing on iOS

Safari is the web browser that comes with every iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and though Safari in iOS should be stable and not crash or freeze often, the fact is that sometimes Safari does crash.

Fortunately there are usually some pretty simple resolutions to any Safari crashing problems in iOS, and so if you are experiencing any type of freezes, crashes, or the app closing itself or stalling, you can likely resolve it with the methods outlined below.

6 Fixes for Safari Crashes in iOS

While you can try these in any particular order to fix Safari problems in iOS, we recommend following how they’re presented here. Let’s get right to it:

Update iOS System Software

Updating system software is recommended because each iOS release includes bug fixes and improvements, some of which may directly resolve a problem you are experiencing with the Safari app on an iPhone or iPad. Updating iOS is easy.

  • Go the Settings app and to “General”, then go to “Software Update” and install what is available

Download and install latest iOS software update

Disable Safari Suggestions Features

An old bug that was fixed in later releases of iOS caused Safari Suggestions to be problematic in the past. Some users also just don’t like the feature, but you can disable Safari suggestions easily:

  • From Settings, go to “Safari” and toggle “Search Engine Suggestions” OFF, then toggle “Safari Suggestions” OFF

Turn off suggestions in Safari

Too Many Safari Tabs? Close Some

If you have too many Safari tabs open you may be causing the app to run out of memory. Typically Safari handles this well by forcing the pages to refresh, but sometimes you may want to manually intervene and just close out some of the old unused tabs.

  • From Safari, tap the box button to see the open tabs, then tap the “X” in the tab titlebar to close each – repeat as necessary

Close Safari tabs

Clear Out History & Web Data in Safari

Safari accumulates caches, browsing history, cookies, and other data in the iPhone or iPad. Sometimes that data can interfere with app functionality, so clearing it out can be a remedy to problems with the app crashing or stalling on some web sites.

  • From Settings, go to “Safari” and then to “Clear History and Website Data”

Clear history and web data Safari iOS

This will also delete history from you rather iCloud signed in devices so keep that in mind too. You can get more specific and delete recent Safari history if you want instead, though that may not remedy the issue.

Force Quit the Safari App in iOS, Relaunch

Sometimes just force quitting the app and relaunching Safari is sufficient to resolve a problem with the browser:

  • Double click on the Home button, then swipe UP on the Safari app to close it, relaunch as usual

Force Quit safari app

Reboot the iPhone / iPad

Hold down the Home button and Power button together concurrently until you see the Apple logo on the front of the screen, then release. This force reboots the iPhone and can resolve some issues.

Have another solution to Safari crashing on an iPhone or iPad? Let us know!

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crashes on safari

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Why Does Safari Keep Crashing on Mac & How to Fix It

Avatar photo

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to browse the web, whether you’re working or playing, and being stopped in your tracks when Safari crashes. But what causes Safari to have these problems? And is there any way to fix it?

As someone who works on Apple computers for a living, I can say that problems with Safari are extremely common. So, you’re not alone. The good news is that there are often a few simple tips to get the app working again so you can get back on your feet.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Fix 1. restart your mac, fix 2. force quit safari, fix 3. update macos, fix 4. clear cache, history, and website data, fix 5. disable extensions, fix 6. run first aid on solid state drive (ssd), fix 7. boot in safe mode, final thoughts.

  • Safari could be crashing for several reasons, though the most common is problems with using too many resources and freezing.
  • You can try a simple fix, like restarting your Mac , updating your system , or force-quitting the application .
  • If that doesn’t work, you can try clearing your browsing data and disabling troublesome extensions.
  • There may also be a problem with SSD or other startup items. Running First Aid will give you clues if your storage media is failing. 
  • You can try booting into Safe Mode as a last resort to see if Safari is working. If not, you may have more serious macOS issues that warrant reinstalling the operating system.

7 Tips to Fix Safari Crashing on Mac

Safari is the default internet browser that is installed on your Mac when you receive it. It is updated and managed through Apple’s macOS. So, Safari is typically a reliable web browser that is safe and easy to use.

There are several reasons that could cause Safari to crash, and this is likely to stop your work day or school work completely! This article will help you to determine what may be wrong with your Safari and how to fix it to quickly get back to work. 

Let’s start with the easiest tips first, and determine how to stop Safari from crashing.

Restarting your computer can solve plenty of minor software problems. And it is often the easiest fixes such as these that we can easily forget about. Still, it is worth trying a simple restart before you dive into more complex troubleshooting.

In the Apple Menu, click Restart .

crashes on safari

Just wait for your Mac to restart and see if Safari is functioning properly on the next bootup. If not, proceed to the next step.

The first reason that Safari could be crashing is that it is simply overwhelmed with the processes that it is trying to run. This could be due to utilizing too much Random Access Memory (RAM), using too much CPU, or even simply being unable to access certain features of the application. 

Regardless of which of these reasons, force quitting should solve this problem . Note that even if your Safari Application has crashed, you should still be able to Force Quit the application to fully close it. To do so, take the following steps:

Step 1: Press the Command-Option-Esc keys simultaneously on your keyboard.

Step 2: Choose Safari and click Force Quit .

crashes on safari

Step 3: Click Force Quit to confirm.

crashes on safari

Another simple reason that Safari may be crashing is that the application is simply out of date or there is a bug in the software. If you have a macOS software update, it is likely that Apple has already fixed this problem, and the update will help significantly. 

To update your system, take the following steps:

Step 1: Click the Apple Menu at the top of your screen and hit System Settings from the drop-down menu.

crashes on safari

Step 2: On the Left, Navigate to General and click Software Update on the right.

crashes on safari

Step 3: If there is an available software update, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update.  

Note : We recommend keeping on Automatic updates so that your Mac stays as fast as possible, but be sure to periodically still check this menu for updates since they may not always be able to be completed on their own (i.e., if there is not enough battery life, if you need to enter a password, etc.). 

crashes on safari

When accumulated over long periods of time, the cache, history , and website data related to your internet browsing on Safari can really add up. When this happens, the available resources can run out, or become too overwhelmed to quickly access your data. 

This can overwhelm Safari and cause it to run slowly or even crash. Now, there are other methods that clear your website history, cache, or website data separately, but this method deletes them all simultaneously . 

Just take the following steps:

Step 1: While Safari is open, click the Safari menu and Settings .

crashes on safari

Step 2: In the menu, navigate to Privacy at the top. Click Manage Website Data.

crashes on safari

Step 3: Click Remove All (If needed, you can individually clear data for each website, but clearing all is much more useful when Safari is crashing to ensure that you removed any potential malicious tracking and cleared enough RAM). 

crashes on safari

Step 4: Click Remove Now to confirm.

crashes on safari

Extensions are features available to customize how you use Safari. Some of the most popular examples are Ad Blocking, Grammar Checkers, and Coupon finders. 

If you use any of these in relation to Safari, then these extensions could be causing Safari to crash if it is trying to use too many or if these extensions are causing Safari to run too slowly. So, let’s disable a few of them. 

With Safari Open, click the Safari menu at the top of your screen and Settings from the drop-down.

crashes on safari

Next, navigate to Extensions at the top of the window. On the left side of the screen, the blue check marks indicate that the extensions are enabled.  

Click the blue check marks to make a gray box to indicate that the extensions are disabled. With an extension selected, on the right side of the screen, there is an option to uninstall. 

Clicking Uninstall and following the instructions onscreen will completely remove the extension, and you will not be able to use it again unless you reinstall it. Be sure to look for any extensions that you do not recognize or that could otherwise be malicious to completely uninstall these. 

crashes on safari

SSD is the long-term storage drive living inside your Mac. So, although it is not a replacement for the RAM that we have previously discussed, it can also have an impact on the ability of your Safari to run correctly. 

If, for some reason, your SSD is having problems, then it could impact your applications, including Safari. 

First Aid is a feature offered on your Mac to evaluate and repair any problems with your drives. Take the following steps to run First Aid:

Step 1: In Launchpad, search for Disk Utility.

crashes on safari

Step 2: Choose your SSD on the left and click First Aid on the right. Follow any onscreen instructions to repair. 

crashes on safari

Lastly, if all else fails, you can use Safe Mode to determine if there is a startup or directory problem with Safari. Safe mode is an option provided by Apple for those who are having problems with their Mac to disable all third-party features, only load necessary items, and determine if there are startup or directory problems. 

The process will look a little different, depending on if you have a Silicon or an Intel-based Mac.

Safe Mode for Apple Silicon Macs:

  • Begin with your Mac completely shut down.
  • Press and hold the power button until you see the “Loading Startup Options” screen.
  • If required, choose a volume.
  • Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard.
  • When prompted, choose Continue in Safe Mode. Your Mac will restart.
  • You know you have successfully booted in Safe Mode when you see “Safe Mode” displayed on the menu bar. 

Safe Mode for Intel Macs:

  • Turn on or Restart your Mac.
  • When booting happens, press and hold the Shift key until the login window appears.
  • Login to your Mac.
  • If you are asked to log in again, do so. 
  • You have successfully used Safe Mode when “Safe Mode” is displayed on the menu bar. 

Safari is an application that is preinstalled on your Mac and it is one of many applications that are managed through macOS. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean it will always work perfectly. If your Safari is continuously crashing, we have discussed several reasons as to why this may be and we have provided you with ways to fix this. 

You can try force quitting the application, updating macOS, or clearing website history and data. If you suspect problems with your SSD, you can run first aid. Additionally, you can boot into Safe Mode for more advanced troubleshooting.

How did these items work for you? Which item stopped your Safari from crashing? Let us know in the comments!

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Safari Crashing on Your Mac? 9 Quick Fixes

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Hashir Ibrahim

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Reviewed by

Last updated: December 19, 2023

Expert verified

To fix Safari crashing on your Mac, follow one of these steps:

  • Update Safari to avoid bugs and compatibility issues.
  • Close unnecessary tabs to reduce memory usage.
  • Clear Safari cache and cookies to resolve crashes.
  • Disable Safari extensions temporarily to check if they’re causing instability.
  • Check if Safari’s version is compatible with your macOS.
  • Use MacKeeper to remove malware that could be causing Safari to crash​.

Having dealt with Safari crashes on my Mac, I know how annoying it can be. In this guide, I’ll share some easy fixes that have worked for me. I’ll cover simple steps like clearing caches and updating software to fix these crashes. Let’s get started and fix Safari crashing on your Mac.

Before We Begin

To avoid unexpected crashes, you need to keep Safari up-to-date and virus-free. Download MacKeeper to track updates, clear junk files, and run virus scans on your Mac to streamline your Safari experience.

How to Fix Safari Crashing on Mac: 9 Easy Solutions

Safari crashes can stem from various causes. The following solutions are designed to address these problems in a systematic and user-friendly manner. Let’s explore these easy solutions to get your Safari running flawlessly again on your Mac.

1. Force Quit Safari

To force quit Safari on a Mac, follow these steps:

  • Click the Apple logo and select Force Quit . Alternatively, press Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + Esc simultaneously to open the Force Quit Applications window.

click the apple icon and select force quit

  • In the Force Quit Applications window, select Safari .
  • Click the Force Quit button.

select safari and click force quit

  • Click Force Quit on the pop-up to close Safari.

click force quit on the pop up to close safari

You can also use Activity Monitor to force quit Safari.

  • Open Activity Monitor using Spotlight search. Press Command ⌘ + Spacebar and type Activity Monitor.

type activity monitor in spotlight search

  • In the list of processes, look for Safari .
  • Select Safari and click the X button in the top toolbar.
  • A prompt will appear asking if you want to quit this process. Click Force Quit .

2. Close Unnecessary Tabs in Safari

The simplest way to prevent Safari from crashing is to close unnecessary tabs. Having too many tabs open can consume a significant amount of your Mac’s memory and processing power, leading to performance issues and crashes.

It’s good practice to keep only the tabs you’re actively using open. This will free up resources for Safari to run more smoothly and organize your browsing session.

Here’s how to close all unused tabs at once in Safari:

  • Select your Safari window with multiple tabs open.

select your safari window with multiple tabs open

  • Right-click the tab you want to keep and select the option Close Other Tabs from the context menu.

select the option close other tabs from a contextual menu

This will close all tabs except the one you selected and fix Safari crashing on your Mac.

