How to fix macOS Safari browser crashing or freezing on startup and during use

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix macOS Safari browser crashing or freezing on startup and during use. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

If Safari is crashing on launch, freezing while loading pages, or becoming unresponsive when you open tabs, the issue is usually caused by corrupted cache files, a faulty extension, or conflicting browser settings. The steps below walk you through resolving the problem, starting with the quickest fixes and moving to more thorough resets. Most customers resolve the issue within 15 to 30 minutes.

Quick Fix Steps

Try these steps first. They resolve the majority of Safari crashes and freezes without requiring a full reset.

1. Force quit Safari by pressing Option + Command + Escape, selecting Safari, then clicking Force Quit.
2. Open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, hold Option, and select Library.
3. Navigate to Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/ and move the contents to the Trash.
4. Navigate to Library/Safari/ and move the LocalStorage folder to the Trash.
5. Restart your Mac and reopen Safari.

Detailed Instructions

Check for macOS and Safari Updates

Apple regularly releases updates that fix known stability issues in Safari. Running outdated software is a common cause of repeated crashes.

1. Click the Apple menu and select System Settings.
2. Click General, then click Software Update.
3. If an update is available, click Update Now and follow the prompts.
4. Restart your Mac once the update has finished installing.

Disable Safari Extensions

Faulty or outdated extensions are one of the leading causes of Safari freezing and crashing. Test whether an extension is the culprit by disabling them all, then re-enabling them one at a time.

1. Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar.
2. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions), then click the Extensions tab.
3. Untick the box next to each extension to disable it.
4. Quit and reopen Safari, then test whether the issue still occurs.
5. If Safari runs normally, return to Extensions and re-enable each extension one at a time, testing Safari after each one until you identify the problematic extension.

Clear Safari Browsing Data

Corrupted website data, cookies, and cached files can cause Safari to freeze on specific sites or during startup. Clearing this data forces Safari to rebuild a clean browsing profile.

1. Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar.
2. Select Settings, then click the Privacy tab.
3. Click Manage Website Data.
4. Click Remove All, then click Done.
5. Return to Settings and click the Advanced tab.
6. Tick Show Develop menu in menu bar, then close Settings.
7. Click Develop in the menu bar and select Empty Caches.
8. Quit and reopen Safari.

Test in a New macOS User Account

If Safari still crashes after the steps above, the issue may be tied to your user account profile. Testing in a fresh account helps determine whether the problem is system-wide or specific to your profile.

1. Click the Apple menu and select System Settings.
2. Click Users & Groups, then click Add User at the bottom of the user list.
3. Follow the prompts to create a new administrator account.
4. Sign out of your current account and sign in to the new account.
5. Open Safari and test whether it runs normally.

Troubleshooting

Safari Still Crashes After Clearing Data

If Safari continues to crash or freeze after completing all steps above, reset Safari to its default settings. This restores the browser to a clean state without removing your bookmarks or saved passwords.

1. Quit Safari completely.
2. Open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, hold Option, and select Library.
3. Move the following files and folders to the Trash:
   • Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist
   • Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.SafeBrowsing.plist
   • Library/Safari/Bookmarks.plist (only if bookmarks are corrupted)
   • Library/Safari/Extensions/
4. Restart your Mac and reopen Safari.

Check for Conflicting Security Software

Third-party antivirus tools, firewall applications, and VPN clients can interfere with Safari's connection to websites and cause the browser to freeze. If you have recently installed new security software, try temporarily disabling it to test whether Safari runs normally.

1. Open the security application from your Applications folder or menu bar.
2. Look for an option to Pause, Disable, or Quit the application.
3. Open Safari and test whether the issue still occurs.
4. If Safari runs normally, contact the security software vendor for an updated version that is compatible with your version of macOS.

Check Console Logs for Crash Reports

If you need to escalate the issue, gathering crash reports helps our support team diagnose the underlying cause.

1. Open Finder and click Go in the menu bar.
2. Select Go to Folder and enter /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.
3. Locate any files beginning with Safari from the date the crashes began.
4. Copy these files to a separate folder so you can attach them to your support ticket.

When to Escalate

If Safari continues to crash or freeze after completing every step in this guide, the issue may be caused by a deeper system-level problem such as a failing storage drive or corrupted macOS installation. At this point, we recommend contacting our support team for further investigation. Please include the crash report files you collected and a brief summary of the steps you have already tried. Open a Ticket

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