Follow these simple troubleshooting steps to fix Safari if it isn’t working after iOS 16 update.
It can be so annoying when Safari is not working after iOS 16 update. There are many things that could be to blame for the problem, and there’s a list of steps you should take if you want to figure out what might be causing it.
In this piece, we’ll discuss several ways you can troubleshoot Safari that is not working on iPhone running iOS 16.
How to fix Safari not working in iOS 16
Here are a few things you can do to troubleshoot issues with Safari when the browser can’t load a website, displays a blank page, or just unexpectedly crashes after iOS 16 update.
1. Find out if Safari is down
While it’s not a common occurrence, Safari can sometimes go down. This is the first thing you should check if Safari is not working on iPhone running iOS 16. To do this, visit Apple’s System Status website. Now look for a green dot next to Safari. If you see it, it means the servers are up and running, otherwise, you should wait until the problem is fixed from Apple’s end.
2. Make sure the site you are trying to access is up and running
It may sound obvious, but maybe the problem isn’t caused by iOS 16, but rather by the website you are trying to access. When you have issues with your internet connection or browser, one of the first thing you should do is to try to access google.com. If Google loads fine, then try a few other websites randomly. If they all work, go back to the first website you were trying to load and try to confirm whether it is down or if it’s a problem with your browser.
3. Close and reopen the Safari browser
Simply closing and reopening the Safari app often fixes any local issues or bugs.
If your iPhone has a Home button, double-press it to open the app switcher. If your iPhone doesn’t have a Home button, swipe up from the bottom to the center of the screen. Hold your finger in the center of the screen until the app switcher opens.
Then, swipe Safari up and off the top of the screen. You’ll know Safari is closed when it no longer appears in the app switcher.
Open Safari again to see if it’s working now. If it’s not, move onto the next step!
4. Check your internet connection
There is a chance the culprit is your internet connection! You can test other apps that need an internet connection to operate and see if they work. Open the App Store and search anything. If nothing else works properly, then you might be offline.
Check if your Wi-Fi is on, or if you maybe turned Airplane Mode on by accident. Those using Wi-Fi or LAN should look at the router and see if it’s connected. Are other devices working? Try restarting the router. There’s usually a dedicated button, but unplugging and plugging the router back in works too.
If you’re using cellular data, you might want to see if your data connection is on:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go into Cellular.
- Toggle Cellular Data on.
If you’re outside your country or network coverage, also toggle Roaming on (this may incur extra charges).
5. Toggle Airplane Mode on and off
If the problem is limited to only one of your devices, simply turn Airplane Mode on and off. This temporarily disables all antennas on the device, and quite frankly, it’s often the most successful way of getting back online.
6. Reboot
When in doubt, a good old reboot of your device is always a safe bet as it might just iron out any temporary bugs that just needed to be flushed out. To do this, go to settings > general > shut down.
7. Turn Off Safari Suggestions
One of the simplest and most common fixes for Safari not loading pages in iOS 16, is turning off Safari Suggestions. While we aren’t sure why this works, many iOS 16 users have reported that turning this off fixes the problem.
To turn off suggestions, head to Settings > Safari > Safari Suggestions and turn this off. You can also turn off Search Engine Suggestions while you’re there too, as some users reported this also fixes the issue.
If this fixed your issue, then you’re all set. If not, try the next solutions.
8. Turn On Cellular Data for Safari
If you’re frequently connected to Wi-Fi, you may have cellular data off for Safari to save on data. While helpful, if your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi but no internet access, connecting to cellular data could fix your issue.
To do this, head to Settings > Cellular > Safari and turn this on. If it was off, this was most likely the cause of the issue you were facing. Alternatively, you can turn off Wi-Fi if you’re connected and just connect with cellular data. If you’re able to connect this way, that means it’s a network issue with your Wi-Fi network.
9. Edit Your Screen Time Settings
If you’ve ever changed your Screen Time settings or blocked certain websites through Screen Time, try turning these settings off. To block websites, you need to enable Content Restrictions which can inadvertently block websites you still wanted to use. If you can’t load a link from an email or text message, this could also be a sign that content restrictions are on.
To fix this issue head to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn this option off. If it was on, then this was most likely your issue. If it was off already, proceed to the next fix.
10. Clear All Safari’s Data
Caching errors are often to blame for web browsing issues, especially when these issues are specific to one site in particular. To rule out this problem, clear your Safari history and website data. This will remove all cookies, caches, and website data on your iOS 16 device.
To clear Safari’s data, head to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. This will erase all extra data in the Safari app. Some iOS 16 users report this works, but you’ll need to do it every so often if you can’t eliminate storage space elsewhere on your iPhone.
11. Update iOS to the Latest Version
Some iOS 16 users have reported that updating iOS resolves issues with Safari. Whether Safari isn’t loading, is crashing, or just is not connecting to websites, try updating iOS on your iPhone. Apple does a great job of fixing widespread issues with iOS updates. So if there is an issue that Apple is aware of, it could get fixed by an update. Go to settings > general > software updates.
12. Reset Your Network Settings
If you’ve had issues with your network before, like not getting service or pages timing out, resetting your Network Settings could help. To reset your Network Settings, head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset only your Network Settings and won’t erase any other data on your iPhone.
After you finish this, try opening Safari to see if it’s working again. If not, proceed to the next fix.
13. Reset to Factory Default Settings
If all else fails, you can try resetting your iOS 16 device to the default settings. This will erase all the data on your iPhone and you’ll have to set it up from scratch. However, this is also a very effective way to resolve all manner of software problems. To do this, head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
After resetting to the default settings, test out the Safari app before you install your usual apps. If Safari is working then but stops working when a certain app is installed, that means the app installed is interfering with Safari.
If Safari isn’t working when you have a fresh install, make sure you didn’t restore a backup of your iPhone. If you restored a backup, there could be something interfering with Safari that transferred over. If you reset your device without a backup and Safari still didn’t work, it means there is only one more option to start using the internet again.
14. Use an Alternative Browser
Still can’t seem to load a webpage in Safari on iOS 16? Then try Chrome or another browser to figure out whether the problem is from Safari itself.
15. Disable content blockers and extensions
By now, if you’ve identified the problem is from Safari itself, try to narrow it down to extensions or content blockers you might have installed on your iOS 16 device. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Content Blockers, and disable all of them, if any.
16. Contact Apple Support
If you’ve tried all of the fixes above and Safari still isn’t working on your iOS 16 device, it’s time to contact Apple support. Apple provides support online, over-the-phone, through the mail, and in-person. Visit their support website to find the best option for you!
Safari Not Working after iOS 16 update? It’s Most Likely a Software Issue
Cracked screens and broken buttons are easy to diagnose as we can instantly see what’s wrong. But when Safari or other apps on your iPhone running iOS 16 stop working, that usually means a software issue is at play.
By updating iOS, changing your settings, or resetting your device, you can usually fix these issues.
If you have other tips to fix Safari not working in iOS 16, please feel free to share in the comments section below.
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