3. Restart Your Mac

To restart your Mac, follow these steps:

  • Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
  • Select Restart from the dropdown menu.

click the apple icon and select restart

  • If you have open documents with unsaved changes, you’ll be prompted to save them.
  • Confirm the restart by clicking Restart in the dialog box.

click restart on the confirmation pop up

You can also use a Mac keyboard shortcut to restart your system: Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + Control ^ + Power . This will immediately restart your Mac without a confirmation dialog, so make sure you have saved all your work.

4. Clear Safari Cache and Cookies

Safari stores data from websites in its cache to speed up browsing. However, if the cache becomes too large, it can cause issues with Safari, including crashing. Clearing your Safari cache and cookies can sometimes resolve Safari crashing on your Mac.

To clear cache and cookies on Safari, follow these steps:

  • Open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, and select Settings .

click safari in the top menu bar and select settings

  • Select the Privacy tab.

select the privacy tab

  • Click Manage Website Data . 

select the privacy tab and tap the manage website data button

  • Select Remove All to clear your cache and cookies.

select remove all to clear your cache and cookie

  • Confirm by clicking Remove Now on the pop-up.

confirm by clicking on remove now

  • Restart the Safari browser, and it should fix the crashing issue.

5. Delete Your Safari Preference Files

Deleting your Safari preference files can be a useful step in troubleshooting issues with Safari on a Mac. Here’s how to do it:

  • Make sure Safari is not running. If it is, quit the application by right-clicking the Safari icon in the Dock and choosing Quit or going to Safari > Quit Safari in the menu bar.

click safari and select quit safari

  • Click the Finder icon in your Dock to open a new Finder window.

click finder in your dock

  • Hold down the Option ⌥ key and click the Go menu at the top of the screen.
  • While holding the Option ⌥ key, the Library folder appears in the menu. Click on it to open the Library folder.

click library under go in the context menu

  • Inside the Library folder, find and open the Preferences folder.

open the preferences folder in library

  • Look for files named com.apple.Safari.plist and any other files that start with com.apple.Safari .

drag the com apple safari plist file to the bin

  • Drag these files to the Bin. Alternatively, you can right-click them and select Move to Bin .
  • Right-click the Bin in the Dock and select Empty Bin . This will permanently delete the files.

right click the bin and select empty bin

6. Update Safari

Updating Safari often prevents crashes. Outdated versions of browsers can have bugs or compatibility issues with certain websites or plug-ins, which can cause crashes. These issues are generally addressed and fixed in newer versions of the browser.

Using the latest version may prevent Safari crashing on your Mac due to errors and bugs. To update Safari on your Mac , follow these steps:

  • Head to the System Settings via the Apple icon.

click the apple icon and select system settings

  • Select General and click Software Update .

click general and select software update

  • If an update is available, click Update Now to download and install them.

click the update now button

  • This will update your macOS, and Safari will be updated, too.
  • Restart Safari, and the crashing issue should no longer exist.

You can also use MacKeeper’s Update Tracker to identify outdated apps and select the ones you want to update. This step saves time and prevents future issues with outdated apps. Here’s how to use it:

  • Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
  • Open MacKeeper and click Update Tracker in the left sidebar.

click update tracker under performance

  • Click Scan for Updates .

click scan for updates

  • Once the scan is complete, you should see a list of apps that have available updates. Click individual apps or click the Check All box.

select individual apps or click check all

  • Tap the Update All button.

click update all in update tracker

  • Wait for the updates to complete. You can click Rescan to update more apps.

click rescan to run the scan again

7. Disable or Remove Safari Extensions

Extensions can enhance your browsing experience, but they can also be a common cause of Safari crashes, especially if they are outdated or not well-maintained. To troubleshoot, start by disabling your extensions. If Safari’s performance improves without the extensions, re-enable them one at a time to identify the culprit.

Sometimes, simply updating an extension can fix the issue. However, if an extension continues to cause problems, remove it completely to ensure a stable browsing experience in Safari.

Here’s how to disable or remove browser extensions on Mac in Safari:

  • Open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
  • Select the Extensions tab in the new window.

extensions tab in safari settings

  • Uncheck the box next to each extension to disable them.

uncheck the box next to an unwanted extension

  • Close Safari and reopen it to see whether the problem is gone.

8. Check for Safari Compatibility Issues

Compatibility issues between Safari and your macOS can lead to crashes. If your Safari version is incompatible with your macOS or any other software running in the background has compatibility issues, it can cause crashes. So, check Safari’s version and determine which program is causing it to crash.

To find the version of Safari on a Mac, follow these steps:

  • Click the Safari icon in the dock.

click the safari icon in the dock

  • Choose About Safari under the Safari menu.

click safari and select about safari

  • Look for the Version number displayed in the small window that appears.

current version of safari

  • Now, head to the other softwares installed on your Mac and check whether they are compatible with this Safari version.
  • Uninstall the incompatible software, and it should resolve the Safari crashing issue on your Mac.

9. Get Rid of Malware on Your Mac Using MacKeeper

Malware can affect your Mac’s performance and cause Safari to crash. By removing malicious programs, you can improve the overall health of your Mac and prevent issues with Safari. You can use MacKeeper’s Antivirus to run a virus scan on your Mac . Here’s how:

  • Launch Mackeeper and click the Antivirus tab in the left sidebar.

click antivirus under the security section

  • Click the Start Scan button to scan your system for issues.

click start scan in mackeeper antivirus

  • Once the scan is complete, click the Fix items button to fix any problems found.
  • If no threats are found, click Restart to run the scan again or close the process.

click restart to finish the process

  • Restart your Mac and try using Safari again. Hopefully, you won’t face Safari crashing on your Mac after this.

What Else Can MacKeeper Do?

Besides running a virus scan and updating apps, MacKeeper can improve your Mac’s performance by cleaning junk files , deleting duplicates , and freeing up RAM . Check out my detailed MacKeeper review to learn more about these features.

Why Does Safari Keep Crashing on Mac?

There are several reasons why Safari may crash on your Mac, but here are the most common culprits:

  • 🔽 Too Many Open Tabs: Each Safari tab consumes system resources on your Mac. So, surfing or opening too many tabs at once may lead to high-level consumption of the system resources, causing it to overload and crash Safari.
  • 🍪 Corrupt Website Data: Safari stores cache, cookies, and other website data to speed up your browsing experience. But over time, these files accumulate and often become corrupted, which can cause Safari to crash.
  • 🌐 Poorly Designed Website: A website with broken code sometimes causes unexpected errors and bugs. It often results in slower performance, website freezing, and Safari crashing on your Mac.
  • 🧩 Faulty Extensions: Some Safari extensions may be buggy, excessively using system resources, or still under development. These issues can also affect Safari’s performance and lead it to crash on your Mac.
  • 🔙 Safari Version Compatibility: The Safari version you use with your macOS may not be compatible or outdated. Some of its bugs and errors may cause Safari to malfunction and crash your Mac.

Prevent Safari Crashes on Mac

Now that you’ve figured out how to troubleshoot Safari crashes on Mac, you may want to avoid such scenarios in the future. To prevent future crashes and performance issues on Safari, try these tips: 

  • If Safari bookmarks disappeared on Mac after a crash, restore them by quitting and restarting Safari.
  • Delete Safari history on your Mac regularly to prevent it from piling up and making Safari run slow on Mac .
  • Block websites on Safari on Mac if they are causing it to slow down or crash.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i use another browser instead of safari.

You can use another web browser instead of Safari on your Mac, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. But make sure to download and install these browsers from their official websites to avoid security issues.

Will clearing my cache and cookies delete my saved passwords?

Yes, clearing your cache and cookies will delete any saved passwords. So, make sure to either save your passwords or note them down elsewhere before clearing your cache and cookies.

Can a slow internet connection cause Safari to crash?

Yes, a slow internet connection can cause Safari to crash. It happens because Safari may struggle to load content, which can cause the browser to become unresponsive or freeze. In this case, you should reset your modem or router or contact your service provider.

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I'm Hashir, a tech journalist with a decade of experience. My work has been featured in some of the top tech publications like MakeUseOf and MakeTechEasier. I have a bachelor's degree in IT, a master's in cybersecurity, and extensive knowledge of Apple hardware, specifically MacBooks. As the senior writer at MacBook Journal, I write in depth guides that help you solve any issues you have with your mac and unbiased reviews that help you make the right buying decisions.

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Hi there! I'm Ojash, a tech journalist with over a decade of experience in the industry. I've had the privilege of contributing to some of the world's largest tech publications, making my mark as a respected Mac expert. My passion lies in exploring, using, and writing about MacBooks, and I enjoy sharing my expertise to help others make informed decisions and get the most out of their MacBook experience. Join me as we delve into the fascinating world of MacBooks together!

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What to Do When Safari Freezes or Keeps Crashing on Mac?

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I enjoy browsing with Safari, Apple’s built-in web browser for all their Mac computers. Over the years it has become increasingly powerful, and Apple is always updating and improving it.

However, we’ve all experienced the pinwheel of death at some point. One minute you’re opening a new tab, and the next you’re staring at a bright beach ball while hopelessly clicking the mouse or tapping on the trackpad.

I’ve had to force quit Safari on multiple occasions. To be honest, it’s very frustrating to see Safari keeps freezing even crashing on my Mac, and force quitting often seems the last choice I could make.

Quit Safari

Safari Keeps Freezing [Quick Fix]

If Safari keeps freezing, wait for a few minutes to allow it to unfreeze. Once it unfreezes, close a few tabs, especially ones with videos or advertisements. If that doesn’t work, force Safari to quit by right-clicking the Safari icon on the dock and clicking Quit.

So why does Safari freeze or keep crashing? We’ll quickly explore the possible reasons, before getting to the fix solutions.

Safari Keeps Freezing or Crashing on Mac: Possible Reasons

It can be hard to know exactly what is making Safari freeze or crash unless you have an Apple geek analyze the crash reports — which is close to impossible for many of us.

But here are a few common reasons for the delay:

  • You tried to do too many things at once, such as use 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 machine.
  • Your mac is running a very older version of Safari.

How to Fix Safari When It Freezes or Crashes on Mac

Please note that the step-by-step instructions below are for general diagnosis and fixing only. By no means you should follow the exact step number, it’s totally okay to jump to the right step that best fits your situation.

Step 1 : Give it a minute. Sometimes the hanging symbol is actually just that and will go away after a minute or so. You can close background applications to assist in this process, but if you don’t like to wait, then you can skip to the next step.

Step 2 : Close tabs. Pay attention to those web pages that have heavy flash/video ads, they are often the “culprits” of slow Safari issues and tend to tax your Mac performance as well. The typical symptom is that your Mac heats up quickly with the fan running wild .

Step 3 : Force quit Safari by CONTROL + MOUSE clicking the Safari icon in the dock, and then choosing “QUIT” or “FORCE QUIT”.

Force quit Safari

If your entire Mac is frozen , and not just Safari, you’ll need to hold the power button for three seconds until the screen goes dark. Then press the power button again to restart your computer.

Step 4 : Check if your Safari is up to date by reopening the app. Then go to the top right and choose SAFARI > ABOUT.

Check if your Safari is up to date

This will open a new window with your Safari version listed. If it’s not the most current version (like in the image below), check the Mac App Store for a Safari update , which is frequently bundled with all the macOS updates (but can be executed alone).

Safari version

Step 5 : On the Safari Menu, go to HISTORY and then choose “Clear History”. The cache is a location on your Mac that Safari stores information in to load certain resources more quickly. However, this information is supposed to be temporary and might be bogging you down.

Clear History

This will open the following pop-up:

 clear the most amount of history

You should clear the most amount of history/cache you are comfortable with, and choose “All History” for best results. This will wipe the cache and help Safari avoid random crashes or freezings in the future. You should clear your cache and history regularly to keep Safari in its best shape.

Step 6 : Clear up lagging extensions by going to SAFARI > PREFERENCES, and then navigating to the “Extensions” tab.

Click preferences

Inside this tab, you will see a list of third-party extensions you have enabled or installed in Safari. You should use the “uninstall” button to remove any extensions you don’t use and uncheck the “enable” box for any plugins that you use only on occasions.

uninstall  button

If you suspect one specific extension as the root of the problem, you can try uninstalling just that one and running a comparison. It’s also a good habit to make sure any remaining extensions are up to date and using their latest patches.

