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Fix “Safari Can’t Open Page” Error on iPhone, iPad and Mac

Have you ever visit a web page or web site using Safari browser and keep getting an error message “Safari Can’t Open the Page” ?

Author:Daniel BarrettMay 30, 20227667 Shares638931 Views
Have you ever visit a web page or web site using Safari browser and keep getting an error message “Safari Can’t Open the Page” ? This stops whatever it is you’re about to do once you can’t get through this error report.
Safari browser was first released to the public back in 2003, and since then it has become one of the favorite browsers of Apple users to date. With all the other browsers, Safari is also capable of incognito browsings, and opening multiple tabs.
Despite being the most used browser, it also has reports of issues that other browsers out there don’t have. One of the common issues that Mac users have experienced is receiving an error message “Safari Cannot Open The Page”. There are a variety of reasons as to why the error message appears and it will be discussed in a little while below. Aside from the reasons to why error message appears, the potential solutions that can help fix and resolve the problem will also be discussed.
The “Safari Can’t Open the Page” error can happen on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, on any version of the web browser. If this happens, you can usually resolve the problem quickly by following our troubleshooting steps that will be discussed later in this guide.

Seven reasons that may cause error message “Safari Cannot Open The Page” on iPhone, iPad and Mac and their solutions

After the compilation of all thorough investigations reports of the problem with Safari, several common reasons as to why the error message “Safari Cannot open the page” appears on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac are as following.

Wrong URL

If the URL you are trying to open is incomplete or not accessible, it is likely the cause of the error reports. You might want to double check the completeness and correctness of the URL itself.
As mentioned, you will get an error message “Safari cannot open the page” if your URL is incorrect. Therefore, make sure to check if the URL of the website you are trying to browse on Safari is correct and complete to be able to have access to it. Aside from checking the correctness of the URL website, make sure to open it on another browser other than safari. If you can browse the website using the same URL but not on Safari, then it is safe to say that perhaps there are issues with your Safari browser and not on the website URL.

Corrupt Cache

A Cache is known a storage space to saves memory of the history of all visited websites. Safari uses cache as a short-term memory. When your cache is corrupt, it can cause issues on your browser such as receiving the error message.
Solution
Open Settings.Swipe down and tap Safari.Swipe down again and tap Clear History and Website Data, tap it once again to confirm
To Clear Cache on PC.
  • Click and Launch Safari. It is located at the upper left portion of the screen of your Mac > Then ,click on Preferences
  • On the Preferences Screen, Select and click on the Privacy tab. > From the Cookies and Website Data tab, click on Manage Website Data > Click Remove All. This will remove all temporary cache from the Safari Browser. > Restart Safari browser.
Try to access the same URL again to see if the issue has been resolved.
Also Read:What To Do If Safari Keeps Crashing On iPad, iPhone Or Mac

Problems with DNS settings

Ideally, DNS (Domain Name Servers) should work properly with your ISP (Internet Service Provider). If not, the website URL name will have a problem and also you will experience error message while trying to browse using Safari.
DNS (Domain Name Service) converts to an IP (Internet Protocol) address the name of the website you are trying to browse and tries to make a connection to access it. Therefore if the DNS settings isn’t working or is having some issues, it is clear that you cannot gain access to the URL website on Safari. To be able to fix it, make sure to change DNS settings to Google’s DNS and check if it help fix the problem.
Solution
  • On your Mac device, launch System Preferences located at the Dock.
  • Select Network
  • Click on Advanced, located at the lower right from the Network screen
  • Click on DNS settings
  • Then click + and type google’s DNS address: 8.8.8.8
  • Select OK to confirm action.
  • Relaunch Safari to see if the issue has been resolved.

