scrolling in safari not working

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Top 12 Ways to Fix Safari Not Working on iPhone and iPad

Apple’s ingenious web browser, Safari, was developed in 2003 and received many praises. However, Google responded with Chrome and many migrated to it as Safari had bugs . Although it has improved a lot over years, sometimes the web browser stops working. If you’re facing this issue, here’re twelve fixes for Safari not working on iPhone and iPad.

Following are some of the most common methods that have worked to troubleshoot Safari. We recommend you try every method, except the Reset iPhone option which should be used as a last resort. We have provided detailed steps for each method, but let us start with the basics.

Why Is Safari Not Working On iPhone and iPad

Safari might not work for a lot of reasons, but the most common issue is the app not being able to connect to the internet. This is probably because you are not connected to a good internet connection, or there are a few misconfigurations on your iPhone settings that are preventing Safari from doing so.

Fortunately, there are a few effective methods to fix the issue. As you start reading the next section of this article, you will find a detailed procedure to fix Safari on your device.

How to Fix Safari Not Working on iPhone and iPad

Below are twelve easy methods to fix Safari. Most of these will resolve the issue within a few steps only, and therefore will not consume a lot of time.

We also came across a lot of users across forums suggesting toggling a few features off/on to fix the issue. So, let us take a look at all of these methods in detail. We can start by simply trying to restart the device

1. Restart iPhone or iPad

Simply trying to restart your device will fix most issues, and it can probably fix Safari not working as well. Here’s how you can restart your iPhone or iPad.

Step 1:  First, shut down your device.

• On iPhone X and above : Press and hold the volume down and the side button.
• On iPhone SE 2nd or 3rd gen, 7, and 8 series : Press and hold the side button.
• On iPhone SE 1st gen, 5s, 5c, or 5 : Hold the power button at the top.
• On iPad : Hold the power button at the top.

Step 2:  Now, drag the power slider to turn off the device.

Step 3:  Next, turn on your device by pressing and holding the power button on your iPhone.

If it’s a software issue, restarting the device should fix your Safari not working issue. If it doesn’t, try tweaking a few settings shown in the next few fixes and see if they help.

2. Turn off Safari Suggestions

We’re not entirely sure how this fixes the issue, but a lot of users reported that doing this restored the functionality of their browser. Here’s how you can turn off Safari Search Suggestions on iPhone or iPad.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and open Safari

Step 2: Toggle off ‘Search Engine Suggestions’.

That is how you can disable Search Engine Suggestions. If the issue persists, you need to check if Safari is limited by any Screen Time settings.

3. Edit Your Screen Time Settings

To provide digital well-being controls to the user, Apple has an option to set a limit to the duration of any app being used. If you’ve enabled Screen Time for Safari , it cannot be used once you exhaust the set limit. Here’s how you can remove the limit to ensure Safari works as usual on iPhone.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and select Screen Time.

Step 2: You need to select App Limits.

Step 3: Safari will show up in this list if there is a limit for it. Tap on it, and select Delete Limit.

This ensures that you do not have any limits set on using Safari. You now need to check if there is a network limit set on Safari.

4. Check Cellular Settings for Safari

If you have turned off cellular data access for Safari, and are trying to use Safari on mobile data, it won’t work. Therefore, you need to remove the restrictions. Here’s how you can do it.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and select Cellular.

Step 2: Scroll down to find Safari. Turn on the toggle to give Safari access to cellular connectivity.

If the issue persists, perhaps it is time you now try and clear all browsing data from Safari.

5. Clear Safari History and Data

If you have been using Safari for a long time, it will accumulate a lot of website data. This can slow down Safari and affect the web browsing performance. Hence, it is a good practice to clear browsing history and cache from Safari every fortnight. Here’s how you can do it.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and select Safari.

Step 2: Tap on ‘Clear History and Website Data’ and select ‘Clear History and Data’ to confirm. This will delete your browsing history, stored cache, cookies, and saved passwords.

6. Check Network Connectivity

As mentioned earlier, a major reason why Safari does not work on iPhone and iPad is due to a lack of connectivity. Here’s how you can ensure that you are connected to a good network on your device.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and select Wi-Fi.