Step 7 : Safari might not be the culprit of your freezing problems. If you are using an older Mac machine, especially if the startup disk is running out of space, the Safari issues you face are probably related to the poor performance of your Mac overall.

To fix this, the easiest way is to use CleanMyMac X to run a quick scan of your Mac and clear out those clutters and system junk, you should use the app to disable those login items are could lag your mac on startup.

cleanmymac x monterey

Then, if it turns out your Mac hardware is kind of dated, for example, the RAM is limited or the hard disk drive is just slow, consider installing extra RAM to increase your Mac’s capability to handle application requests, or replace the HDD with an SSD (solid-state drive) . These solutions will help make Safari (and other apps) run more smoothly on your Mac.

Browsing habits can be an easy fix to prevent future Safari performance issues. It’s good practice that you should avoid leaving tabs you aren’t using open and try to stick to one window when possible.

Also, if you’re on an older Mac with a less advanced hardware configuration, reduce the amount of multitasking you are doing in order to lighten the processor’s load.

Meanwhile, beware that if Safari seems to be crashing when you visit certain websites. Some web pages overload Safari with images, pop-ups, videos, and ads, and using an ad blocker will save you some trouble in the future.

Final Words

That’s all that we wanted to share with you today. We hope these tips have helped you solve any freezes you encounter while using Safari. If you’re still having issues even after trying multiple methods, a different browser might be worth looking into. Browsers such as Google Chrome offers good performance and a set of tools similar to those provided by Apple Safari.

Additionally, you can look for known bugs that many other users have experienced. For example, the early-2015 13″ MacBook Pro was subject to an error that frequently caused the entire machine to freeze, and was described by dozens of users in the MacRumors forum.

Communities such as MacRumors and Apple Communities can be a great resource for finding more obscure solutions to your Safari issues.

Have you experienced any unusual Safari freezing or crashing situation? Tell us what you did to fix it by leaving a comment below.

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John Powell

Safari keeps freezing immediately on opening. After force quitting, when I reopen the 4 tabs I had open are all there and Safari is still frozen with spinning wheel. Just did a software update to Monterey 12.1, upon rebooting safari opened ok without any of the previous tabs.

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Throw away your Mac and get a real computer that doesn’t cripple a real browser like Chrome. I just got a 2020 Mac. It overheats and the fan sounds like it’s gonna take off. Switch to Safari, they say. Safari freezes with only 3 tabs open. Fail. Apple has finally convinced me to switch.

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Olga Buzova

I have seen yesterday that was made of the spotlight take too much time to make searching. So I fiks spotlight. You fiks two?

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~/Library/Preferences/

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Sovannita So

My mac’s Safari is still stuck, normally the words are bold the you can click on it at the menu tab, but mine it not even clickable and I keep on hearing that “DiNnNnG!” sound. Is there a way to stop this? Its a new computer.

crashes on safari

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What to Do if Safari Keeps Crashing on Your Mac

Every Mac comes with Safari installed by default, and as a standard part of macOS, it’s about as reliable as you could wish. But it’s not infallible. As with any software, one day, you may find that Safari keeps crashing - either closing itself down, freezing up, or acting erratically.  

In this article you will find the following:

If you find yourself in that situation, read on a few tips to get your Safari working again.  

Before we start   There are many reasons why Safari may be crashing, including corrupted caches and even malware. You can deal with all these issues using MacKeeper. As well as cleaning out unneeded data and apps, it offers antivirus, ad blocking, a VPN client, and more. Download it today , and try out its range of tools.  
  • Why does Safari keep crashing on your Mac?

Whether you have an iMac, a MacBook Pro, or some other model, the reasons behind your Safari crashing or freezing problems are likely to be the same. Although malware is one possible reason, there’s no need to panic — there are also many more mundane possibilities, including incompatible software or plugins, poorly coded websites, and corrupt installation files.  

You may also find similar issues with Google Chrome or problems with Firefox and other third-party browsers.

  • How to fix Safari crashing problems on your Mac

Let’s look at how you can deal with Safari crashing and freezing problems. Hopefully, one of these fixes should get the browser up and running again.  

Force quit Safari

If Safari has frozen, you should first try to quit in the normal way, using Cmd + Q. If that doesn’t work, then force quit it instead.  

  • Press Cmd + Opt + Esc on your keyboard
  • This will bring up the Force Quit Applications window
  • Select Safari , and click Force Quit .

Force Quit window in macOS.

When you reopen Safari, you may find that your freezing problem is gone. That’s certainly the case if the cause was a badly coded website. But if there’s a deeper underlying issue, you may find that Safari will keep on freezing. In that case, try some of our other fixes.  

Clear Safari caches

A lot of apps use temporary storage areas called caches. For web browsers like Safari, caches can speed up performance because data, like images and JavaScript files, can be downloaded onto your computer. That means they don’t have to be downloaded again when you revisit sites. Unfortunately, these caches can grow too large or get corrupted, which can cause Safari to crash or freeze.  

Here’s how to clear Safari caches:

  • From the Safari menu bar, select Safari > Preferences  

Opening Safari preferences.

2. Go to the Advanced tab, select the Show Develop menu in menu bar , then close the preferences window

Enable Develop menu in Safari preferences.

3. Now, in the menu bar, select Develop > Empty Caches .

Emptying caches in Safari.

4. After emptying your caches, restart Safari. Hopefully, it’ll have stopped crashing or freezing.

Delete Safari history and website data

Although it’s handy to have a list of sites you’ve visited, clearing your Safari history can help with crashing and freezing issues. Not only does it clear your history, it also deletes cookies, which websites store on your Mac, as well as other website data.  

  • In your menu bar, select History > Clear History

Clearing Safari's history.

2. Use the dropdown menu to choose how much of your history to delete

Choosing how much of Safari's history to delete.

3. Click Clear History .  

Safari's Clear History button.

Now restart Safari and see if your crashing problem has been fixed.

Delete Safari extensions

Extensions are a great way to add new features to Safari, but they can cause problems too. Uninstalling extensions can be a good way to stop Safari from crashing or freezing. Follow these steps to remove extensions:

  • From the menu bar, select Safari > Preferences
  • Open the Extensions tab
  • Pick an extension, and click the Uninstall button

Uninstalling Safari extensions.

4. If prompted, click the Show in Finder button

Showing Safari extension in macOS Finder.

5. Delete the extension as you would any other file.

Sending Safari extension to the trash.

Restart your Mac

Sometimes, your Safari crashing problems may be related to macOS rather than Safari itself. That problem may also be temporary, and for that reason, fixing it can be as simple as restarting your Mac.  

  • In your menu bar, click the Apple icon, and select Restart

Select macOS restart.

2. Select whether you want windows to reopen or not after the restart

3. Click Restart .

Prompt to restart Mac.

Delete your Safari preference files

When you change settings in Mac apps, macOS stores your preferences in .plist files. Deleting your Safari preference files will reset your settings, which can help with problems like freezing and crashing.  

  • Quit Safari, then in Finder, select Go > Library . If you don’t see Library, try holding down Opt .

Opening Library folder in macOS.

2. Navigate to Library > Preferences

Navigating to Preferences folder in macOS.

3. Find any .plist files that begin with .com.apple.Safari , and delete them, making sure to empty your trash afterwards

Moving .plist files to the trash.

4. Restart Safari.

Clear your RAM

The more you have running on your Mac, the more of its resources you’ll use. If you have other apps running and lots of tabs open in Safari, that can cause drag, making it freeze or even crash. Clearing your RAM can help, and it’s easy to do with MacKeeper.  

  • In MacKeeper, select Memory Cleaner from the sidebar

Starting MacKeeper's Memory Cleaner.

3. Click Clean Memory .

Selecting Clean Memory in macOS.

That’s all there is to it. With your RAM cleaned out, you may find that Safari begins to run more smoothly.  

Update macOS and Safari

Apple regularly creates updates for macOS and Safari. As well as offering new features and security patches, these updates often include bug fixes, so installing them could be all you need to stop Safari crashing.  

  • Open System Preferences , and select Software Update

Software Update in macOS System Preferences.

2. macOS will now look for updates, which will include default apps like Safari

Found updates in macOS.

3. Select the update or upgrade button depending on what’s available.  

After restarting your Mac, open up Safari again and see if the crashing problem has been fixed.

  • What to do if Safari won’t open

A lot of these fixes depend on being able to get into Safari. If it’s crashing or freezing immediately, then they won’t work. Luckily, you can carry out many of these fixes using MacKeeper without ever opening Safari at all.  

Safe Cleanup feature in MacKeeper.

MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup feature lets you find and delete all kinds of cached files, including those in Safari. Its Smart Uninstaller makes it easy to remove not only apps but also add-ons and browser extensions. The Update Tracker helps you to keep on top of app updates. And the Antivirus tool keeps your Mac free of malware.  

Browser extension removal in MacKeeper.

These are just a few ways it can help you — whether Safari is crashing, your Safari bookmarks have disappeared , or you have some other problem with your Mac.

Ultimately, if Safari keeps crashing, you could try a different browser. There are many alternatives, with lots of great features that Safari doesn’t have. Hopefully, though, one of the fixes in our article has fixed the issue for you, letting you get back to browsing as normal.  

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How To Solve Safari Crashes On The IPhone

Published: September 9, 2023

Modified: January 8, 2024

how-to-solve-safari-crashes-on-the-iphone

Clear Safari Cache and Website Data

Safari cache and website data can sometimes become corrupted and cause Safari to crash on your iPhone. Clearing the cache and website data can help resolve this issue. Follow the steps below to clear the Safari cache and website data:

  • Go to your iPhone’s Settings and scroll down to find the Safari option.
  • Tap on Safari to open its settings.
  • Scroll down and tap on “Clear History and Website Data”.
  • A confirmation prompt will appear, asking if you want to clear the history and website data. Tap on “Clear History and Data” to confirm.

Clearing the cache and website data may take a few moments, depending on the amount of data stored. Once the process is complete, the Safari cache and website data will be cleared, resolving any potential issues that may have been causing crashes.

It’s worth noting that clearing the cache and website data will also remove your browsing history and log you out of websites you are currently signed in to. Make sure you are aware of this before proceeding with the clearing process.

If Safari continues to crash after clearing the cache and website data, you can move on to the next troubleshooting steps to solve the issue.

Update Safari and iOS

Keeping your Safari browser and iOS updated to the latest versions is essential to ensure optimal performance and stability. Outdated software can often be the cause of crashing issues. Follow the steps below to update Safari and iOS on your iPhone:

  • Open the App Store on your iPhone.
  • Tap on the “Updates” tab at the bottom right corner of the screen.
  • If an update is available for Safari or iOS, you will see it listed here. Tap on the “Update” button next to Safari or “Update All” to update all available apps.
  • Enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID/Face ID to authenticate the update if prompted.
  • Wait for the update to download and install on your iPhone.
  • Once the update is complete, restart your iPhone to ensure all changes are applied.

Updating Safari and iOS can often resolve many compatibility issues and bugs that may be causing Safari to crash. By keeping your software up to date, you can ensure a smoother browsing experience.

If Safari is still crashing after updating Safari and iOS, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue.

Force Quit Safari and Reopen

If Safari is not responding or continuously crashing on your iPhone, force quitting the app and reopening it can sometimes resolve the issue. Here’s how you can force quit Safari on your iPhone:

  • Double-click the home button (for iPhones with a home button) or swipe up from the bottom of the screen (for iPhones without a home button) to open the app switcher.
  • Swipe left or right to find the Safari app.
  • Swipe up on the Safari app to force quit it.
  • Go back to the home screen and tap on the Safari icon to reopen the app.

Force quitting Safari will close any tabs or processes that may be causing the app to crash. Reopening Safari will give it a fresh start and potentially resolve any temporary glitches.

If Safari continues to crash after force quitting and reopening, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps to troubleshoot and fix the issue.

Disable JavaScript

JavaScript is a scripting language used by websites to add interactivity and dynamic functionality. However, in some cases, it can also cause Safari to crash on your iPhone. Disabling JavaScript can help identify whether this is the cause of the issue. Follow the steps below to disable JavaScript on your iPhone:

  • Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  • Scroll down and tap on “Safari”.
  • Tap on “Advanced”.
  • Toggle off the switch next to “JavaScript”.

