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Safari reloading pages when going back

What's up with Safari constantly reloading pages?


For example, say I'm on reddit, click a thread, read, swipe back there is a substantial pause while it reloads the entire page. Why can't it just use the cached version and be instant? Happens on any site and did not used to behave like this in Lion.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Jul 31, 2012 7:56 AM

Reply
98 replies

Jul 31, 2012 5:20 PM in response to charleyfromNZ

I'm having the same problem. Every time I click a link in an open tab, and go back using the "swipe back" function on my mouse, Safari reloads the entire web page rather than using its cache. This makes for some serious delays when browsing. The problem occurs on every web site I have visited since upgrading.


Currently running Mountain Lion and Safari 6.


Any ideas how to fix this? I can't begin to tell you my frustrations at the moment. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Jul 12, 2015 9:48 PM in response to charleyfromNZ

Hi


I'm running Mavericks on a Mac Mini with Safari 7.1.7

I noticed this same issue.

Right Mouse Click - Go Back was no Reloading Pages


I found the issue to be with AdBlock Extension

User uploaded file

However, you do not need to disable the extension. I found in AdBlock Options to activate browser options click or unclick AdBlock Options

It will display this screen.

User uploaded file

You need to UNCHECK - Add items to the right click menu. Once you UNCHECK this option your RIGHT MOUSE CLICK BACK browsing will reload pages like always and you still get to keep the benefits of AdBlock Extension.


User uploaded file

Welcome, Hector

Aug 22, 2012 10:10 AM in response to BloodyHippy

It is obvious that there are multiple causes. What solves the problem for one person doesn't work for others. I agree that disabling all extensions is not a solution.


Safari 5.1.7 continues to be problem-free for me in Snow Leopard after disabling back/forward cache. Bamtam and BloodHippy: What version of Safari/OS X are you using?


I hope that everyone who still has this problem has sent feedback to Apple: http://www.apple.com/feedback/safari.html .

Aug 13, 2012 10:22 AM in response to samsamcardiff

I enabled the Debug Menu setting, "disable back/forward cache," and so far so good. I was able to renable the troublesome extension with no reloading issues so far. You may want to try it. If you can't see the Debug menu, here are instructions on how to enable it:


How to Enable Safari’s Hidden Debug Menu

  • Quit Safari
  • Launch the Terminal and enter the following defaults write command:

defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 1

Relaunch Safari


The “Debug” menu will be visible to the far right in Safari’s menubar choices. If you want to disable the menu, go back to the Terminal and type:

defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 0

Another option worth exploring may be the NoPageCache extension:

http://canisbos.com/nopagecache

Jan 13, 2013 10:57 AM in response to charleyfromNZ

You need to enable the debug option on Safari toolbar then enable use Single-process windows.




  • Quit Safari, then launch the Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/) and enter the following command
  • defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 1
  • Relaunch Safari and you’ll see a “Debug” menu appear on the far right, alongside “Help” (yes, this is different from the Develop menu)
  • Pull down the new Debug menu and scroll down a ways until you see “Use Multi-process Windows” and select it so that it’s unchecked
  • Open a new Safari window and if you see an [SP] next to the web pages title, you’re now in single process mode, which prevents the automatic refreshing of webpages

Aug 23, 2013 9:21 AM in response to charleyfromNZ

Hi guys, as everyone here i had this annoying problem of reloading and i solved it in a very easy and unexpected

way. I don't guarantee it will work for you as i don't really understood it, here's the very simple procedure i did (i have adblock and do not track working on safari):


  1. I downloaded NoPageCache from http://canisbos.com/nopagecache (seen on page 1 or 2 on this thread)
  2. I quit (cmd q) safari and reload it
  3. I tried the app and it was still reloading pages as i backed on a forum (sad 😟)
  4. I disabled and removed from safari the app (preferences/extensions)
  5. Surprisingly it's not reloading anymore pages


You should give it a try it's very easy, but it's not guaranteed to work plus i don't know how to put back the reloading feeature (lol) if i want t back in the future.


Hope it will work for you

Aug 6, 2012 6:50 AM in response to Hersco

Thanks to everyone for troubleshooting this. Had a chance to test out some of your solutions, and unfortunately I am still having this problem. Here is a list of my extensions, (maybe seem very redudant, but I am a privacy advocate)


1. Adblock Plus

2. Javascript blacklist

3. Google Analytics Blocker

4. Do Not Track Plus

5. Ghostery

6. Clicktoflash


I tried disabling Adblock and DNT+ individually, and then togther, but both left me with the same problem. I am going to try completely uninstalling them now to see if that helps. I might even try disabling other extensions to see if that is the problem and will report back with my results. Am experiencing no issues with all extensions disaabled, but of course, this takes down all my privacy defenses (not good).

Aug 12, 2012 9:57 PM in response to Hersco

Here is the explanation I received from Karl Dearden, the developer of Ultimate Status Bar:


"There is a bug in the Safari extension api that causes some pages loaded from the cached to not initialise correctly with regards to extensions. What this means is that some extensions on those pages will break, but only when that page is completely loaded from the cache. USB tries to detect this situation and if it does it reloads the page (thus the "page reloading when mousing over a link on some cached pages" bug."


If this is the case, I wonder whether choosing "Disable Back/Forward Cache" in the Debug menu would fix the problem?

Aug 13, 2012 12:37 AM in response to charleyfromNZ

I have this problem, yet i've never installed a single extension. It all started when i upgraded to Mountain Lion - which came with a Safari update. This is particularly frustrating because i only have access to 3G internet. I have switched to Google Chrome for the time being although this is not a proper solution.


Currently on a MBP Retina 15" 16GB Ram.


I don't understand why there are no options to address this issue in Safari preferences.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Aug 22, 2012 8:00 AM in response to Hersco

@Hersco: I've "solved" my problem by disabling all of my extensions, but that's far from a solution. I use Adblock and RES, and I don't want to sacrifice them just to use Safari. Disabling Multi-process windows and the back-forward cache also do not help. I've tried installing several random extensions, and ALL of them break the back-forward button when tried alone; including the NoPageCache extension you mentioned. This issue is a real pain for me due to my slow connection, any other ideas on how to fix it?

Sep 21, 2012 1:41 PM in response to bfurm

Hey thanks for the hint, I changed from scroll left or right two fingers to Swipe with two or three fingers.


When I visit Cultofmac.com then click on a link, if I swipe back with two fingers the whole page refreshes, if I scroll back using 3 fingers it just goes straight back without any refersh or delay, there is a bug in the gestures software with some websites, as it doesn't try to refresh all websites.


So I will use 3 fingers for some websites and two for most of the others until Apple fix the bug.


Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Safari reloading pages when going back

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