Sonoma 14 - Safari pages loading without links

Got it Droll_Pineapple,

So with this working in safe mode as well as another user, this points to something in that one specific user account. So this wouldn't be an operating system issue that we'd need to restore your system. Do you have any other software installed on your computer like VPNs, "cleaner" software, added security software? Those can sometimes interfere with network connections and wouldn't be operational in that other user or in safe mode.

If you do have apps like that, then we'd recommend uninstalling them, restarting, and then trying again. Uninstall apps on your Mac - Apple Support

Thanks for working with us!

Hello Droll_Pineapple,

We see you have an issue with Safari not loading any links on a webpage. The first thing we'd recommend is to work through the steps outlined in this related article: If Safari doesn't open a page or work as expected on your Mac

We'd also suggest creating a test user profile on your Mac. Log in to it, then test Safari links. This will narrow down if the issue is specific to your user profile.

Change Users & Groups settings on Mac

We look forward to hearing how it goes.

Best regards.

Thanks for the details Droll_Pineapple,

A common reason for Safari to fail in one user but work is another is due to extensions. In short, they're third-party bits of software that are tacked onto Safari to do different things like block ads, translate, and hundreds of other possibilities. More details can be found at Use Safari extensions on your Mac - Apple Support

So check on your main user account if any of these are present. If so, turn them off and then test how Safari works. If it's successful, you can turn extensions on one by one - if there's multiple - and see which is triggering this.

Cheers!

Hello Droll_Pineapple,

Let's use the steps below to boot your Mac into safe mode to see if that behavior still persists from there:

Start up in safe mode

Find out whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps.

If you're using a Mac with Apple silicon

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Press and hold the power button on your Mac. As you continue to hold the power button, your Mac turns on and loads startup options. When you see Options, release the power button.

3. Select your startup disk. It's named Macintosh HD, unless you changed its name.

4. Press and hold the Shift key, then click the “Continue in Safe Mode” button below your startup disk.

5. Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in again.

If you're using an Intel-based Mac

If you're not using a Mac with Apple silicon, you're using an Intel-based Mac.

1. Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key as your Mac starts up.

2. Release the key when you see the login window, then log in to your Mac. 

3. You might be asked to log in again. On either the first or second login window, you should see ”Safe Boot” in the upper-right corner of the window. If you can't start up in safe mode, make sure that your Mac isn't using a firmware password.

You can also find those steps in this resource: Use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

It can take a few extra minutes to boot into safe mode. Your screen may flash or flicker while in safe mode. Those behaviors are expected. Testing in safe mode runs a check on your disk, removes some cached files, and can help isolate conflicts with startup items. Once you've tested that behavior in safe mode, you can restart to leave safe mode.

Let us know your result, and we'll keep moving forward from there.

Hi Droll_Pineapple,

Thanks for keeping us updated! We're glad to hear this is resolved.

Cheers!