Disabling JavaScript may affect the functionality and user experience of certain websites. However, by temporarily disabling it, you can determine if Safari continues to crash without JavaScript enabled.

If Safari no longer crashes after disabling JavaScript, you may need to update or remove any problematic JavaScript-based elements on the websites you visit or consider enabling JavaScript only on trusted and reliable websites.

If Safari still crashes even after disabling JavaScript, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue.

Remove Unnecessary Plugins and Extensions

Plugins and extensions can enhance the functionality of Safari by adding extra features. However, having too many or outdated plugins and extensions can cause compatibility issues and lead to Safari crashes on your iPhone. Removing unnecessary plugins and extensions can help alleviate this problem. Here’s how you can do it:

  • Open Safari on your iPhone.
  • Tap on the tabs button in the bottom right corner to reveal the tabs screen.
  • Tap on the “Private” button in the bottom left corner to switch to private browsing mode.
  • Open a new tab by tapping on the “+” button.
  • Type “about:plugins” in the address bar and tap “Go”.
  • A list of active plugins and extensions will appear. Review the list and identify any unnecessary or outdated ones.
  • Tap on the “Edit” button in the top right corner of the screen.
  • Tap on the “-” button next to the plugin or extension you want to remove.
  • Confirm the removal by tapping on the “Delete” button.
  • Repeat the process for any other unnecessary plugins or extensions.

By removing unnecessary plugins and extensions, you can reduce the risk of compatibility issues and improve the stability of Safari on your iPhone.

If Safari continues to crash even after removing unnecessary plugins and extensions, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps to solve the issue.

Disable Safari Suggestions and Preload Top Hit

Safari Suggestions and Preload Top Hit are features in Safari that aim to improve browsing speed and provide relevant suggestions. However, these features can sometimes cause Safari to crash on your iPhone. Disabling Safari Suggestions and Preload Top Hit can help resolve the crashing issue. Follow the steps below to disable these features:

  • Scroll down again and toggle off the switches next to “Safari Suggestions” and “Preload Top Hit”.

Disabling Safari Suggestions means that you won’t see search suggestions and Safari won’t preload the most likely top search result. While it may slightly impact your browsing experience, it can help identify if these features are causing Safari to crash.

If disabling Safari Suggestions and Preload Top Hit resolves the crashing issue, you can choose to leave them disabled or re-enable them one by one to determine which feature is causing the problem. This way, you can enjoy a stable browsing experience without sacrificing essential features.

However, if Safari continues to crash even after disabling these features, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps to find a solution.

Reset Network Settings

Issues with the network settings on your iPhone can sometimes lead to Safari crashes. Resetting the network settings can help resolve any network-related problems that might be causing the crashes. Follow the steps below to reset the network settings on your iPhone:

  • Scroll down and tap on “General”.
  • Scroll down again and tap on “Reset”.
  • Select “Reset Network Settings”.
  • Enter your passcode if prompted.
  • Confirm the reset by tapping on “Reset Network Settings”.

Once the network settings are reset, your iPhone will reboot. This process will remove saved Wi-Fi networks, VPN settings, and other network-related preferences. You will need to reconnect to Wi-Fi networks and reconfigure any additional settings after the reset.

Resetting network settings can often resolve issues related to network connectivity and potentially fix Safari crashes. If Safari continues to crash even after resetting network settings, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps for a resolution.

Reset All Settings

If Safari continues to crash on your iPhone after trying the previous troubleshooting steps, you may consider resetting all settings. This will revert all settings on your device back to their default values. It’s important to note that this won’t delete any data or media from your iPhone, but it will reset all preferences and customizations you have made. Follow the steps below to reset all settings:

  • Select “Reset All Settings”.
  • Confirm the reset by tapping on “Reset All Settings”.

After the reset process is complete, your iPhone will restart. You will need to set up any preferences and configurations again, such as wallpaper, display brightness, and notification settings. Your personal data and media will remain intact.

Resetting all settings can often resolve persistent issues on your iPhone, including Safari crashes. However, if the problem persists even after resetting all settings, it may be necessary to move on to more advanced troubleshooting steps or contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Reset iPhone to Factory Settings

If all previous troubleshooting steps have failed to resolve the Safari crashes on your iPhone, you may need to consider resetting your device to factory settings. This should be seen as a last resort, as it will erase all data and settings from your iPhone. Before proceeding, make sure to backup all important data to avoid permanent loss. Here’s how you can reset your iPhone to factory settings:

  • Select “Erase All Content and Settings”.
  • Confirm the reset by tapping on “Erase iPhone”.

The reset process may take some time to complete. Once finished, your iPhone will restart and present the initial setup screen. Follow the on-screen prompts to set up your iPhone as new or restore from a previous backup.

Resetting your iPhone to factory settings will remove all data, settings, and installed apps from your device. It can be a drastic step, but it can help resolve persistent issues such as Safari crashes. Use caution and consider this option only if all other troubleshooting methods have failed.

If Safari continues to crash even after resetting your iPhone to factory settings, it is recommended to contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store for further assistance.

Contact Apple Support

If you have followed all the previous troubleshooting steps and Safari on your iPhone still keeps crashing, it may be time to seek assistance from Apple Support. The technical support team at Apple is well-equipped to handle software-related issues and can provide you with expert guidance. Here’s how you can contact Apple Support:

  • Go to the Apple Support website or use the Apple Support app on another device.
  • Select the option to “Contact Support” or search for your specific issue.
  • Choose the contact method that works best for you, such as phone, chat, or email.
  • Provide the necessary information and details about the Safari crashes you’re experiencing.
  • Follow the instructions given by the Apple Support representative and provide any additional information they may request.

Apple Support will work with you to diagnose the issue and recommend appropriate solutions. They may provide troubleshooting steps specific to your situation or advise you on further actions to take.

Remember to prepare any relevant information, such as your device serial number and a description of the problem, before contacting Apple Support. This will help facilitate a smoother and more efficient support process.

If necessary, Apple Support may direct you to an Apple Store for an in-person appointment or recommend other solutions tailored to your specific situation.

By contacting Apple Support, you can ensure that you receive the necessary assistance to resolve the persistent Safari crashes on your iPhone.

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Aggressive elephant lifts safari car filled with tourists into the air in South Africa

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A frightening moment for a group of tourists in South Africa was caught on camera when an elephant approached their safari truck and partially lifted it up into the air.

The incident happened March 18 in Pilanesberg National Park, northwest of Johannesburg.

The group of local South Africans were touring the area when they got too close to the elephant bull to take pictures. That's when the large animal became aggressive and approached the safari truck.

Video from the scene shows the elephant lifting the front portion of the vehicle with its tusks before letting it drop to the ground. Screaming can be heard in the video.

The guide backed up the vehicle and slammed his hand against what appears to be the door in attempt to convince the elephant to stop.

The tour operator Mankwe Game Trackers told ABC News they understand the elephant was in musth, a periodic state of the bull elephant characterized by aggressive behavior and a surge of testosterone levels.

Nobody was hurt in the encounter, but the park offered counseling for those who were the most rattled.

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WebKit Features in Safari 17.4

Mar 5, 2024

by Jen Simmons and Jon Davis

Architectural improvements

Form elements, web assembly, web inspector, changes to safari, safari extensions, web authentication, bug fixes and more, updating to safari 17.4.

Just like Safari 15.4 and Safari 16.4, this March’s release of Safari 17.4 is a significant one for web developers. We’re proud to announce another 46 features and 146 bug fixes.

You can experience Safari 17.4 on iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS Sonoma 14.4, macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey, and in visionOS 1.1.

It’s always exciting to ship new features that you can use while building websites and web apps for your users. WebKit engineers also work on many important projects beyond implementing new web platform features. Recently, much effort has gone into multiple infrastructure projects that strengthen WebKit for the long-term.

We completed the final installment of our multi-year long rewrite of our inline layout engine (more on that later). We built two new iOS frameworks with hundreds of new APIs to support functionality used by web browsers, including multiprocess, JIT, and advanced keyboard & touch event access — and we are pivoting WebKit to use these new frameworks. We’re working on several other large projects that deepen security and privacy. And we’ve been hard at work to make Safari even faster. For many years, Safari has held the crown of the world’s fastest browser. It’s important to us to keep pushing the boundaries of speed, as the websites you build continue to get more complex. Hundreds of recent changes result in Safari 17.4 showing a significant performance bump.

Safari 17.4 brings two improvements to web apps on Mac.

First, Safari adds support for the shortcuts manifest member on macOS Sonoma. This gives you a mechanism in the manifest file for defining custom menu commands that will appear in the File menu and the Dock context menu.

Web Kittens web app open on macOS, with the File menu showing and four custom shortcuts listed

A web app shortcut consists of a name , (the words you’d like to appear in the menu), and a url . When a user activates the command, it opens the specified URL inside the web app.

Users can set up custom keyboard shortcuts for app menu commands in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts. By default, macOS does not assign web app shortcuts any keyboard commands.

Second, Safari 17.4 now supports the categories manifest member on macOS Sonoma. This member provides you with a mechanism for telling the browser which categories your web app belongs in. On Mac, when a user creates a Launchpad folder that contains web apps, the folder is automatically named accordingly.

Launchpad on macOS showing two app icons in a group titled Social Networking

Switch control

The switch is a popular interface for many use cases, but until now, there was no easy way to put a switch on the web. Instead developers might use a checkbox input field, remove the visual look of the checkbox with appearance: none , and write custom styles to create something that looks like a switch.

Now, with WebKit for Safari 17.4, HTML supports a native switch. If you code <input type="checkbox" switch> , the browser will simply create a switch for you, and map it to role=switch and related ARIA features.

Extending the current HTML checkbox provides several benefits and honors the W3C’s HTML Design Principles . First, this design degrades gracefully — which means you can use <input type="checkbox" switch> today. Browser that have support will show a switch, while browsers that do not have support will show a checkbox. No user will get a broken experience, and you don’t have to wait until all of your users have a browser with support in order to utilize this on your website or web app. This design also does not reinvent the wheel . It matches the way form controls have always worked on the web, and feels just like the code you’re used to. It’s an incremental evolution of the web. And as a simple solution, it avoids needless complexity .

The accent-color property can be used to change the background color of the switch in the “on” state. And, exactly like other form controls, you can use appearance: none to remove the system default styling and apply your own, perhaps while leveraging :before and :after .

In the future, there will likely be multiple pseudo-elements to make it even easier to style the switch with your custom styles. You can try out ::track and ::thumb in Safari Technology Preview today and let us know what you think of this approach. See how they work in this demo , after enabling the “::thumb and ::track pseudo-elements” feature flag . (These pseudos are waiting to ship until there is a more comprehensive plan for styling form controls proposed, discussed and resolved on at the CSS Working Group.)

Vertical writing modes

From the beginning , the web has always been interactive. Even before any method of custom styling was available, form controls and input fields provided the means for users to communicate back to the website and to each other. The web was also originally designed in an era when the Latin alphabet (used by many languages, including English) was the presumed default, with its horizontal top-to-bottom writing mode.

For thirty years, form controls have presumed a horizontal writing mode . Typesetting in a vertical writing mode for languages like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian did not include vertical form controls. Now that’s changed. Starting in Safari 17.4, vertical form controls are supported. This includes meter, range, progress and other form controls that could make for great UI in any language when laid out in a vertical format.

crashes on safari

Horizontal Rules inside Select

You can use an <hr> element (a horizontal rule) inside a <select> element to draw a separator line. WebKit shipped support in Safari 17.0 on macOS. Now, Safari 17.4 on iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, and in visionOS 1.1 also has support.

Safari window floating in front of mountains in Vision Pro, with a a select menu open on a web page, showing lines between list items

Try a demo and read the story of how hr in select was supported years ago, went away, and is now restored.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 also adds support for the showPicker() method for <input type="date"> on macOS.

Inline Layout

One of the infrastructure projects that’s been underway in WebKit during the last several years is the complete rewrite of our inline layout engine. Safari 17.4 marks the completion of this project and the retirement of the twenty-one year-old legacy line layout engine.

