My 2018 Mini was perfect until Big Sur. When I click on Bookmarks I get a spinning ball and then I can finally scroll down to the bookmark I want.
It looks like it is trying to draw the website icons. Never happened before Big Sur
Mac mini, macOS 11.2
If you have not yet solved your spinning ball problem with safari bookmarks I have a suggestion. I downloaded Big Sur a few days ago on my iMac & got the spinning ball with the bookmarks. It would spin for 4 or 5 seconds before letting go. At the time I had a real large amount of bookmarks. After deleting a large number of bookmarks that I no longer needed the spinning ball only spins for 1 second now. No doubt in my mind after I delete some more bookmarks there will no longer be a spinning ball. Why a large number of bookmarks bothers Big Sur when it never bothered the other OSs I don't know. Hope this helps.
If you have not yet solved your spinning ball problem with safari bookmarks I have a suggestion. I downloaded Big Sur a few days ago on my iMac & got the spinning ball with the bookmarks. It would spin for 4 or 5 seconds before letting go. At the time I had a real large amount of bookmarks. After deleting a large number of bookmarks that I no longer needed the spinning ball only spins for 1 second now. No doubt in my mind after I delete some more bookmarks there will no longer be a spinning ball. Why a large number of bookmarks bothers Big Sur when it never bothered the other OSs I don't know. Hope this helps.
Well, that didn't help at all and you basically ran away but I found a solution.
I have no idea why Apple took off the reset option in Safari, because that's what solved the issue. My bookmarks were still there afterwards which surprised me.
Download CleanMyMacX and you can try the Free Version first to see if these options are available, if not you can upgrade-it's about $39 but worth it, IMO
Follow these instructions to reset safari after doing the scan offered when you first open the software:.
CleanMyMac -> go to CleanMyMac X Preferences -> Ignore list -> Uninstaller -> Disable "Ignore system apps" -> go to the Uninstaller module and select Safari for a reset.
When you are in the Uninstaller module, please hold Control button on your keyboard and click on the Safari, then click on Select "Safari" for Reset
You can even trash random scraps that were connected to software you un-installed.
I upgraded to Big Sur about 10 days ago.
For me, the issue was entering searches or website URLs. I'd get maybe 10 characters in, then a spinning beachball, then it'd eventually catch up.
The "solution" was to go to Safari->Preferences->Search and then turn OFF Show Favorites.
Hi again torch369,
Thanks for reaching back out. Symptoms can appear similar, but have much different causes. It is important to complete troubleshooting steps to find the root cause of the issue. If you try all of the steps and do not find a resolution, you can reach out to Apple directly for help here: Get Support.
If none of the previous steps help, try these:
Disconnect all external devices.
Try testing in a different user account. If you don't have one, you can create one for troubleshooting purposes: Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac
Start your Mac in safe mode and then restart again normally. How to use safe mode on your Mac.
We hope this helps!
I don't want to jinx it but I decided to run disk first aid and afterwards I clicked on the Bookmarks menu 6 different times and the beachball effect went away.
Try it and see if it helps you too and post here afterwards if you can
I just confirmed on the other desktop running 11.4, that Safari Technology Preview, Release 125 (Safari 14.2, WebKit 16612.1.15.1.12), has absolutely obliterated all traces of SBB.
When I fired up the Mac, it was still running Safari Technology Preview, Release 124.
So before installing Release 125, I experimented with both Safari, Version 14.1.1 (16611.2.7.1.4), STP 124.
STP 124 had a couple short bursts of SBBs, but I didn’t bother using it long.
Safari was a complete nightmare with never ending SBB emojis.
After installing STP 125, there were no more SBB emojis.
I tried every which way, to produce at least a smidgeon of one.
It was an extremely futile attempt.
STP 125 has brought back sanity, to at least one of Apples’ browsers.
Hi there torch369,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you are having an issue with Safari using Big Sur.
Try these steps to resolve this issue:
Check to make sure your software is fully updated, including macOS and your apps: How to update the software on your Mac.
Use Activity Monitor to check for background tasks that might be using up your system resources: View energy consumption in Activity Monitor on Mac
Use Apple Diagnostics to check for hardware issues: Use Apple Diagnostics to test your Mac.
We hope this helps!
