Safari now shows black and white pop up summary of web site

Hello waldhaus,

You might be describing Safari Reader: Hide ads when reading articles in Safari on Mac - Apple Support

"View an article using Reader

1. In the Safari app  on your Mac, click the Reader button  in the Smart Search field.
2. The button appears only if the webpage has an article that Reader can show.
3. To stop using Reader, click the Reader button again or press Esc."

Thanks.

Hi waldhaus,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities! If a specific website is not opening correctly, the guidance in the article below can help:

If Safari doesn't open a page or work as expected on your Mac

Reload the page

From the menu bar in Safari, choose View > Reload Page. Or press Command-R.

If Safari doesn't reload the page, quit Safari, then try again. If Safari doesn't quit, you can press Option-Command-Esc to force Safari to quit.

If Safari automatically reopens unwanted pages, quit Safari, then press and hold the Shift key while opening Safari. Learn how to control which windows Safari automatically reopens.

Install software updates and restart

Update macOS, which can include updates for Safari. If your Mac didn't restart automatically, choose Apple menu  > Restart. Some important background updates take effect only after restarting.

Check Safari extensions

If you installed any Safari extensions, turn extensions off. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Settings (or Preferences). Click Extensions, then deselect each extension to turn it off. Learn more about Safari extensions.

If you find that an extension is causing the issue, make sure that the extension is up to date.

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 > Settings (or 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.

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 > Settings (or Preferences). Then click Websites, Privacy, or Security to access these settings:

•Privacy settings. These settings apply to all websites. For example, a website might require that you allow cross-site tracking, show your IP address, or allow cookies.

•Security settings. These settings apply to all websites. For example, a website might require that you enable JavaScript.

•Websites settings. These settings can be configured for specific websites. For example, a website might require that you allow pop-up windows, allow downloads, allow access to your camera or microphone, or turn off content blockers.

Check iCloud Private Relay

If you subscribe to iCloud+ and are using its Private Relay feature, try reloading the page without Private Relay: From the menu bar in Safari, choose View > Reload and Show IP Address. This menu item appears only when Private Relay is turned on for your network. Learn more about iCloud Private Relay.

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. 

Check network settings

Certain network settings, such as custom proxy settings or custom DNS settings, can affect access to content on the internet. Even if you haven't changed these or other network settings yourself, you might have installed software that changed them for you. 

To find out whether the issue is with the network settings on your Mac, try viewing the page from a different web browser or different device on the same network. Or reset your network settings by setting up a new network location on your Mac.

If the issue affects other devices and web browsers on the same network, the issue is probably with the website, and you should contact the website developer for help.

Hope this helps!

Have a great day.

Eric, a thousand thank yous! Beginning some weeks ago, whenever I am opening a Safari page with an article/informative stuff on it, my view immediately changes to a panel containing only that article or information; no links appear within the article, no links or content on the top, bottom or sides of the page. Today, I was considering giving up on Safari and/or my Mac (using Safari on my iPad instead). I was unsure how to even search for help for this problem (should i call it "panel view"?...) and without being able to name the problem, finding a cure is tricky. Yet, I found your answer about "Reader". Unsure if I will ever use this "reader" feature deliberately.

It's irritating that my Safari is going to Reader automatically but thanks to you, I know how to switch to the familiar look, feel and usefulness of "regular view". Thank you very very much again!!