Inline layout is integral to displaying content on the web. It determines the size and layout — wrapping, justification, spacing, and baseline alignment — of all text and other inline-level content. As developers, we often focus on the invisible block boxes on a web page and write CSS to layout those boxes using Flow, Tables, Flexbox or Grid. The content inside those boxes is placed using complex inline layout algorithms that developers often don’t need to think much about.

We’ve been shipping our new inline layout engine incrementally for many years. As more and more of the new engine was complete, more and more of the content on web pages was positioned by the new engine. This means users have been benefiting from WebKit’s new inline layout engine for a while. The legacy system was only triggered if there were something that hadn’t been yet implemented in the new engine. The last major step needed was the reimplementation of Ruby — and now it’s also a proper inline layout feature, fixing past inconsistencies.

Projects like these can be disruptive. Often browser teams will choose to not ship any new features while a multi-year rewrite project is in progress. WebKit instead chose to keep shipping new features, often implementing them twice — once in the legacy line layout engine, and again in the new inline layout engine. Now that this work is done, we no longer have to implement anything twice. This work also let us go through a large number of bugs reported on bugs.webkit.org , confirm they are no longer a problem, and close them as fixed.

We’re excited for WebKit’s future with this new engine. This investment results in increased interoperability by aligning to the latest web standards, fewer inline layout bugs, better performance, improvements to stability, and the ability to implement new features far more easily. The completion of inline layout also marks the beginning of rewriting the layout engine for other formatting contexts , starting with Flexbox.

Align content everywhere

When Flexbox shipped, it brought a powerful new tool to the web — box alignment . The align-content property made it possible to easily vertically center content inside a box! Or you could use it to align content to the bottom to the box, to align baselines of text, and more. When CSS Grid shipped, box alignment became possible in a second layout mode. Since 2017, you’ve been able to align the direct children of both Flexbox and Grid containers.

Now, we are proud to be the first browser shipping support for align-content inside two more formatting contexts — block layout and table layout. This means if all you want to do is align a box’s content in the block direction, you don’t need to involve Flexbox or Grid. Plus, you can now mix alignment with floats, and you can use it inside table cells.

In addition, we updated the handling of align-content and justify-content on scroll containers in WebKit for Safari 17.4. Now, for example, you can use CSS to set the initial scroll position to the end rather than the start of the content.

Be sure to test alignment on scroll containers across browsers, as many are still in the process of updating to the specified behavior. Those that have not yet updated may clip content.

CSS Scoping

Websites today can be complex, with large teams working across multiple projects, relying on pattern libraries or frameworks to keep everything organized and consistent. It can become tough for large teams to handle how their CSS cascades. Tools like Cascade Layers and :has() have changed the game, allowing developers to apply styles more masterfully. Yet, developers often want a way to scope styles to the individual component they’re working on, without worrying about the big picture or preventing unintended consequences.

CSS Scoping was created to provide several more powerful options for organizing and structuring CSS. (Note, there have been many debates over many years on how style scoping might work. Search results for “CSS scoping” often yield old, unimplemented or completely different ideas.)

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds supports the @scope rule and expands the capabilities of the :scope pseudo-class. Scoping changes how the cascade works in some surprising ways, so do be sure to read about its impact before deploying widely.

If your project is making heavy use of components, constructed independently and loaded in random order, scoping can help you by ensuring certain styles only apply to the contents of a specific element, and never to anything else on the page.

By default, all CSS on a project applies universally. It has a “scoping root” of <html> . And the :root pseudo-element refers to the root element in the DOM — the html element. CSS Scoping lets you use <style> @scope to reset the scoping root to a certain element, to the parent of the <style> element.

In this case, because <article> is the direct parent of <style> @scope , all of the styles defined inside @scope will only impact article and the content inside article . Nothing outside article is affected.

But that’s not all CSS Scoping can do. Let’s imagine we want to apply styles to a sidebar, but we don’t want those styles to apply to everything in the sidebar. We can use @scope to create a donut of sorts — with a hole in the middle where the styles don’t apply.

By defining a scoping root with a scope-start selector ( aside ) and a scoping limit with a scope-end selector ( section ), we can effectively stop the cascading of the styles.

Also, anytime you use CSS Scoping, it radically changes what happens when there’s a tie in specificity.

Since the creation of CSS, when multiple selectors have equal specificity, the one that appears last in the CSS cascade is the one that gets applied. For example, if this is your CSS:

Then this is your result.

The headline is always yellow, because .yellow comes later in the CSS file. The order in the HTML does not matter.

But with scoping, the selector that applies to an element that’s closer in the DOM to the scoping root is the one that will apply when their specificities are tied .

Let’s use @scope instead of descendant selectors:

Now, the headline color is determined by the DOM order in HTML, not the cascade order in CSS:

The headline is yellow when .yellow is the closer ancestor, and it’s blue when .blue is the closer ancestor.

This is a fundamental change to how CSS works, so don’t get caught off guard. Use CSS Scoping with a lot of thought and care.

Note that a selector like .blue h1 { } has higher specificity than a selector like @scope (.yellow){ h1 { }} . The specificity of the scoping root’s selector is not added to the specificity of the selectors inside the @scope rule, unlike Nesting. And .blue h1 is higher specificity than h1 .

WebKit for Safari 17.4 also expands the purpose of the :scope pseudo-class. When used inside a @scope block, :scope matches the block’s defined scope root. This provides a way to apply styles to the root of the scope from inside the @scope block itself. In the following example, :scope applies a border to the article element.

White space and text wrap

For years, the white-space property in CSS has provided a mechanism for doing two things at once: 1) defining whether and how white space is collapsed, and 2) defining whether and how lines wrap. The CSS Working Group has since noted that this was likely a mistake , to handle two different qualities in one property. With the introduction of text-wrap , the CSSWG has rethought how the long and shorthand versions of these properties combine into an architecture that makes more sense and gives us needed flexibility.

Now the white-space property is a shorthand for two new longhand properties: white-space-collapse and text-wrap-mode , both added in WebKit for Safari 17.4. These longhands let you change the collapsing and wrapping modes independently, each without affecting the other.

The white-space-collapse property controls how white space is collapsed. By default, it’s set to collapse , causing strings of multiple spaces to become a single space. You can change the value instead to preserve in order to keep all the spaces, or use other the values: preserve-breaks , preserve-spaces , or break-spaces . These values all behave as they have for years with the white-space property.

The new text-wrap-mode property provides a mechanism for setting whether or not text should wrap. The wrap value turns it on, and the nowrap value turns it off.

This work sets the stage for the text-wrap shorthand and it’s longhands text-wrap-style and text-wrap-mode , some of which you can currently test in Safari Technology Preview .

Percentages in spacing

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for percentages in letter-spacing and word-spacing . This lets you define spacing as a percentage of the element’s font-size — and keeps tracking the font-size even when it grows or shrinks on descendant elements.

Styling grammar and spelling errors

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for the ::spelling-error and ::grammar-error pseudo-elements. These make it possible to create your own custom styling for text that is marked by the browser as misspelled or grammatically incorrect.

Alt text for generated content

The vast majority of content on the web is communicated through HTML, but CSS does have the ability to insert content into the page. Until now, sometimes this kind of content could not be made accessible. Now in WebKit for Safari 17.4, you can provide alternative text with accessible content fallback — content: "foo" / "alt-text";

For example, perhaps we want to prefix certain links with the little ⓘ icon to let users know this item leads to more detailed information. That symbol might be read by screenreader as “Circled Latin Small Letter I” or “Information source combining enclosing circle”, neither of which do a good job communicating the intended purpose. Perhaps a better experience would be to simply hear “Info:”.

Previously, the -webkit-alt property served this function. It has been deprecated in favor of the new content alt text syntax. The new syntax is also more expressive as it allows for cascading, and allows you to chain multiple strings and attr() as alternative text.

Transitions

When CSS Transitions were created, they allowed authors to create a gradual timed transition between old and new values by interpolation. Sometimes, however, interpolation is not possible. For example, there’s no meaningful intermediary value between float: left and float: right , so, transitions ignored these properties. They simply jumped from the first state to the second immediately, without any ability to define when the jump should happen.

Yet, web developers have wanted a way to at least be able to define when the transition should happen for discrete properties. So the CSS Working Group figured out a way to make that possible. Now, you can tell the browser that you want an element to be capable of transitioning discrete property values, which lets you control their transition timing using the easing functions .

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for the transition-behavior property. The transition-behavior: allow-discrete rule lets you enable transitions between discrete property values, so that you can control their timing via transition .

The :has() pseudo-class provides tremendous value. We keep making it more and more powerful by adding support for additional pseudo-classes within :has() . WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for :has(:any-link) , :has(:link) , and :has(:-webkit-any-link) , making it possible to select an element depending on whether or not it contains a link.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for CSS custom properties to the ::backdrop pseudo-element, allowing variables to be applied to the backdrop behind dialog elements and other top layer items.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 also adds offset-position support for circle() and ellipse() .

And WebKit for Safari 17.4 makes -apple- prefixed pseudo-elements no longer valid.

This release of Safari adds support for an assortment of small Web API additions that give you extra tools in your developer toolkit.

With support for the element.checkVisibility() method, you can determine the visibility of an element across a variety of conditions including how CSS properties such as display , visibility , and opacity are applied.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 also extends its Declarative Shadow Root support. The Element.prototype.setHTMLUnsafe() , ShadowRoot.prototype.setHTMLUnsafe() , and Document.parseHTMLUnsafe() methods, as well as the ShadowRoot clonable property are now available. The setHTMLUnsafe() methods work similar to setting an element’s innerHTML property, enabling unsanitized DOM tree mutation but with additional support for declarative shadow roots. The parseHTMLUnsafe() method similarly parses unsanitized HTML with declarative shadow root support and returns a document. And the clonable read-only boolean property allows you to detect if a ShadowRoot is clonable.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for the CustomStateSet interface for custom element state management. This interface includes methods to add() , delete() , or detect if the element has() a given state, and more. Importantly, these states added to a custom element can be styled using the :state() pseudo-class by users of the custom element.

The DOMMatrixReadOnly interface now supports the scaleNonUniform() method that creates a new DOMMatrix scaling on X, Y, and Z axes. The X axis scaling factor must be specified, but the Y and Z axes default to 1 . The scaling is centered at the given origin that defaults to (0, 0, 0) .

Lastly, WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for AbortSignal.any() giving you a convenient way to combine abort signals such as user input (e.g. a user clicks a cancel button) and a timeout to send an abort signal to an async operation.

New JavaScript features in Safari 17.4 add new expressiveness and convenience with promise resolvers, improved internationalization formatting, ArrayBuffer ownership management, and Array grouping features.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for the Promise.withResolvers static method. It allows developers the convenience of creating a promise and configure the resolution and rejection handlers after it has been created. The method returns the promise along with the resolution and rejection functions.

The TimeZoneOffset format is now available for Intl.DateTimeFormat . It allows you to specify the difference of the local time to UTC time in positive or negative hours and minutes depending on whether the local time is ahead or behind.

Additionally, Number.prototype.toLocaleString and Intl.NumberFormat have been updated so the string representation correctly aligns with recent specification changes.

There’s also new expressive API for managing the concept of ownership for ArrayBuffers. ArrayBuffer.prototype.transfer creates a new ArrayBuffer with the same contents and properties as the target ArrayBuffer (such as being resizable) and detaches it from the original ArrayBuffer. You can use ArrayBuffer.prototype.transferToFixedLength() to guarantee a non-resizable ArrayBuffer with the same content as the buffer. ArrayBuffer.prototype.detached will tell you if the buffer has been transferred and is detached.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 also adds the Array grouping feature that includes Object.groupBy and Map.groupBy methods. These methods give you powerfully simple tools for grouping datasets.

Additional codecs

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for several audio and video codecs.

First, WebKit for Safari 17.4 on iOS, iPadOS and in visionOS adds support for WebM . While the WebM container (with both the VP8 and VP9 video codecs) has been fully supported on macOS since Safari 14.1, support on iOS and iPadOS was limited to VP8 in WebRTC. Now, WebM is fully supported everywhere.

The Vorbis audio codec is also now supported in WebKit on iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4 and in visionOS 1.1.

And WebKit for Safari 17.4 expands what WebCodecs can do with the addition of support for the HEVC codec.