Tell Apple Apple about the problem via Feedback - macOS - Apple. Unless they hear from a good number of us nothing will be done. You know the "squeaky wheel theory"?
With absolutely no recent input from me, the problem that I've had since December 2020, with Safari Bookmark Beachballs (Both Safari and Safari Technology Preview), appears to have disappeared on it's own sometime overnight. At least with the latest Safari Technology Preview Release 125 (Safari 14.2, WebKit 16612.1.15.1.12), that is. The SBB still persists with Safari 14.1.1.
The continuous SBB, while using both Safari and Safari Technology Preview, started about the same time that I installed Big Sur on two desktops, and a laptop. All three are running 11.4.
The SBB problem never presented itself on my late 2013, 27 inch iMac, running 10.15.7. Or did it crop up on four iPads, three with the latest OS.
Every Apple device except for the oldest iPad, had the the exact same number of bookmarks.
I jumped through countless hoops trying everything that was recommended. But it was an exercise in futility.
I normally run Safari Technology Preview on the three desktops and one laptop. Unfortunately, I just noticed that 2013 Mac will no longer update Safari Technology Preview. Oh well, at least Safari on that Mac, does not suffer from SBB.
I first noticed my good fortune of no SBB this morning, when I fired up Safari Technology Preview on the laptop, and started surfing. It didn't take long before I noticed just how much quicker the browser was, with no SBBs. I sure hope the SBBS stay away.
I haven't tried the third iMac running 11.4 yet, but I think the most recent Safari Technology Preview, has put a stop to the dreaded SBBs.
On a side note, Activity Monitor always showed an increasing tally of 'Hang's, whenever there were SBBs.
Yet, over the past 6 months, EtreCheckPro on any of the affected computers, never showed any problems with either Safari or Safari Technology Preview. Even though the dock, and perhaps the finder would freeze, until the SBBs ceased.
For now, I'm elated. Just as long as the SBBs stay away.
As for what transpired overnight, perhaps an Apple employee finally flicked that switch, under that flashing red light.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252114600
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252162522
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252382776
It's ridiculous, isn't it? I love my Mini other than this issue, but the fact that it wasn't a problem before Big Sur and Apple is ignoring it is even more annoying. They are more arrogant than Microsoft now.
After re-setting Safari using CleanMyMacX I don't get the beachball but there is that delay that's ridiculous, plus some websites it just sits there until connecting later on.
Apple needs to make Safari more uniformly compatible, tired of having to use Firefox on websites Safari can't handle
If it use the Bookmarks ➙ Add Bookmark… menu option I get the SWOD (spinning wheel of death) but if I Control (right) - click on a link on a web page and select "Add Link to Bookmarks…" I get no SWOD. Unfortunately one can't always find the link they want to add on a web page.
Did all that, this is a Big Sur issue. This issue didn't exist before I upgraded to Big Sur. I have a 2018 Mini with SSD and 16Gb RAM, all software up to date.
This issue has been mentioned by many others on Reddit and Mac forums. A fix needs to be made, it is infuriating to have this relatively new powerful Mac relegated to feeling like AOL in the 90s because of this OS.
Apple needs to informed and it needs to be fixed asap!
Also, can you please tell Apple to stop trying to force us to use 2 step authentication-I don;t need it, I don't want it, and Apple is starting to feel more like Microsoft all the time. Same goes for trying to force iCloud and Apple Pay on us. Enough already
I agree with everything you say there torch369. I upgraded to Big Sur a couple of days ago on my late 2013 Macbook Pro and it's fine and in most cases faster than Catalina. However opening pages in Safari is painfully slow compared to Firefox or Brave browsers. Those two snap open the pages while Safari has a progress bar not much faster than a snail.
I am also fed up with Apple trying to force me to use 2 step authentication, it needs to be an option if you want it not rammed at you every time you log into iCloud etc.
In the meantime judging by the replies from Apple they are completely ignoring the issue. There are threads all over including on Reddit about the issues with Safari and Big Sur.
It's ruining my experience having a good computer that has a spinning ball every time I try to go to a bookmark. It also happens when I try to enter a password on a new website.
And I can find thousands that are having issues. There can be an issue depending on the chips used or a myriad of reasons. When there is an OS issue it is rarely 100% of users have issues.
Apple needs to find out what that issue is
Safari slow in Big Sur