Step 2: Now, check if the Wi-Fi network you are connected to has full strength, and does not show errors like ‘Not Connected to Internet’ or ‘Weak Security’.

If you are operating on mobile data, the connection needs to either be on 4G or 5G running on strong signal strength.

Step 2: Ensure the toggle is on for Cellular Data. Also, ensure that the network is connected to 4G/5G and has a good signal strength.

Step 3: If you can’t connect to a 4G or 5G network despite having a plan for the same, tap on ‘Cellular Data Options’.

Step 4: Now, tap on ‘Voice & Data’. Select 4G or 5G as your default network.

7. Turn Off Hide IP Address From Trackers

The ‘Hide IP Address From Trackers’ option ensures that your IP address is not provided to any browser trackers. To know more, you can read our article on trackers on Safari . However, this causes a few issues that might cause Safari to not work on iPhone and iPad.

Here’s how you can disable this feature.

Step 2: Tap on ‘Hide IP Address’.

Step 3: Select Off, if not already.

Another feature on Safari that might cause a few errors are extensions. Here’s you you can disable them to fix Safari not working on iPhone and iPad.

8. Check Safari Extensions

While Safari extensions on iPhone help expand functionality, not all extensions are stable and some might cause issues with your web browsing experience. Here’s how you can turn off an extension.

Note : The extension we are using to show you the steps is just an example. By no means we are stating that this extension is causing issues.

Step 2: Now, tap on Extensions.

Step 3: Now, select the extension, and toggle it off.

This is how you can turn off extensions to ensure they are not the means of any problem. However, sometimes disabled JavaScript can also affect Safari. Let’s understand this in detail in the next section.

9. Enable JavaScript

JavaScript is a crucial element in websites that enables interactive content. If you disable it, you won’t see any images, videos, or other media content on a website. Thus, it can prevent Safari from responding on iPhone. Here’s how you can turn JavaScript on.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Advanced.

Step 3: Ensure to turn on the toggle for JavaScript.

That is how you enable JavaScript and ensure all kinds of websites work fine on Safari. If this does not work too, you need to check if your device is connected to a VPN network and if this prevents Safari to operate normally.

10. Disable VPN

VPN is a private network that hides your IP address while browsing the web. However, if you don’t connect to a VPN using a reliable service, you will face low speeds while browsing on Safari. Therefore, you can turn off the VPN connection.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and select General.

Step 2: Tap on ‘VPN & Device Management’ and ensure that the VPN status remains ‘Not Connected’.

If none of the above methods work, you can try some generic methods that help resolve most issues on iPhone and iPad, you can check if there is any software update for your iPhone.

11. Update Your iPhone and iPad

Apple ensures to fix issues faced by a lot of users through a software update. Therefore, it is best to remain on the latest version of iOS. Here’s how you can do the same.

Step 2: Tap on Software Update and select Download and Install. This will download and install the latest iOS update for your iPhone and iPad.

If this does not work either, you can probably try and reset your iPhone or iPad as a last resort.

12. Reset All Settings

Resetting your iPhone has a good probability of fixing any issue, and it goes the same for Safari not working as well. Here’s how you can Reset your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap on Transfer or Reset.

Step 3: Select Reset.

Step 4: Now, you can select Reset Network Settings to restore all original settings related to the network, i.e Wi-Fi settings, cellular Settings, saved passwords, etc.

If that does not work, you can select Reset All Settings. However, this will restore all your iPhone settings to default. This will not erase any of your data.

Step 5: If this does not work too, you can try to completely erase your iPhone and start afresh. You can tap on the ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ option on the reset page.

Now, follow the on-screen instructions to erase and reset your iPhone. However, since it wipes your phone, we suggest you take a full backup of your iPhone and iPad .

This, as mentioned earlier, should only be tried as a last resort as you’ll have to set up your iPhone or iPad as a new device.

Get Safari Working Again With these methods

That is all you need to know about trying to fix Safari not working on iPhone or iPad. We hope you found these methods helpful. Realistically speaking, it will most probably be an issue with your network connectivity, or from the website’s end. We hope your Safari is up and running soon.