Source prioritization

When support for video embedding arrived in HTML5 with the <video> and <source> elements, the web standard specified that the first file that’s recognized by the browser should be chosen and played. This put the burden on the developer to make sure the best files were listed before lesser-quality files.

This made sense in a simpler time, when there were just a few codecs available. Now, there are many codecs with different qualities. It’s not always possible for developers to know which file is the best one for a user to stream. And it can be impossible to put them in one specific order that’s best for all users.

A browser might easily be capable of playing several of the files offered, but one of those files could be compressed with a codec that the user’s device can decode using hardware, while the rest might only be decoded by software alone.

It’s definitely a better user experience to use hardware decoding. Doing so significantly impacts power usage and makes a battery last longer. So now, in WebKit for Safari 17.4, the best file for the user is chosen, instead of defaulting to the first file that has support. Video codecs with hardware decoding support on various Apple devices include VP9, h.264, HEVC and AV1.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for HTML character entities to WebVTT (Web Video Text Tracks Format), the technology used to add subtitles and captions to video files on the web. HTML entities are a way to write special characters without having the browser mistakenly think they are part of the HTML code. For example, &middot; represents the “·” character.

MediaStream

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support whiteBalanceMode to MediaStream. In photography, adjusting white balance is a technique for compensating for the fact that “white” is a different color under different lighting conditions. Sunlight is very blue, while indoor lights tend to be quite orange. Our brains automatically adjust, so as humans, we rarely notice. But cameras need technology to help them adjust color temperature so that the resulting photo or video has the kind of coloring people expect. Now modes for white balance are available for the MediaStream Image Capture API on the web.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for kernelUnitLengthX and kernelUnitLengthY to SVGFESpecularLightingElement .

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for four new WebGL extensions: EXT_clip_control , EXT_depth_clamp , EXT_polygon_offset_clamp , and WEBGL_polygon_mode .

WebKit for Safari 17.4 enables extended constant expressions to support more advanced WebAssembly linking.

Web Inspector for Safari 17.4 has two new features. First, when a page attempts to load a font URL blocked by Lockdown Mode, a message is logged to the Console.

Second, Web Inspector now groups load errors for source maps. Source map files are used for converting a combined or minified file back into its original state. Grouping load errors helps reduce noise while debugging. You can disable this behavior in Web Inspector Settings under Experimental settings.

Safari 17.4 itself includes three changes to the UI and user experience. First, you can now configure the Favorites Bar to show your bookmarks with only their icons. Edit the name of the bookmark in the favorites bar, and remove the name. The icon will remain.

Second, Safari 17.4 now supports webpage translation inside <iframe> elements.

And third, Safari 17.4 adds support for Apple Cash virtual card numbers and showing the user their Apple Cash balance when using AutoFill.

Safari 17.4 includes a change to web extensions that allows extensions to open Private Browsing windows even when they don’t have access to Private Browsing.

WebKit for Safari 17.4 adds support for WebAuthn’s PublicKeyCredentials.getClientCapabilities() function. Use it to find out which WebAuthn features are supported. It returns a Promise of a record<DOMString, boolean> containing capabilities and their values.

In addition to all the new features, WebKit for Safari 17.4 includes work polishing existing features.

Accessibility

  • Fixed exposing the correct <summary> element role. (13661104)
  • Fixed non-accessible content within iframes with ARIA roles. (104611075)
  • Fixed VoiceOver word echo on text inputs with a combobox role. (112488137)
  • Fixed an issue where innerHTML and innerText changes to labels did not update their corresponding input element’s accessibility title. (113872525)
  • Fixed <details> and <summary> elements not included in VoiceOver form controls menu or list. (117308226)
  • Fixed comboboxes not notifying assistive technologies when aria-activedescendant changes. (117747058)
  • Fixed toggling accessibility preferences to correctly update form control appearance. (117914468)
  • Fixed: Removed the default ARIA-level heading for a heading role, matching removal from ARIA specifications. (119059172)
  • Fixed text missing from accessibility labels for many common shadow DOM scenarios. (120223342)

Browser Changes

  • Fixed loading a ⌘Click fragment link in a background tab. (119079650)
  • Fixed the default link color contrast for the dark color scheme. (61149466)
  • Fixed getComputedStyle() for invalid pseudo-elements. (98504661)
  • Fixed querySelector() to not throw an exception for -webkit- prefixed pseudo-elements. (99299129)
  • Fixed :user-invalid triggering while typing a date. (110687369)
  • Fixed: Updated text-transform: full-size-kana to align with Unicode 15. (111508663)
  • Fixed contain: inline-size breaking grid-template-rows: auto . (113915953)
  • Fixed svh and dvh units being unexpectedly equal when the Safari tab bar is not visible. (115085360)
  • Fixed mixed-blend-mode to blend correctly against the root background. (115688282)
  • Fixed backdrop-filter with many interoperability improvements. (115703346)
  • Fixed oklab and oklch lightness value clamping. (116195533)
  • Fixed flex layout invalidation in cases where the content of a flex item changes or style changes impact the preferred widths computation of its items. (117181858)
  • Fixed selection gaps to get painted with the expected ::selection pseudo-element color. (117796745)
  • Fixed parsing and serialization of -webkit- prefixed pseudo-elements. (118081134)
  • Fixed ::backdrop to be allowed after ::slotted() . (119015204)
  • Fixed to allow :checked and :indeterminate to match at the same time. (119075969)
  • Fixed grid with size containment and min-height not sizing row correctly. (119736473)
  • Fixed computing values of basic shape rect() and xywh() as the equivalent inset() . (119739406)
  • Fixed poor performance with :has(+ :not(.class)) pseudo-class selector. (119819247)
  • Fixed CSS content computed value serialization. (120061551)
  • Fixed pseudo-element parsing in getComputedStyle() and KeyframeEffect.prototype.pseudoElement so they require them starting with :: (or : for 4 legacy pseudo-elements). (120170550)
  • Fixed CSS linear() easing. (120290721)
  • Fixed named at-rule container getting skipped when the container is named in a :host selector. (120428386)
  • Fixed :not(:has(:not(foo))) getting misclassified as scope breaking. (120492012)
  • Fixed the name for a ::slotted pseudo-element in a container query getting resolved against the wrong scope. (122224135)
  • Made -apple- prefixed pseudo-elements no longer valid. (120268884)
  • Fixed <select> not refreshing the dropdown after an <option> is removed on iPad. (88292987)
  • Fixed text-indent to affect the selected file(s) label for file inputs. (105223868)
  • Fixed dir=auto to work for hidden , password , submit , reset , and button input types, made dirname work for password and submit input types, and removed dirname support from number input types. (113127508)
  • Fixed serialization of autocomplete with a webauthn token. (116107937)
  • Fixed <option> elements outside of an <optgroup> getting added to the preceding group. (117930480)
  • Fixed viewport units to be correct after entering and exiting fullscreen mode on iOS, iPadOS, and in visionOS. (120496571)
  • Fixed the system-ui font family within <canvas> . (117231545)
  • Fixed <progress> to use the page’s preferred rendering update interval. (118976548)
  • Fixed missing support for the direction attribute in the list of attributes whose values are matched case-insensitively with attribute selectors. ( (119432066)
  • Fixed stringification algorithm of the Function constructor to match specifications. (102065151)
  • Fixed block-level function declarations to have correct scope in global code and aligned the detection of hoistable block-level legacy function declarations with the spec. (113880075)
  • Fixed an edge case with detecting a semantic error in generators. (117497786)
  • Fixed Temporal API to throw TypeErrors for unexpected primitives. (117992134)
  • Fixed Temporal options handling to align with the specification. (118088676)
  • Fixed Temporal.Now.timeZone() to be updated to timeZoneId() . (118674314)
  • Fixed Link-stylesheet elements to not fire load events for non-text/css and non-2XX responses. (116112223)
  • Fixed link-stylesheet elements to not fire load events for non-2XX responses such as 3XX responses that do not redirect. (116331826)

Lockdown Mode

  • Fixed Lockdown Mode disabling on sites with COOP and COEP HTTP headers. (119503109)
  • Fixed WebVTT regions to position according to specifications. (23091897)
  • Fixed pausing MediaRecorder continuing to call ondataavailable at every timeslice event. (115979604)
  • Fixed an HEVC decoder issue when translating annexb data. (116768196)
  • Fixed WebVTT to treat negative percentages as invalid values. (117615681)
  • Fixed object-fit: fill on <video> elements. (118020922)
  • Fixed WebRTC calls not unmuting automatically after using Siri sometimes losing incoming audio. (118461093)
  • Fixed white bars across the top and bottom of fullscreen video playback while using Light Mode. (118530255)
  • Fixed the always empty video.buffered attribute. (118550061)
  • Fixed WebVTT to correctly parse region id settings. (118551267)
  • Fixed VideoEncoder produces no frames with latencyMode “realtime” when framerate/bitrate are not given. (118725549)
  • Fixed AV1-in-MP4 codec string not shown in Show Media Stats. (118850797)
  • Fixed getDisplayMedia frameRate always at 30 regardless of constraints. (118874132)
  • Fixed returning to fullscreen from picture-in-picture breaking subsequent touch input. (119832557)
  • Fixed HLS video captions where there are multiple text tracks available. ( (119839950)
  • Fixed fullscreen video not scaling to display size when the Safari window is in Full Screen App Mode. (119893556)
  • Fixed handling key renewal requests that cause playback errors for some DRM content. (120230860)
  • Fixed camera and mic activation failure due to media capability granting and activation order. (120510826)
  • Fixed paint-on captions shifting during playback. (120847946)
  • Fixed videos shifting up and down when fullscreen overlay controls appear or disappear. (120848395)
  • Fixed volume slider flickering when adjusting volume in Safari in visionOS. (120855936)
  • Fixed blocked encrypted sampled not getting enqueued after a CDM is attached to a SourceBuffer. (120879185)
  • Fixed video playback on Twitter.com in Safari in visionOS. (121391975)
  • Fixed[Netflix.com content that can become zoomed-in and cropped when in fullscreen mode. (121822831)
  • Fixed pseudo-element font size calculation to fix subtitle size in fullscreen mode. (122584350)
  • Fixed incorrectly oriented Traditional Mongolian script characters.(93426525)
  • Fixed resizing behavior with writing-mode: vertical-rl or direction: rtl . (102620110)
  • Fixed opacity and rendering the root element background image. (115396444)
  • Fixed the color of the drop shadow to preserve its alpha channel. (115812347)
  • Fixed filters with outsets to repaint the entire filterRegion if GraphicsStyles are used. (115817290)
  • Fixed compositing the filter style transparency layers to not clip the destination context. (115901634)
  • Fixed a bug where the returned transform from getComputedStyle was incorrect. (117523629)
  • Fixed handling images with color spaces not supported by the backend to fallback to render in sRGB. (118238178)
  • Fixed check boxes and radio buttons to avoid floats. (118660695)
  • Fixed rendering for a <div> within a transformed parent <div> with overflow: hidden . (118901069)
  • Fixed rendering issues when editing text. (119833765)
  • Fixed offsetHeight and offsetWidth are 0 for an inline box wrapping a block. (119955792)
  • Fixed a floating element causing a list item bullet to be orphaned on constrained lines. (120022893)
  • Fixed incorrect inline box (hugging) outline painting in vertical writing modes. (120217559)
  • Fixed incorrect ch unit value in vertical-rl and vertical-lr when text-orientation is not upright. (120293590)
  • Fixed graphics artifacts when scrolling a Heroku app. (120373474)
  • Fixed overflow: hidden to not prevent CSS Subgrid from applying. (120848131)
  • Fixed the repaint area for underline text decorations. (121082290)
  • Fixed align-content and justify-content on scroll containers causing overflowing content to become inaccessible. (121366949)
  • Fixed rendering floats and an out-of-flow <br> element with clear . (121444267)
  • Fixed a line break at gaps between two inline elements in a container with white-space: nowrap . (121859917)
  • Fixed cropped first letter for custom fonts that report negative advance width. (121891210)
  • Removed margin-trim behavior for floats to match specification changes. (115794102)
  • Fixed sending an error back to the caller if an error occurs for scripting.executeScript() . (107996753)
  • Fixed an issue where scripts may not be removed after calling scripting.unregisterContentScripts() . (113171510)
  • Fixed unusable horizontal scrollbars for right-to-left, vertical-rl , or flexbox reverse mode elements. (104944522)
  • Fixed a scrollTo() followed by an animated scroll ending at the wrong scroll position. (117608836)
  • Fixed wheel overflow behavior with Shadow DOM elements. (118496293)
  • Fixed keyboard scrolling beyond the page getting stuck at a bad scroll offset. (120053910)
  • Fixed cases where website data is unexpectedly evicted. (119818267)
  • Fixed applying rx or ry exclusively via CSS having no effect. (113500023)
  • Fixed negative SVGTransform scale values to be correctly stringified. (118656892)
  • Fixed the layout of an SVG when it is inside an <iframe> without affecting the size of the <iframe> . (120178866)
  • Removed support for SVGRenderingIntent. (102516681)
  • Fixed CSS invoked URL parsing to always use UTF-8 as agreed by the W3C CSS WG. (114889625)

