Have you ever tried to visit a web page or web site with Safari and the browser giving you the “Safari Can’t Open the Page” error message? It stops you in your tracks as the web page can’t be viewed at all.
The “Safari Can’t Open the Page” error can happen on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, on any version of the web browser. If this happens, you can usually resolve the problem quickly by following the troubleshooting steps below.
Fix 1: If “Safari Can’t Open the Page” Error, Check Your Internet!
The first thing you should do is check your internet connection, make sure it is active and enabled. This applies to Mac, iPhone, iPad, and anything really.
If the device or computer is disconnected from the internet, you will see the “Safari Can’t Open the Page” every time.
Confirm that you have an active and functioning internet connection first, this is often the problem. Maybe it’s due to low cell phone reception, or a junky wi-fi connection, whatever it is, confirm that your internet actually works. Load other web pages, use other services, etc.
Fix 2: Check the URL!
The next thing you want to do is check the website URL address, so that you know it is correct and proper. This is a really common reason why web pages can’t be loaded. A typo in the URL web address will prevent the site from loading. Make sure it is correct!
Fix 3: Refresh the Web Page
Simply refreshing the web page often fixes the problem, particularly if the connection was interrupted for some reason.
You can refresh the webpage by clicking the ‘refresh’ button, it looks like a little circular arrow in a circle and it is near the address URL bar.
You can also hold down the OPTION button on a keyboard to force refresh a webpage without caches.
Fix 4: Quit and Relaunch Safari
Quitting and relaunching Safari can often fix a problem where a web page can’t be loaded.
After you open Safari again, the web page should load fine.
Fix 5: Check DNS and Use Google DNS
Sometimes DNS servers and problems are to blame for poorly loading web pages. One solution to this is to use custom Google DNS servers.
Google DNS servers are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 and you can learn how to change your settings here:
6: Another Fix: Update Software
Finally, you may need to update your Safari software or your system software. Check for any available software updates, and install them if they are available. This can be particularly true with old versions of software.
7: Empty Safari Web Browser Caches and Site Data
Sometimes Safari caches can cause strange browser behavior like displaying a “Can’t open page” error message. Emptying the browser caches and site data can often remedy this issue.
On Mac, you can empty browser data by going to “Safari” in the menu bar > Preferences > Privacy > Remove all website data, and confirm that you want to remove website data.
On iOS, you can empty Safari browser data by going to Settings app > Safari > “Clear History and Website Data” and confirm that you want to remove and clear website data.
Note that by clearing caches, cookies, and site data you will have to login again to any site you have saved a password or other customizations for.
8: Try a Different Browser
Another choice is to use a different web browser of course too, if the site loads in Chrome or Firefox or Opera but not in Safari, it may indicate a specific problem with Safari.
