Catalina, Safari webloc icon white after Safari update

To add to what Seaver said, you can select multiple .webloc files, then use the Contextual menu (control-click) to select "Get Summary Info." Then in the top left corner, where the icon is, paste in your webloc image and it adds the image to all of the selected wedlock files at the same time.

You may be able to use the image I have attached of webloc icon_512x512.

I got this from a webloc.icns file from an older copy of Safari. I opened the webloc.icns in a small app called "Icon Creator" ("Icon Slate" would also work) and exported webloc.icns as PNG images. I have been using the 512px png image for pasting the image onto .webloc files.

Great feedback everybody, I share the frustration I'm reading about broken .webloc icons, and I too am baffled by the lack of a fix. All I can tell you is (having done this for a living), there's rarely -no reason- for issues like this. But it would be nice if someone in the know at APPL would chime in with at least an explanation.

That said, it has led to a Necessity is the Mother of Invention result for me: I am creating custom icons for every webloc I save. This method is little to no help to anyone who has to wrestle with volumes of files, but it's actually made hunting down specific URLs later a bit easier for me... I grab a screenshot of the web page, copy that to the clipboard, and paste it on to the file icon (in "Get Info" panel.

For example, I've attached such an icon for the web page we're on right now.

Same here on my MBPro 15 late 2013 but on Mojave 10.14.6 after applying the last security update, the incremental OS update and Safari 14.0.1 this afternoon.

Blank .webloc files icons, and grayed out 'Open with' option in 'info window' for .webloc files

Any ideas how to remedy this?

Thanks_

Like you, after updating to Safari 14.0.1, all of my .webloc files went to blank white page icons. I compared the Resource folders for Safari 13.1.2 and Safari 14.0.1 (Safari > Package Contents > Resources). The Safari 14.0.1 Resource folder is missing many .icns files, including webloc.icns. I tried to add the webloc.icns file to Safari 14.0.1, but even Administrator does not have permission to make changes to Safari, only "System" has permission to make the change

I also have the problem others have reported when I go to "Get Info" on a .webloc file and have the "Open with" and "Change All" greyed out.

The only fix for this problem that I see is for Apple to release another update for Safari that corrects the problem.

I have the same problem after updating to Version 14.0.1 (15610.2.11.51.10, 15610). So far Apple cannot provide me with a reason. I am still running Catalina 10.15.7 and I feel that the Big Sur compatible Safari Browser is the cause of the problem. I have not updated anything else at this time to cause the problem. Just the latest Safari.

I agree with you. Apparently the code contained therein is still correct since a double click on the white .webloc will take me to the correct address. Apple needs to do some homework on this current version of Safari.

Seems like a fairly big oversight to me. If not, the least Apple could do is let us know if we're supposed to get used to all-white URL files from Safari from now on. Meantime, I realize this is a VERY clunky workaround, but:

Create a .webloc file by dragging a URL icon to the desktop (same as usual)

Download the png - you'll see it right there on the page - of the classic Safari webloc file icon from this github page:

https://benchdoos.github.io

Open the png in Preview to view the image

Tap Cmd-c to copy the image to the clipboard

Click on the webloc file to highlight it

Tap Cmd-i to open the Info panel

Click on the icon far upper left

Tap Cmd-v to paste the clipboard on to the file icon

Close the panel.

Voila.

Sounds long but it's not too bad - and has helped when I have folders with dozens of mixed files (.txt, .rtf, .webloc, etc) - all with mixed blank, white file icons.

mattgreg -

Thanks so much, and yes your icon file works perfectly.

Your method is several steps cleverer than my clunky post - thanks for making it so much easier!

BTW i wanted to post the 512png of the WEBLOC icon here, but - ironically after all these years posting on Apple Support - could not find where to attach files. ?

tx

To attach files: There is a bar of icons located below where you type your text. The bar includes the B for bold, I for italics, etc. The icon that is second from the far right is for attaching images. If you hover your curser over each icon, it tells you what it is for. There is an icon for link insertion, one for embedding YouTube videos, attaching a text file, etc.

Thanks so much - I see the icons you've described. In my version of Safari, starting from the right, I see YouTube Embedding; Image Insertion (does not recognize text files or PDFs); Additional Text (opens a text window to type an addendum); Link Insertion; Code Insertion; Blockquote - nothing for attaching a text file.... ?

SorryI made a bad assumption about the "Additional Text" without actually trying it. It says it is a way to "add a note, error log, etc," with its own title. For the icon bar, from left to right, I see: Bold, Italic, Underline, Decreases Indent | Increase Indent, Numbered List, Bulleted List | Block Quote, Code insertion, Link Insertion | Additional Text, Image Insertion, YouTube Embedding. I am using Safari 14.0.1. I can't upgrade to Big Sur yet because Norton and Wacom are still using Legacy software. They are notoriously late to upgrading their software.

Thanks, Matt -

Same lineup here, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Apple may have their good reasons for not allowing attachment of just any file to upload to their servers, but it handcuffs the forums, you ask me.

We've upgraded to Big Sur on several machines here, so far so good - only a handful of legacy apps are acting up. I'm not crazy about some of the UX|UI decisions made (like a dark menu bar, which prevents menu items using legacy black type) from being readable in either Dark or Light mode. But it's been stable.

We had such hassles with both Norton and Wacom - and both are notorious for not keeping up with changes in MacOS - that I've discontinued using Norton, and we went wayyyyy back to a legacy Wacom driver (which still works, without the conflicts).

Anyway, happy hunting and let's hope Big Sur gets Big Better soon.

The latest Security Patch and Safari was released yesterday… and they STILL didn’t fix the problem. Honestly, I can’t imagine an Engineer taking any more that 20 minutes to fix this and recompile it. So, I guess we’ll never see the Safari weblocs again?

For me, the issue also persists :(

I have no machine on Big Sur yet, but I'm afraid it works there and it is the only version they are interested in really fixing things. I also have some issues with Podcasts under Catalina, and they don't do anything. But I heard that Big Sur has an updated version of Podcasts which does work way better. Is the the way customers are forced to using the latest OS nowadays?

@je217

I think you're entirely correct.

I'm even further back in terms of OS, than you. My old 2010 Mac Pro works great for me in Mojave. PhotoShop and everything I need to do what I do (I work in Comic Books)... I actually plan to get an iMac sometime soon, but in the meantime, it's a fine Computer... except for the Apple Service.

I contacted the guy I already chatted with last month at the Apple Tech Contact Page, again yesterday... he was baffled that they didn't fix it since it would likely take some Tech 30 Mins tops recompiling the icns folder.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/safari-14-0-1-breaks-webloc-icon-previews.2267819/

[Edited by Moderator]