Web Animations

  • Fixed style invalidation for animations. (118500247)
  • Fixed a paused animation where currentTime is changed to 0 not restarting when unpaused. (118826588)
  • Fixed invalid coordinates on wheel and gesturechange events inside an iframe. (105243167)
  • Fixed HTMLAreaElement to align with the HTML Standard. (110028213)
  • Fixed the result of Range.getClientRects() and Range.getBoundingRect() for certain ranges. (112543805)
  • Fixed Scroll To Text Fragment to not scroll after dynamic stylesheet loads and the user has scrolled. (112608578)
  • Fixed SharedWorker referrer policy to default to its context referrer policy if none is provided in its script http response. (114625126)
  • Fixed URL encoding for Request ‘s referrer feature and Response.redirect() . They now always use UTF-8. (115219660)
  • Fixed reprocessing <meta name="color-scheme"> when their name or content attribute changes. (115958450)
  • Fixed FetchResponse.formData() to parse headers names as case insensitive. (116742000)
  • Fixed declarative shadow trees to match the latest specifications. (117655691)
  • Fixed jiggling caused by repeated calls to scrollIntoView({ block: 'center' }) . (117755250)
  • Fixed fullscreen warning banner to prevent cutting off long domain names. (118078137)
  • Fixed updating resizeBy and resizeTo to use int rather than float to align with specifications. (118872048)
  • Fixed the CookieChangeEvent to not be exposed when the Cookie Store API is disabled. (118902989)
  • Fixed Element.prototype.setAttributeNode() to not treat attribute names case insensitively. (119013600)
  • Fixed toggling the spellcheck attribute not toggling spelling markers on input elements. (119269616)
  • Fixed removing highlights in the Custom Highlights API. (119531671)
  • Fixed getElementsByName() to only return HTML elements, not SVG, MathML, or other types of elements. (120275680)
  • Fixed the button value for a pointerup event not matching the pointerdown event. (120429508)
  • Fixed a wheel event to fire on an element that has been re-inserted after document.open . (120893136)
  • Fixed Scroll To Text Fragment Text Directives to find text with additional unrendered white space in their node data. (120913588)
  • Fixed changing HTMLCanvasElement width or height causing intermediate buffer allocations. (122309325)
  • Fixed canvas captureStream stuttering with WebGL. ((122471664)
  • Fixed Home Screen Web Apps in Simulator to be listed under a “Home Screen Web Apps” section in the device submenu of the Develop menu. (117742935)
  • Fixed the tan() function to not trigger the color picker. (118724061)
  • Fixed Canvas WebGL context capture to WebCodecsVideoFrame not capturing all frames. (108459224)
  • Fixed: Improved performance of MSAA rendering, including antialiased default framebuffer and fixed PBO uploads of PVRTC1 textures. (117461678)
  • Fixed WebGL OffscreenCanvas returning the previously created WebGL1 context when asking for WebGL2. (119028794)
  • Fixed WebGL to be available in nested workers. (120279728)
  • Fixed HTML content not displaying in a Simulator, affecting projects using the web extension project template. (121338366)
  • Fixed media tracks obtained with {"width":1920,"height":1080,"frameRate":24} . (61747755)
  • Fixed triggering resolution scaling in the case of WebRTC maintain-framerate degradationPreference . (121041723)
  • Fixed a bug that prevented HTML canvas elements from always being marked dirty on initialization. This could cause some video effects to have choppy animations. (121257960)

Safari 17.4 is available on iOS 17.4 , iPadOS 17.4 , macOS Sonoma 14.4 , macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey and in visionOS 1.1.

If you are running macOS Ventura or macOS Monterey, you can update Safari by itself, without updating macOS. On macOS Ventura, go to  > System Settings > General > Software Update and click “More info…” under Updates Available.

To get the latest version of Safari on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, go to Settings > General > Software Update, and tap to update.

We love hearing from you. To share your thoughts on Safari 17.4, find us on Mastodon at @[email protected] and @[email protected] . Or send a reply on X to @webkit . You can also follow WebKit on LinkedIn . If you run into any issues, we welcome your feedback on Safari UI, or your WebKit bug report about web technologies or Web Inspector. Filing issues really does make a difference.

Download the latest Safari Technology Preview on macOS to stay at the forefront of the web platform and to use the latest Web Inspector features.

You can also find this information in the Safari 17.4 release notes .

About iOS 17 Updates

iOS 17 brings big updates to Phone, Messages, and FaceTime that give you new ways to express yourself as you communicate. StandBy delivers a new full-screen experience with glanceable information designed to view from a distance when you turn iPhone on its side while charging. AirDrop makes it easier to share and connect with those around you and adds NameDrop for contact sharing. Enhancements to the keyboard make entering text faster and easier than ever before. iOS 17 also includes updates to Widgets, Safari, Music, AirPlay, and more.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

This update introduces new emoji, transcripts in Apple Podcasts and includes other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.

New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard

18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction

Apple Podcasts

Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German

Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast, and VoiceOver

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classical

Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language

Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations

Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models

Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo, and department name when available

Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into

Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don’t yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill

Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My

Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

This update provides bug fixes for your iPhone including:

Text may unexpectedly duplicate or overlap while typing

This update introduces additional security measures with Stolen Device Protection. This release also includes a new Unity wallpaper to honor Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.

Stolen Device Protection

Stolen Device Protection increases security of iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback to perform certain actions

Security Delay requires Face ID or Touch ID, an hour wait, and then an additional successful biometric authentication before sensitive operations like changing device passcode or Apple ID password can be performed

Lock Screen

New Unity wallpaper honors Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month

Collaborate on playlists allows you to invite friends to join your playlist and everyone can add, reorder, and remove songs

Emoji reactions can be added to any track in a collaborative playlist

This update also includes the following improvements:

AirPlay hotel support lets you stream content directly to the TV in your room in select hotels

AppleCare & Warranty in Settings shows your coverage for all devices signed in with your Apple ID

Crash detection optimizations (all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models)

This update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users.

This update introduces Journal, an all-new way to reflect on life’s moments and preserve your memories. This release also includes Action button and Camera enhancements, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.

Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practice gratitude and improve your wellbeing

Journaling suggestions make it easy to remember your experiences by intelligently grouping your outings, photos, workouts, and more into moments you can add to your journal

Filters let you quickly find bookmarked entries or show entries with attachments so you can revisit and reflect on key moments in your life

Scheduled notifications help you keep a consistent journaling practice by reminding you to write on the days and time you choose

Option to lock your journal using Touch ID or Face ID

iCloud sync keeps your journal entries safe and encrypted on iCloud

Action Button

Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language

Spatial video lets you capture video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max so you can relive your memories in three dimensions on Apple Vision Pro

Improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner

Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble

Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji

Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend

Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days

New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like, and wind speed

Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours

Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualize the phase of the moon on any day for the next month

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice

AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together

Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites

Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations

A new Digital Clock Widget lets you quickly catch a glimpse of the time on your Home Screen and while in StandBy

Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts

New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sámi languages

Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages prevents you from being unexpectedly shown a sticker containing nudity

Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 models and iPhone 14 models

Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

In rare circumstances, Apple Pay and other NFC features may become unavailable on iPhone 15 models after wireless charging in certain cars

Weather Lock Screen widget may not correctly display snow

This update introduces the ability for AirDrop transfers to continue over the internet when you step out of AirDrop range. This release also includes enhancements to StandBy and Apple Music, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.

Content continues to transfer over the internet when you step out of AirDrop range

New options to control when the display turns off (iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max)

Favorites expanded to include songs, albums, and playlists, and you can filter to display your favorites in the library

New cover art collection offers designs that change colors to reflect the music in your playlist

Song suggestions appear at the bottom of every playlist, making it easy to add music that matches the vibe of your playlist

Option to choose a specific album to use with Photo Shuffle on the Lock Screen

Home key support for Matter locks

Improved reliability of Screen Time settings syncing across devices

Fixes an issue that may cause the Significant Location privacy setting to reset when transferring an Apple Watch or pairing it for the first time

Resolves an issue where the names of incoming callers may not appear when you are on another call

Addresses an issue where custom and purchased ringtones may not appear as options for your text tone

Fixes an issue that may cause the keyboard to be less responsive

Fixes an issue that may cause display image persistence

https://support.apple.com/HT201222

This update provides important bug fixes, security updates, and addresses an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected.

This update provides important bug fixes, security updates, and fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone during setup.

Contact Posters let you customize how you appear on other people’s devices when you call them with a customized poster

Live Voicemail displays a live transcription as someone leaves a message and allows you to pick up the call

Stickers iMessage app brings all your stickers into one place including Live Stickers, Memoji, Animoji, emoji stickers, and your third party sticker packs

Live Stickers can be created by lifting the subject from photos or videos and stylizing them with effects like Shiny, Puffy, Comic, and Outline

Check In automatically notifies a family member or friend when you arrive at a destination safely and can share helpful information with them in case of a delay

Audio message transcription is available for audio messages you receive so you can read them in the moment and listen later

Search improvements help you find messages faster by allowing you to combine search filters such as people, keywords, and content types like photos or links to find exactly what you are looking for

Swipe to reply to a message inline by swiping to the right on any bubble

One-time verification code cleanup automatically deletes verification codes from the Messages app after using them with AutoFill in other apps

Leave a video or audio message to capture exactly what you want to say when someone does not pick up your FaceTime call

Enjoy FaceTime calls on Apple TV by using your iPhone as a camera (Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later)

Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures

Video effects allow you to adjust the intensity of Studio Lighting and Portrait mode

Full-screen experience with glanceable information like clocks, photos, and widgets designed to view from a distance when iPhone is on its side and charging in places such as your nightstand, kitchen counter, or desk

Clocks are available in a variety of styles including Digital, Analog, Solar, Float, and World Clock, with elements you can personalize like the accent color

Photos automatically shuffle through your best shots or showcase a specific album you choose

Widgets give you access to information at a distance and appear in Smart Stacks that deliver the right information at the right time

Night Mode lets clocks, photos, and widgets take on a red tone in low light

Preferred view per MagSafe charger remembers your preference for each place you charge with MagSafe, whether that’s a clock, photos, or widgets

Interactive widgets let you take actions, like mark a reminder as complete, directly from the widget by tapping it on the Home Screen, Lock Screen, or in StandBy

iPhone widgets on Mac enable you to add widgets from your iPhone to your Mac desktop

NameDrop lets you exchange contact information with someone new by bringing your iPhones close together

New way to initiate AirDrop allows you to share content or start a SharePlay session over AirDrop by bringing your iPhones close together

Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing even easier by leveraging a powerful transformer-based language model (iPhone 12 and later)

Easier autocorrect editing temporarily underlines corrected words and lets you revert back to what you originally typed with just a tap

Enhanced sentence corrections can correct more types of grammatical mistakes when you finish sentences (iPhone 12 and later)

Inline predictive text shows single and multi-word predictions as you type that can be added by tapping space bar (iPhone 12 and later)

Safari and Passwords

Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites

Private Browsing enhancements include locking your private browsing windows when you’re not using them, blocking known trackers from loading, and removing identifying tracking from URLs

Password and passkey sharing lets you create a group of passwords to share with trusted contacts that stays up to date as members of the group make changes

One-time verification code AutoFill from Mail autofill in Safari so you can log in without leaving the browser

SharePlay makes it easy for everyone to control and play Apple Music in the car

Crossfade smoothly transitions between songs by fading out the currently playing song while fading in the next so the music never stops

