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Private browsing has stopped working on my iPad. I can launch a private browsing window, but when I start keying in a search term, all I get is “No results for xxxx.” Regular browsing works normally
I’ve cleared my browsing history; I’ve shut down and restarted the device ... no joy. Private browsing works as expected on my iPhone and MacBook Pro.
Suggestions ... anyone?
iPad (6th gen) WiFi
Hello Lucas1948,
Thanks for getting back to us with those additional details. We understand the importance of having private browsing working as expected on your iPad, and we'd be happy to help.
So we're on the same page, have you tried to turn off private browsing and then close all tabs? If not, let's try to turn off private browsing, close all tabs on Safari, restart your iPad, then turn on private browsing, and test.
If the issue persists afterwards, let's restore the device to factory settings (without the backup you will lose data so verify that you have a newly set up backup)
How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Set it up as new and test before restoring to see if the issue continues there, here's how to restore:
Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings
If the issue persists afterwards, please contact Apple for further assistance. You can reach out to them here:
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Have a nice day.
Hello Lucas1948,
Thanks for getting back to us with those additional details. We understand the importance of having private browsing working as expected on your iPad, and we'd be happy to help.
So we're on the same page, have you tried to turn off private browsing and then close all tabs? If not, let's try to turn off private browsing, close all tabs on Safari, restart your iPad, then turn on private browsing, and test.
If the issue persists afterwards, let's restore the device to factory settings (without the backup you will lose data so verify that you have a newly set up backup)
How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Set it up as new and test before restoring to see if the issue continues there, here's how to restore:
Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings
If the issue persists afterwards, please contact Apple for further assistance. You can reach out to them here:
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Have a nice day.
Hello Lucas1948,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We understand that private browsing stopped working on your iPad, and we'd be happy to look into this with you.
Are you experiencing this behavior with a specific website or multiple?
Which OS version is installed on your iPad? Settings > General > About.
Let's make sure your iPad is up-to-date on software. When you navigate to: Settings > General > Software Update do you see any available updates?
If so, please back up your iPad, then update as explained in the following links:
How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Also, check this out:
Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPad
We hope this information is useful. Kind regards.
Well, whaddaya know—I followed your suggestions, and private browsing works as expected. Huzzah!
Thank you for your advice. No, the problem does not surface with any specific web site. I can search for “Apple,” and immediately search displays “No results for Apple.”
I’m scrupulous about updating my iPad and other devices. Settings reports just now that my software is up to date—14.3. I think I’m going to reset my iPad—take it back to factory new. That should fix the problem, shouldn’t it? Or can you recommend another approach?
Private browsing has stopped working
