Safari is one of the best stable web browsers. But at times, you might face random freezing and crashing issues. So to solve this problem, we’ve shared detailed solutions to fix Safari crashing on iPhone and iPad. But before that, let us look at why this issue happens in the first place.
Why does iPhone Safari keep crashing?
Usually, essential iOS apps like Safari, Phone, Messages are extremely well optimized by Apple. But in rare instances, if you have too many open tabs or if you are running an outdated version of iOS (or an old device), chances are Safari may not work properly. Also, if you have not cleared the Safari data in a long time, you might see frequent crashes. Thankfully, there are ways to fix it easily. Let’s have a look.
How to Fix Safari Crashes on iPhone and iPad
- Force Quit the Safari App and Relaunch It
- Restart Your Device
- Close All Safari Tabs
- Clear Safari History & Website Data
- Update to Latest iOS
- Turn Off Safari Suggestions
- Disable iCloud Safari Syncing
- Turn Off JavaScript
#1. Force Quit the Safari App and Relaunch It
The first basic solution is to force quit the Safari app and reopen it. For this, on iPhone with no Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold. On iPhone with Home button, quickly double press it. Now, drag the Safari app card up to force close it. After a few seconds, open Safari again.
#2. Restart Your Device
Use the physical button(s) on your device to switch it off. After a minute, switch it back on. You can also open the Settings app, tap on General, and then tap Shut Down to turn off your iPhone or iPad.
#3. Close All Safari Tabs
iOS is smart enough to manage RAM and other resources automatically. But at times, so many open tabs may utilize too much memory and be the primary reason for Safari crashing and freezing.
To close all tabs at once, Touch and Hold on the two square icons from the bottom right of Safari. Next, tap Close All [number] Tabs.
#4. Clear Safari History & Website Data
- Open the Settings app and tap on Safari.
- Scroll down, tap on Clear History and Website Data.
- Finally, confirm your action by tapping Clear History and Data.
Check out the detailed post on clearing history and website data from Safari.
#5. Update to Latest iOS
Since Safari is not a third-party app, it can not be updated through the App Store like other apps. To fix bugs and existing problems in Safari, Apple releases incremental iOS updates. It is always a reliable idea to run the latest version of iOS or iPadOS on your devices.
To update to the latest software version, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Next, tap on General and then tap on Software Update. If you see a pending update, tap on Download and Install.
#6. Turn Off Safari Suggestions
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
- Scroll down and tap on Safari.
- Turn off the toggle for Safari Suggestions.
#7. Disable iCloud Safari Syncing
- Open the Settings app on your device and tap on your Apple ID banner from the top
- Tap on iCloud.
- Under APPS USING ICLOUD, turn off the toggle for Safari.
It will stop Safari syncing of bookmarks, tabs, and more on your other Apple devices. But at the same time, it may also help in fixing the crashing issue.
#8. Turn Off JavaScript
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap on Safari.
- Tap on Advanced from the bottom
- Turn off the toggle for JavaScript.
That’s all, mate!
Signing off…
These are some of the effective solutions to fix the problem of Safari crashing and freezing on your iPhone or iPad. If this issue persists and none of the above tips help, contact Apple to get further technical support.
The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.