Intelligent AirPlay device list makes finding the right AirPlay-compatible TV or speaker even easier by showing your devices in order of relevance, based on your preferences

Suggested AirPlay device connections are proactively shown to you as a notification to make it even more seamless to connect to your preferred AirPlay devices

Automatic AirPlay device connections are made between your iPhone and the most relevant AirPlay-compatible device so all you have to do is tap “Play” to begin enjoying your content

Adaptive Audio delivers a new listening mode that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to tailor the noise control experience based on the conditions of your environment (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)

Personalized Volume adjusts the volume of your media in response to your environment and listening preferences over time (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)

Conversation Awareness lowers your media volume and enhances the voices of the people in front of the user, all while reducing background noise (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)

Press to mute and unmute your microphone by pressing the AirPods stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max when on a call (AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), or AirPods Max with firmware version 6A300 or later)

Offline Maps allow you to select an area you want to access, search, and explore rich information for places to download for use when your iPhone doesn’t have a Wi-Fi or cellular signal

EV routing improvements give you routes based on real-time EV charger availability for supported chargers

Option to say “Siri” in addition to “Hey Siri” for an even more natural way to make requests

Back-to-back requests can be issued without needing to reactivate Siri in between commands (iPhone 11 and later)

Visual Look Up

Expanded domains in Visual Look Up help you discover similar recipes from photos of food, Maps information from photos of storefronts, and the meaning of signs and symbols on things like laundry tags

Multiple or single subjects can be lifted from the background of photos and videos and placed into apps like Messages

Visual Look Up in Video helps you learn about objects that appear in paused video frames

Visual Look Up for subjects in photos enables you to look up information about objects you lift from photos directly from the callout bar

State of Mind reflection allows you to log your momentary emotion and daily mood, choose what factors are having the biggest impact on you, and describe your feelings

Interactive charts give you insights into your state of mind, how it has changed over time, and what factors may have influence such as exercise, sleep, and mindful minutes

Mental health assessments help you understand your current risk for depression and anxiety and if you might benefit from getting support

Screen Distance leverages the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID to encourage you to increase the distance you view your device to reduce digital eye strain and can help reduce the risk of myopia in children

Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled to prevent users from unexpectedly being shown images containing nudity in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, and FaceTime messages

Expanded Communication Safety protections for children now detect videos containing nudity in addition to photos that children may receive or attempt to send in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime messages, and the system Photo picker

Improved sharing permissions give you even more control over what you share with apps, with an embedded photo picker and an add-only Calendar permission

Link tracking protection removes extra information from links shared in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing that some websites use in their URLs to track you across other websites, and links still work as expected

Accessibility

Assistive Access distills apps and experiences to their essential features in Phone and FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music, including large text, visual alternatives, and focused choices to lighten cognitive load

Live Speech lets you type what you want to say and have it be spoken out loud in phone calls, FaceTime calls, and for in-person conversations

Personal Voice enables users who are at risk of losing their voice to privately and securely create a voice that sounds like them on iPhone, and use it with Live Speech in phone and FaceTime calls

Point and Speak in Magnifier Detection Mode uses iPhone to read text out loud on physical objects with small text labels, such as keypads on doors and buttons on appliances

This release also includes other features and improvements:

Roadside Assistance via satellite lets you contact AAA to help you with vehicle issues when out of Wi-Fi or cellular range (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)

Pets in the People album in Photos surfaces individual pets in the album just like friends or family members

Photos Album widget lets you select a specific album from the Photos app to appear in the widget

Item sharing in Find My allows you to share an AirTag or Find My network accessory with up to five other people

Activity History in Home displays a recent history of events for door locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors

Grid Forecast in Home shows when your electrical grid has cleaner energy sources available (Contiguous US only)

Grocery Lists in Reminders automatically group related items into sections as you add them

Inline PDFs and document scans in Notes are presented full-width, making them easy to view and mark them up

New Memoji stickers in Keyboard include Halo, Smirk, and Peekaboo

App Shortcuts in Spotlight Top Hit offer you app shortcuts to your next action when you search for an app

Redesigned Sharing tab in Fitness provides highlights of your friends’ activity like workout streaks and awards

Email or phone number sign-in lets you sign into your iPhone with any email address or phone number listed in your Apple ID account

New drawing tools in Freeform include a fountain pen, watercolor brush, ruler and more to create expressive boards

Crash Detection optimizations (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For more information, please visit this website:

https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-17

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all iPhone models. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

Ukrainian Drone Crashes in Moscow, Says Russia

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Russian forces have destroyed a Ukrainian drone targeting Moscow, officials said, the latest in a series of attacks on the capital.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air force downed a Ukrainian drone over the Russian capital at around 04:00 am on Friday.

"The unmanned drone, after being exposed to air defense weapons, changed its flight path and crashed into a non-residential building in the Krasnopresnenskaya embankment area of Moscow," the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency services were at the scene, adding that early reports indicated there were no casualties.

"The wreckage of the drone fell in the area of the Expo Center, and did not cause significant damage to the building," he said on Telegram.

The state-run news agency TASS reported that one of the walls of the venue's pavilion had partially collapsed, citing emergency services.

TASS also said that the airspace near Vnukovo international airport was briefly closed, with departures and arrivals delayed, citing aviation authorities.

The venue is located some 100 meters from Moscow City, an office block in the capital's main business district that was struck twice this month by debris from downed drones. 

Meanwhile, just hours before Friday's drone crash in Moscow, Russia said it had thwarted a Ukrainian seaborne drone attack on its warships in the Black Sea.

The Defense Ministry said the drone was destroyed late on Thursday night by navy patrol ships, some 237 km southwest of Sevastopol in annexed Crimea.

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Caught on camera: No one hurt after out-of-control hot air balloon crashes into power line

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MINNESOTA -- Three people in a hot air balloon in Minnesota escaped largely unscathed after their basket clipped a power line, fell to the ground and caused a brush fire.

A Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic camera captured the accident on video. It happened around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday in Rochester. Police said preliminary information indicates the pilot was trying to land in a field when a gust of wind pushed the balloon into a power line that runs along Highway 63.

The video shows the basket and balloon become disconnected as sparks fly from the power line. The basket appears to hang briefly on the line before falling about 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) to the ground. Meanwhile, the balloon lifts higher into the sky and drifts away.

The pilot and two other passengers were able to get out, even as the sparks caused a brush fire to break out. Police said in a news release that two people reported "very minor injuries." Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.

The balloon was found later, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away, police said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

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Modern female crash dummies can improve safety for women, experts say

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Cars have gotten safer over the decades, but more still needs to be done and the development of female crash dummies may ensure greater safety of women in the U.S.

Women are on average more likely to die or be injured in a car crash than men, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). One 2019 study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention found that women are 73% more likely to be seriously injured in a crash compared to men.

One reason experts believe women are more at risk: For nearly 50 years the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has failed to upgrade its crash test dummies to 21st-century technology and all of its dummies were designed with only the male body in mind.

Experts say the modern female dummy, which has spent years in testing, will improve safety for women.

"Women have a few areas where they're more likely to have harm," said Susan Cronn, a nurse practitioner and researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "Lower extremity injury, for sure. They're more likely to have some moderate injuries. They're about three times more likely to have moderate injuries like a broken bone or concussion. And then they're about two times more likely to have a more severe injury, like a collapsed lung or a brain bleed."

Cronn added that women are also "more likely to have (a) neck injury and suffer some kind of permanent impairments from that. And interestingly, they're more frequently entrapped in a car than male patients are."

NHTSA currently uses the 5th percentile adult female dummy in crash testing -- the dummy is 4 '11" and weighs 108 pounds, a smaller version of the original design based on the male body. Manufacturers have developed newer and more advanced dummies to more accurately predict and prevent the injuries women get in car crashes, but the federal government has been slow to adopt this new technology.

In 2019, when Maria Weston Kuhn was on vacation with her family, another driver took a sharp turn around a corner and crashed head-on into her family's vehicle. While her dad and brother walked away uninjured, she was hospitalized with a ruptured small intestine.

As Kuhn took a semester off from college to recover, she says she learned about the disparity between males and females in crash testing.

"I don't have the male pelvis that the seat belt was designed for," Kuhn said. "Instead of hitting the bone, it slid up and hit my stomach, and that's how it burst my intestine."

A 2023 report released by GAO stated that "currently used dummies represent a limited range of body sizes, do not reflect some physiological differences between males and females, and do not have sensors to collect data in the lower legs." The GAO recommended that NHTSA "develop a plan to address limitations in the information provided by dummies."

NHTSA agreed with the GAO's recommendation and has been working with the company Humanetics, which has manufactured a more advanced female crash test dummy-the THOR-5F.

The dummy is similar in size and weight to the current dummy, but has features of female anatomy-breasts, a female pelvic bone-and more sensors to predict injuries, according to Humanetics. The dummies have not been approved yet by the federal government, although Humanetics CEO and President Chris O'Connor says they're ready.

"Our goal and our mission is to save lives and make a difference," O'Connor told ABC News in Humanetics' Michigan plant. "We developed this test equipment to represent the current injuries and fatalities being experienced. And yet the products are not getting to the market fast enough."

Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg said Humanetics needed to make further modifications before their dummies could be approved.

"They've produced prototypes in some of our testing," Trottenberg said. "They didn't have the durability and that ability to replicate results. So we've had some back and forth, but I think we're getting close."

Trottenberg said the advanced dummies cost roughly $1 million per dummy.

"We know we're investing taxpayer dollars in purchasing these dummies, and we want to make sure we're going to get good results out of them for many years," Trottenberg said.

O'Connor said there's no excuse for not moving faster on getting more advanced dummies into crash tests.

"At the end of the day, what we care about is saving lives," he said. "We care about our daughters and our sisters and our mothers and our grandmothers, and what can we do to make them safer? And how can we get something into place faster?"

The agency responded to the GAO's 2023 report within 180 days, saying NHTSA was developing a plan to incorporate the THOR-5F female dummy into regulations that would be released by December 30, 2023. NHTSA has currently delayed the rulemaking, which would require the use of these more advanced dummies, until September 2024.

Even if NHTSA does approve the THOR-5F this fall, it will take years before the next-generation female dummy is introduced in crash testing while automakers adjust to the new rules.

"When you tell your story to someone, they're like 'Oh, that happened to my mom, or that happened to my sister, my cousin, my friend,'" said Kuhn. "It really just goes to show you the prevalence of which these injuries and fatalities occur."

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    Follow this guide to explore the most common fixes to solve Safari crashes on Mac. Force Quit and restart Safari. Clear Safari cache on Mac. Remove Safari History and Website Data. Delete Safari Extensions. Delete Safari preferences. Clear RAM. Reset PRAM or NVRAM. Boot your Mac in Safe Mode.

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    Reboot the iPhone / iPad. Hold down the Home button and Power button together concurrently until you see the Apple logo on the front of the screen, then release. This force reboots the iPhone and can resolve some issues. Have another solution to Safari crashing on an iPhone or iPad?

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    As you can see, "Why does Safari keep crashing on my Mac?" is a valid question. But, luckily, when Safari keeps crashing, there are a variety of solutions you can try. You can reset pretty much all Safari settings at once with CleanMyMac X, monitor the state of your Mac with iStat Menus, and throttle CPU usage for any app with App Tamer.

  11. Why Is My Safari Browser So Slow or Crashing On iPad or iPhone?

    Make sure that the Safari app is closed. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Scroll down and tap Safari. Tap the Clear History and Website Data button. Under the Clear Timeframe section, tap All History. Under Additional Options, tap the toggle next to Close All Tabs. Tap the Clear History button. Swipe all the way to the bottom and ...

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    7 Tips to Fix Safari Crashing on Mac. Safari is the default internet browser that is installed on your Mac when you receive it. It is updated and managed through Apple's macOS. So, Safari is typically a reliable web browser that is safe and easy to use. There are several reasons that could cause Safari to crash, and this is likely to stop ...

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    Prevent Safari Crashes on Mac. Now that you've figured out how to troubleshoot Safari crashes on Mac, you may want to avoid such scenarios in the future. To prevent future crashes and performance issues on Safari, try these tips: If Safari bookmarks disappeared on Mac after a crash, restore them by quitting and restarting Safari.

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