If you cannot open Safari browser on Mac, the problem may be due to an incompatible browser extension or other reasons. Below are the steps to fix Safari won’t open Mac issue.
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Safari doesn’t work on Mac
Apple’s Safari browser is specially designed to run on Mac computers and usually runs smoothly and doesn’t bother its users.
However, the default Safari browser on Mac can sometimes run into problems and even refuse to launch or open a browser window.
You should be able to fix Safari not working or not opening Mac issue with the troubleshooting steps given below.
1. Force Quit Safari Browser
Force quit Safari browser and see this helps to open Safari browser on your MacBook.
1. Click on Apple Logo in the top menu bar and select Force quit option in the drop down menu.
2. Select in the popup safari and click the Force quit Button.
After exiting Safari browser, check if you can now open Safari browser on your computer.
2. Reboot Mac
If you cannot launch the Safari browser, the problem may be a stuck application or service on your Mac.
The easiest way to fix this problem is shut down Mac > wait 30 seconds and Reboot Mac.
Restarting the Mac also helps to fix network issues. Therefore, it is recommended that you try this fix before proceeding with other troubleshooting steps.
3. Install updates
The only way to update the Safari browser on your MacBook is to install available macOS updates (if any).
1. Click on Apple logo in the top menu bar and select About this Mac option in the drop down menu.
2. Then click on software update and follow the instructions to install the update (if available).
4. Clear Safari cache and history using Finder
If you can’t clear Safari cache and history the usual way, you can do it from Finder as well.
1. open that finder > select go tab in the top menu bar and click Go to folder option in the drop down menu.
2. In the Go to Folder window, type the following ~/Library/Safari and click the walk Button.
3. In the Safari folder, right-click LastSession.plist file and click move to Trash. Similarly, move any files that contain history.db in their name to the trash.
After removing the Safari history and cache, see if you can open the Safari browser.
Note: It is safe to remove these files, Safari will recreate these files during your next browsing session.
5. Disable Safari Extensions
Although the Safari browser doesn’t open, you should be able to see the Safari menu bar when you click Safari icon in the taskbar.
1. Click on Safari icon on the taskbar > click safari tab in the top menu bar and select settings in the drop down menu.
3. On the Safari settings screen, switch to extensions Tab > Select and Uninstall the extensions.
If you want to use extensions, turn off all extensions Deactivate them and try to open the Safari browser.
If you cannot open Safari, this confirms that the problem is due to one of the extensions that you need to identify and remove.
You can do this by enabling extensions one by one until you find the one causing the problem.
6. Delete the Safari preferences file
Corrupt files in the Safari preferences folder can prevent Safari from opening.
1. Open finder > click on the go tab in the top menu bar and select Go to folder option in the drop down menu.
2. In the Go to window, type ~/Library and click the walk Button.
3. In the library folder, open the settings Folder > right click com.apple.Safari.plist file and click move to Trash.
After deleting the Safari preferences file, you should be able to open the Safari browser.