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Last updated on 28 March, 2023

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my safari icon is gone in the settings where it normally is under the facetime icon but mine is gone

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Supreeth Koundinya

Supreeth is passionate about technology and dedicates himself to helping people figure it out. An engineer by education, his understanding of the inner workings of each device is what ensures he provides top-quality assistance, tips, and recommendations. When away from the desk, you will find him traveling, playing FIFA, or hunting for a good movie.

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Scrolling in Safari not very smooth..

• Thread starter alexandr
• Start date Nov 16, 2020
• Sort by reaction score
• Older macOS Versions
• macOS Big Sur (11)

macrumors 603

• Nov 16, 2020

so since updating to big sur my scrolling experience in safari is awful. it's not ideal elsewhere, but in safari it won't scroll any further even if i scroll "harder". is there a fix for this? thanks!  

macrumors 68030

Which Mac do you have? Have a 2018 Mini i5 and it's very smooth scrolling up and down. I'm also using a Magic Trackpad Gen 1.  

macrumors 65816

The default scrolling speed is different in Big Sur in some apps. Go to System Preferences/Accessibility/Pointer Control. Then click Mouse Options and choose the scrolling speed you prefer.  

Heat_Fan89 said: Which Mac do you have? Have a 2018 Mini i5 and it's very smooth scrolling up and down. I'm also using a Magic Trackpad Gen 1. Click to expand...

ArPe said: The default scrolling speed is different in Big Sur in some apps. Go to System Preferences/Accessibility/Pointer Control. Then click Mouse Options and choose the scrolling speed you prefer. Click to expand...

alexandr said: i have a 2015 air. i get that it's not new, but until the update i had no issues of this sort! Click to expand...

Heat_Fan89 said: I believe you. Two things you could try: 1) Clean install 2) Contact Apple if the problem persists. It could be a driver issue or a bug that needs to be squashed. Click to expand...

macrumors regular

• Nov 27, 2020

Hi, I have a 2019 iMac 21.5 inch and after updating to Big Sur, I have the same issue in safari - but only in YouTube site. It just won't scroll down smoothly in the comments section. Only pulling down the 'thin bar thingy' on the right end of safari helps me get down the page. I don't find this problem in other websites. I got my new M1 MacBook Air delivered just now - same problem. It must be something to do with YouTube site....  

Ravi_MR said: Hi, I have a 2019 iMac 21.5 inch and after updating to Big Sur, I have the same issue in safari - but only in YouTube site. It just won't scroll down smoothly in the comments section. Only pulling down the 'thin bar thingy' on the right end of safari helps me get down the page. I don't find this problem in other websites. I got my new M1 MacBook Air delivered just now - same problem. It must be something to do with YouTube site.... Click to expand...

macrumors 6502a

Safari Technology Preview - Safari - Apple Developer

SmOgER said: Try the new technology preview 14.1. It's noticeably smoother for me. Safari Technology Preview - Safari - Apple Developer Safari is the best way to see the sites on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Safari Technology Preview gives you an early look at upcoming web technologies in macOS and iOS. developer.apple.com Click to expand...

• Nov 29, 2020

Ravi_MR said: Thanks! I tried this version (which you can apparently install in parallel to current safari version) and am able to scroll down smoothly on YouTube page, as usual. So I guess, in next safari official update, we can see the fix.... Click to expand...

• Nov 30, 2020

alexandr said: ugh, no change for me whatsoever... Click to expand...

SmOgER said: Weird. It's not smooth for me only when I'm sharing the screen in conference call. Click to expand...

macrumors 6502

Another M1 Air here with some sad scrolling on safari. Rest of the UI scrolls great. So I'm still using my i3 Air that is still on Catalina and smooth. Downloading the 11.1 beta but see some reports that it does not fix it.  

macrumors 68040

Facebook is the worst. I use Chrome when I want to scroll in FB.  

TabascoMuffin

Macrumors newbie.

richard371 said: Facebook is the worst. I use Chrome when I want to scroll in FB. Click to expand...

