Safari automatically runs in background and shuts down

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Safari automatically runs in background and shuts down

In the last day, Safari has started automatically running in the background and then shutting down. I've researched this quite a bit and this is what I've done so far:

Deleted the cache.db file - that did nothing
Restarted the computer repeatedly - that did nothing
Since the browser won't open for me, I can't inspect any extensions (I think I only installed Ublock Lite) to see if disabling them would help

Not that there is any connection, but both Vivaldi and Edge work just fine (so at least I have browsers to work with).

Short of completely reinstalling macOS, is there anything I can do to rescue a corrupted Safari installation? Worst case scenario: Should I simply wait for 27.2 and hope that that corrects things?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

MacBook Neo 13″, macOS 27.0

Posted on Oct 9, 2026 3:46 AM

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Answer 1

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John Galt

Level 10

161,832 points

Oct 9, 2026 11:39 AM in response to rranger

For general reference: If Safari doesn't work as expected on Mac - Apple Support

I understand Safari starts on its own but then it spontaneously quits, with no crash report. Is that correct?

Start with the Safari app already closed — quit / shut down / not running. Then, press and hold a Shift key when launching Safari from Applications or the Dock. That action will open Safari to your chosen selection in its "New windows open with" setting: Change General settings in Safari on Mac - Apple Support.

Release the Shift key when Safari opens, or crashes, or quits on its own again.

If that proves unsuccessful, the next step would be to boot "Safe Mode" and determine if you can launch Safari while in that mode:

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

Again the initial conditions should be with Safari not running.

If you successfully open Safari in that mode, you can then follow the suggestions you may have found, which are likely to include:

Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac - Apple Support

Clear your cache and cookies in Safari on Mac - Apple Support

Similar question, although it involved Safari crashing upon launch: Safari crashing immediately after Tahoe upgrade - Apple Community

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