Safari is the default browser on your iPhone or iPad, and it boasts many excellent features. But for some users, Safari stopped working or crashed after the recent iOS 17.5 update. In this article, I’ll take you through why Safari not working on iPhone and provide you with the solutions to fix it.
Why is Safari not working on my iPhone?
Before we start troubleshooting, let’s find out the root cause behind the issue. Safari may fail to work due to:
- Poor internet connection
- Misspelled or unavailable URL
- Server outage
- Piled up browsing cache and data
- Misconfigured Safari settings
- System bugs after updating to iOS 17.5
These are the common reasons why you might not be able to browse Safari. Pinpoint the culprit in your case and jump to the solutions below.
How to fix Safari not working in iOS 17.5 on iPhone
You can fix Safari not working on your iPhone with these troubleshooting solutions. Let’s take a look at the most effective ones.
1. Check your internet connection
First, ensure you have enabled cellular data or Wi-Fi on your iPhone from the Control Center. Then, try opening Chrome or any social media app to check that you still have a strong internet connection.
Also, check your Wi-Fi router. You can turn it off, unplug it, and plug it back into the wall outlet. Wait for a few seconds before turning it on to refresh the network. Alternatively, you can connect to other available Wi-Fi networks.
Additionally, I suggest enabling Airplane mode for a few seconds and turning it off. It will refresh your network. After that, if the other apps load and work and Safari doesn’t, proceed with the following fixes.
2. Turn off VPN on iPhone
Sometimes VPN service providers suffer outages, or the region server may go down. It hampers the internet speed and the network connection.
If you use VPN on your iPhone, disable it and launch Safari again.
3. Enable cellular data for Safari
On the iPhone, you can turn off cellular data for specific apps. So, you must check if Safari has access to cellular data. If Safari is working perfectly over Wi-Fi, then you need to make the following adjustment for cellular data:
- Open the Settings app → Tap Cellular.
- Toggle on Safari.
4. Force quit Safari
Multitaskers like me keep too many apps open at a time. Also, if your iPhone has storage issues, the apps may lag or crash. So, force quit the app and clear other background apps.
Simply swipe up and hold the home screen to open App Switcher. Now drag all the app windows up to close them. After that, check if Safari is working correctly.
5. Restart your iPhone
Restarting your iPhone can resolve many iOS glitches. Safari may stop working because of internal software issues.
So, go to Settings → General → Shut down and wait for a few minutes before turning on your iPhone. It may fix the Safari issues.
6. Clear Safari browsing data and history
If you haven’t cleared out the cached files in Safari for a long time, the junkies have piled up to become problematic for the web browser. Safari may take a long to show website content or load images.
- Navigate to Settings → Safari.
- Tap Clear History and Website Data.
- Select All history and All Profiles.
- Toggle on Close All Tabs.
- Tap Clear History.
Also, clear Safari website data to resolve the issue. Once your device has restarted, launch Safari. It should be working perfectly.
7. Turn on Javascript in Safari
JavaScript makes a website interactive. So deactivating it will stop showing images, videos, or other media material on a website and cause Safari to not respond.
- Go to Settings → Safari → Advanced.
- Toggle on JavaScript.
8. Check your iPhone screen time settings
Thanks to the Screen Time feature, you can restrict any app’s usage time. Therefore, if you’ve activated it for Safari, you can’t use it after reaching the predetermined limit. Also, check if Content Restrictions are enabled.
- Open Settings → Tap Screen Time.
- Select App Limits and check if Safari is added to the list.
- If yes, then tap Safari → select Delete Limit twice.
9. Turn off Safari suggestions
Sometimes, you may notice Safari crashing suddenly or freezing. Disabling the search engine suggestion can clear up the bug in this case.
- Go to Settings → Safari.
- Now toggle off Search Engine Suggestions and Safari Suggestions.
10. Turn off Experimental Features
Like Chrome, Safari also allows you to test features under development. But experimental features may not always work correctly and interrupt your web browsing. So, try turning them off and check if the problem is fixed.
- Go to Settings → Safari → Advanced.
- Choose Feature Flags.
- Now, turn off one toggle and try using Safari.
Repeat this step until you find any faulty features.
11. Disable Hide IP address from Trackers
Apple allows you to hide your IP address in Safari to save you from trackers. However, it may create problems and prevent Safari from functioning correctly.
- Open Settings → Safari.
- Tap Hide IP Address.
- Select Off.
12. Look for faulty Safari extensions
Safari extensions assist in increasing functionality. But adding too many can overlap and interfere with your web browsing. Also, some may malfunction. So, try disabling the extensions and check whether Safari is working.Â
- Navigate to Settings → Safari → Extensions.
- Now, you will see a list of installed extensions. Tap on each extension name and toggle it off. Eventually, you will find which extension is problematic.
13. Turn off Private Relay
If you are unable to access certain websites or pages in Safari, it may be because of the iCloud’s Private Relay feature. It enroutes your searches through Apple servers. Therefore, try to use Safari after disabling Private Relay.
- Go to Settings → Your Apple ID → iCloud.
- Select Private Relay.
- Toggle off Private Relay.
14. Update iOS
Software Update is almost always packed with numerous bug fixes and performance improvements.
So, if iOS 17.5 is buggy, Apple will fix the issues with another immediate update. Download the next iOS update as soon as Apple makes it available.
- Go to Settings → General.
- Now, tap Software Update.
- Then, select Download and Install.
15. Reset Networks Settings
Safari needs a stable internet connection to work smoothly and cram websites quickly. Therefore, if your iPhone is facing any network issues, the best solution is to reset network settings.
- Go to Settings → General.
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Now choose Reset.
- Select Reset Network Settings.
- Give your passcode and tap Reset Network Settings.
16. Perform a Factory reset
The best solution to resolve your iOS issues is to factory reset your iPhone. It will iron out all the incorrect settings and revert your iPhone to the default options. Once the reset is done, you will see all your custom settings erased. Now check if Safari is working correctly.
So, that’s all for today, folks!
Safari is an essential app for daily activities, so you must fix it as soon as possible. I hope the troubleshooting tips helped you resolve Safari’s not working on your iPhone. If nothing works, contact Apple Support.
Are you still facing any problems? Let me know in the comments below. I’d respond ASAP.
