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Safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found

I have been having trouble with pages loading in safari since yesterday. I keep getting the message “safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found.” It doesn’t happen all the time but it’s been pretty consistent and frequent. It’s happened across many different websites and if I keep closing safari and reloading the website it will eventually work. I have tried cleaning cookies, resetting my phone and wifi and it’s still not working. I’ve also had trouble with a few different apps loading but when I close then and reopen them they work. Nobody else is having issues and all other devices are working on the same wifi. I’m not sure how I can fix this?

iPhone 11

Posted on Jul 23, 2022 8:49 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 24, 2022 2:55 PM

Hi Justinekitty,


Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. We understand Safari isn't loading sites as expected. We're happy to help.


Start with the steps to resolve Safari not working as expected here:


  1. Reload the page

To reload a page, choose View > Reload Page, or press Command-R. If you can't reload, make sure that you're connected to the internet.

If you still can't reload:

  1. Press Command-Q to quit Safari. If Safari doesn't quit, press Option-Command-Esc to force Safari to quit.
  2. Open Safari again and try to load the page. When Safari opens, if it automatically opens pages that you don't want to open, quit Safari again, then press and hold the Shift key while opening Safari. 


2.Check Safari extensions

If you installed any Safari extensions, make sure that they are up to date.

You can also try turning extensions off. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Preferences. Click Extensions, then deselect the checkbox for each extension to turn it off. Learn more about Safari extensions



3.Check Safari settings

The webpage might not be compatible with one or more browser settings, which you can turn on or off as needed. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Preferences. Then click Websites, Privacy, or Security to access these settings:


4.Test with a private window 

A website can store cookies, caches, and other data on your Mac, and issues with that data can affect your use of the website. To prevent the website from using that data, view it in a private window. From the menu bar in Safari, choose File > New Private Window, or press Shift-Command-N.

If that works, use the following steps to remove the website's data, including its caches and cookies. The website can then create new data as needed. If it's a website that you sign in to, make sure that you know your sign-in information before continuing.

  1. Choose Safari > Preferences, then click Privacy.
  2. Click Manage Website Data.
  3. Select the affected website from the list shown.
  4. Click Remove.
  5. Click Done.
  6. Open the website again in a non-private browser window.

Install software updates

Install all available Apple software updates, which can include updates for Safari.


5.Check VPN or other security software

If you installed VPN or other software that monitors or interacts with your network connections, that software could affect your use of the website or the internet. Learn about network issues related to VPN and other software


6.Check network settings

Certain network settings, such as those related to using a proxy server or custom DNS server, can affect access to content on the internet. Even if you haven't changed your network settings, you might have installed software that changed those settings for you.

To find out whether the issue is with the network settings on your Mac, try viewing the website from some other device connected to the same network. You can also add a new network location in Network preferences as a way to quickly reset your network settings for testing.

To find out whether the issue is with your network itself, try viewing the website after connecting to a different network.


Thanks

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 24, 2022 2:55 PM in response to Justinekitty

Hi Justinekitty,


Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. We understand Safari isn't loading sites as expected. We're happy to help.


Start with the steps to resolve Safari not working as expected here:


  1. Reload the page

To reload a page, choose View > Reload Page, or press Command-R. If you can't reload, make sure that you're connected to the internet.

If you still can't reload:

  1. Press Command-Q to quit Safari. If Safari doesn't quit, press Option-Command-Esc to force Safari to quit.
  2. Open Safari again and try to load the page. When Safari opens, if it automatically opens pages that you don't want to open, quit Safari again, then press and hold the Shift key while opening Safari. 


2.Check Safari extensions

If you installed any Safari extensions, make sure that they are up to date.

You can also try turning extensions off. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Preferences. Click Extensions, then deselect the checkbox for each extension to turn it off. Learn more about Safari extensions



3.Check Safari settings

The webpage might not be compatible with one or more browser settings, which you can turn on or off as needed. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Preferences. Then click Websites, Privacy, or Security to access these settings:


4.Test with a private window 

A website can store cookies, caches, and other data on your Mac, and issues with that data can affect your use of the website. To prevent the website from using that data, view it in a private window. From the menu bar in Safari, choose File > New Private Window, or press Shift-Command-N.

If that works, use the following steps to remove the website's data, including its caches and cookies. The website can then create new data as needed. If it's a website that you sign in to, make sure that you know your sign-in information before continuing.

  1. Choose Safari > Preferences, then click Privacy.
  2. Click Manage Website Data.
  3. Select the affected website from the list shown.
  4. Click Remove.
  5. Click Done.
  6. Open the website again in a non-private browser window.

Install software updates

Install all available Apple software updates, which can include updates for Safari.


5.Check VPN or other security software

If you installed VPN or other software that monitors or interacts with your network connections, that software could affect your use of the website or the internet. Learn about network issues related to VPN and other software


6.Check network settings

Certain network settings, such as those related to using a proxy server or custom DNS server, can affect access to content on the internet. Even if you haven't changed your network settings, you might have installed software that changed those settings for you.

To find out whether the issue is with the network settings on your Mac, try viewing the website from some other device connected to the same network. You can also add a new network location in Network preferences as a way to quickly reset your network settings for testing.

To find out whether the issue is with your network itself, try viewing the website after connecting to a different network.


Thanks

Safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found

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