• Dec 1, 2020

Chrome is fine. I hope apple fixes it.  

• Dec 2, 2020

It's exactly the same for me with stable Safari ver. on facebook. But not with Safari TP R116 14.1.  

Yes its certainly less smooth on Big Sur  

This seems to be a bug in Safari other apps. The scrolling lags and jumps, I have clean installed twice on my rMBP 2018 i9, deffo a bug.  

It's easy to fix. System Preferences/Accessibility/Pointer Control. Then click either Track Pad Options or Mouse Options (depending on if you use a track pad or mouse) and make sure there's a checkbox next to Rolling. Also change the popup menu for Rolling from Traditional to intermittently . Please note that the two underlined words might be a little different in you system since I use a non English system and did a Google translation from my language. The above instructions will fix your problem.  

• Dec 10, 2020

just downloaded the Preview 2 released today. Scrolling is much better esp in Facebook  

• Oct 28, 2021

Hate digging up an old thread, but I decided to use Safari instead of Chrome on my new 14" MBP and the scrolling SUCKS. None of the options mentioned above seem to exist in Monterey at least. I would have thought Safari would be configured to show off the Pro Motion display, but it's chunky as hell, at least when using a mouse (Logitech MX Anywhere). Scrolling with the trackpad works fine. I'll see if there is some Logitech software that might solve the problem. Same mouse in Chrome gives me buttery smooth scrolling, but it's chunky in Finder. So something isn't right with Montery and Logitech mice.  

• Oct 29, 2021

torontotim said: Hate digging up an old thread, but I decided to use Safari instead of Chrome on my new 14" MBP and the scrolling SUCKS. None of the options mentioned above seem to exist in Monterey at least. I would have thought Safari would be configured to show off the Pro Motion display, but it's chunky as hell, at least when using a mouse (Logitech MX Anywhere). Scrolling with the trackpad works fine. I'll see if there is some Logitech software that might solve the problem. Same mouse in Chrome gives me buttery smooth scrolling, but it's chunky in Finder. So something isn't right with Montery and Logitech mice. Click to expand...

If Safari isn't loading websites or quits on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If you can't load a website or webpage, or Safari quits unexpectedly, follow these steps.

Connect to a different network

Try to load a website, like www.apple.com , using cellular data. If you don't have cellular data, connect to a different Wi-Fi network , then load the website.

If you're using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), check your VPN settings . If you have a VPN turned on, some apps or websites might block content from loading.

Restart your device

Turn off your device and turn it on again.

Restart your iPhone

Restart your iPad

Restart your iPod touch

Clear website data

You can clear website data occasionally to improve Safari performance.

Go to Settings > Safari.

Tap Clear History and Website Data.

Tap Clear History to confirm.

Turn on JavaScript

Turn on JavaScript if it's not already on.

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced.

Turn on JavaScript.

Get more help

If the issue continues and only affects a certain website or webpage, check if you have Private Relay turned on. You can temporarily turn off Private Relay in iCloud Settings . If Safari still doesn't load websites and you tried all of these steps, contact the website developer for more help.

Explore Apple Support Community

Find what’s been asked and answered by Apple customers.

Contact Apple Support

Need more help? Save time by starting your support request online and we'll connect you to an expert.

How to disable smooth scrolling when pressing the arrow keys in Safari for Mac

Did you know you can disable smooth scrolling in the Safari browser on your Mac? Doing so lets you scroll pages line by line with the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Apple added support for smooth webpage scrolling to Safari 16.4, which was released for macOS Monterey and Big Sur. This behavior is also present in Safari for macOS Sonoma, the latest Mac operating system.

With some digging, you can revert to scrolling pages line by line when pressing directional arrow keys on the keyboard. For that to happen, you’ll need to tick off a setting in Safari’s hidden Debug menu, as instructed in this tutorial.

How to disable smooth scrolling in Safari for Mac

To stop Safari’s smooth scrolling behavior, you must toggle an option in Safari’s hidden Debug menu. But first, you must reveal the menu if you haven’t already. You can do so through Terminal, but you’ll need to give the Terminal app permission to access the whole file system on your Mac.