Restrictions on website are enabled

For security and privacy purposes there are some instances whereby several websites have been restricted of its access. Apple users always the option to enable it and to choose which websites to restrict. In this case, you may want to ask for an access from the restrictor (this only required if you’re not the owner of the gadget).
Solution
There is an option on Apple devices wherein you can restrict certain contents and websites from anyone gaining access to it. Most of the time this is used to prevent children from accessing content and websites that are not age appropriate. At times, we are unaware of the restricted website or perhaps the administrator did the restrictions that is why you are getting error message “Safari Cannot open the page”. To help fix this problem, you may want to change restriction settings as the administrator or you can ask the administrator to do it:
How to Check on iPhone.
  • Launch the iPhone’s “Settings” app and scroll to and tap “Screen Time.”
  • Tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions” and then tap “Content Restrictions.”
  • Tap “Web Content” and then tap “Limit Adult Websites.”
  • Under this tab, you will see the list of sites you have added to the “NEVER ALLOW” section.
How to Check on iPad.
  • Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time, then in the right menu, hit “Content & Privacy Restrictions.”
  • Tap “Content Restrictions” and then tap “Web Content.”
How to Check on Mac.
  • Click on the Apple Logo located at the Upper left portion of your Mac Screen
  • Then, click on System Preferences
  • Next, click on Screen Time tab
  • Turn OFF Content & Privacy Restrictions
  • You will also have the option to choose Web Content Access i.e. Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites, Allowed websites only
  • Relaunch Safari and try to access website URL to see if it fixed the problem.

Safari in an Error State

Once in a while, browsers such as Safari can also go into an error state. The only solution to this is to restart Safari browser.
Solution
When the Safari browser is in an error state and quitting and relaunching does not fix error message, you can try to Power-Cycle. This method completely shuts down your Mobile or computer and Turning it back on again. Hopefully it can fix the problem with safari in an error state causing error message to appear since it removes configurations that are not properly working. Before doing the steps below, make sure to save what you are doing to prevent data content losses.
How to Power-Cycle your iPhone.
  • Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power off slider appears.
  • Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off.
  • To turn your device back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.
How to Power-Cycle your iPad.
Press and hold the top right power button for about 3 to 4 seconds until the screen dims. You’ll see a red slider at the top that says “slide to power off;” doing this will power down the iPad. After another few seconds, you’ll see the screen go completely black.
How to Power-Cycle your Mac.
  • First, Shutdown Mac down by pressing on the Power button for a few seconds until Mac shuts down.
  • If it is connected to a power source, remove the cable from the power source.
  • After a few minutes, turn Mac back ON.
  • Once Mac completely opens, try to relaunch Safari and check Safari in an error state if resolved.

VPN Connection restricted

There are some websites that actually blocks users from gaining access especially if they only allow a particular country and yours isn’t one of them, then you will not be able to access the website causing you to experience the error message “Safari Cannot Open The Page”.
Solution
Most of the websites nowadays are “geo” aware of those visiting and accessing their websites. “Geo” basically means that they know your location based on the IP address and can sometimes block and prevents you from gaining access to their websites especially if those websites have restrictions as to who they only allow from a particular location. If that happens, an error message “Safari Cannot Open the Page” typically appears. It is then recommended to create a Virtual Private Network and try to reconnect again to the website URL.

Network Connection Issues

As we all know Apple gadgetsrequire strong connection. If you are having some technical problems with your network, it may probably the cause why you are receiving “cannot open the page” error on your Safari Browser as you are unable to connect with the server due to problems with your network.
There are some instances when your network is having some technical issues preventing you to open website URL on Safari as failing to connect to WiFI. It is either your WiFi is not working properly or you have poor connection.
To check if your there are some problems with your network or not, try using another device and connect to the same network. If you can browse the website URL on the other device but not on your Mac, therefore your connection is working properly. The cause of error message is now on your end. But if on both devices, connected to the same network connection and still error message “cannot open the page” persists, then the problem is on your network. You may want to troubleshoot your network to resolve the issue.
With all this solutions provided, i believe you will surely get through “Safari Cannot Open The Page” on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
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Daniel Barrett

Daniel Barrett

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