1. Enable Full Disk Access for Terminal

Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings , then select Privacy & Security in the sidebar and click Full Disk Access on the right. Next, slide the switch next to Terminal to the ON position. If Terminal isn’t listed, click the + (Add) icon, navigate to the Applications/Utilities folder on your Mac and double click the Terminal app.

If asked, authenticate with Touch ID, your macOS password or your Apple Watch.

2. Reveal Safari’s hidden Debug menu

With that done, we can now turn on Safari’s hidden Debug menu. Open Terminal from the Applications/Utilities folder, paste the following command into the Terminal window and press Return or Enter to execute it:

With the Debug menu turned on in Safari, we can proceed to the final step.

3. Turn smooth scrolling off

Now open Safari , click the Debug menu and select WebKit Internal Features > EventHandler driven smooth keyboard scrolling . Doing so should remove the checkmark from the option, deactivating smooth scrolling.

With smooth scrolling disabled, pressing an arrow key on the keyboard will no longer scroll a page continuously until you release the key. Instead, the page will move one line at a time.

To reactivate smooth scrolling, toggle the Debug menu option to add a checkmark. When done, you can safely hide the Debug menu again with this Terminal command:

Hiding the Debug menu will not change your smooth scrolling setting.

Which scrolling type are you: Smooth or jumpy?

Smooth scrolling isn’t a biggie as long as you don’t use the arrow keys. But if you’re like me and prefer to scroll an article one line or page at a time using the keyboard, you may want to switch back to the good ol’ jumpy scrolling method.

It would’ve been far better had Apple put this toggle in the Safari preferences, so we could change the scrolling type with a simple checkbox instead of digging through hidden menus. Be that as it may, now you at least have the option to change Safari’s scrolling method in case you’re not a fan of smooth scrolling.

Other Safari tutorial to check out

• How to add or remove your credit cards in Safari on iPhone, iPad or Mac
• How to show the full URL in Safari’s address bar on your Mac
• How to download videos from Safari on iPhone and iPad
• How to use profile in Safari for iPhone, iPad and Mac
• How to pin tabs in Safari on iPhone, iPad and Mac

Scrolling Issues on Safari/Chrome iOS

Hi, I'm having issues with scrolling on iOS (web). I have a web app that when you click on different pill shaped menus scrolls to the appropriate/related element on the page. When I click a different pill menu when scrolling is happening I get glitches on iOS browsers (safari/chrome) whereas everything is fine on Chrome Android. The wanted behavior is that when you click on the pill the scrolling goes to the needed item with no glitching or pause. I use jQuery's animate to scroll to the needed element and the scroll listener to detect whether the page is at the right position to illuminate the right pill (make it active).

Is there any advice/recommendations to fix this issue?

Accepted Reply

For anybody having this issue or unnatural scrolling behavior, this css line on your body or concerned div should fix it: -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Safari won’t scroll

Why is it that safari sometimes won’t scroll like it freezes .

iPhone 11, iOS 13

Posted on Apr 9, 2020 9:10 AM

Posted on Apr 12, 2020 9:47 AM

Try double clicking the Home button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen and swipe Safari upwards. Go to Settings/Safari and clear History and Website Data. Open Safari and test.

Safari - Clear the history and cookies on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch .    

Safari website data on your iPhone or iPad - How to clear .    

Do you have access to another WiFi network where you can try? That has worked for several people.

Try a restart.

Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch          

Try a forced restart.

Reset Device .      

If necessary

Hard reset .        

Do a backup and try a factory reset. Then restore from your backup.

Restore to Factory setting .      

Backup - Restore your device from an iCloud or iTunes backup .      

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Apr 12, 2020 9:47 AM in response to kimo81

Apr 11, 2020 6:50 PM in response to kimo81

Hello kimo81,

It looks like no one has responded to your question. Here are a couple things that might help others answer your question:

• Is this happening on your Mac or iPhone?
• What specific software version is installed on this device?
• Do you have this issue in any other apps?
• Does this happen all the time or only on specific websites?

Please provide as many details as you can and thanks for using the Apple Support Communities!

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