Web page in Safari is and endless loop - how can I stop it

Question

Level 1

8 points

Web page in Safari is and endless loop - how can I stop it

iPad 4, iOS 7

I tapped on a link that said it was for a joke site. The web page opened and the whole screen greyed out with a dialog box in the center with some obnoxious words and an OK button. Clicking on the OK button changes the wording and it keeps going like that.

I quit Safari, but when I restarted it, the same page was there.

I restarted the iPad, twice, but the same page was still there.

In iOS 6, there was a setting to close all open pages, but I can't find it in iOS 7. I can't find a way to get Safari to open without this nasty page.

I can't use Safari which is a huge problem for me because I'm often not near a computer and I need Safari.

Thanks.

Posted on Nov 5, 2013 5:32 PM

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Answer 1

AmishCake

Level 6

9,636 points

Nov 5, 2013 5:55 PM in response to winwintoo

To force-close Safari, double-tap the home key, then swipe upward on the app window (not the icon below). I'd do all of them and then do a reset (hold home & sleep/wake buttons together until you see the apple, then let go).

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Answer 2

winwintoo Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 5, 2013 6:08 PM in response to AmishCake

Sorry AmishCake, did you even read what I wrote??

In my post I clearly said that I quit safari. I have iOS 7, so I used the method you described. I've done it several times.

Quitting Safari DOES NOT KILL THE BAD WEB PAGE!

In my post, I also said that I restarted my iPad. The only way to restart an iPad is to hold those two buttons. I've done that several times. It doesn't kill the bad web page.

Any useful suggestions will be gratefully accepted.

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Answer 3

AmishCake

Level 6

9,636 points

Nov 5, 2013 6:13 PM in response to winwintoo

I beg your pardon, you don't have to yell. What about going into your Safari settings and deleting all browsing history and cookies?

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Answer 4

winwintoo Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 5, 2013 6:28 PM in response to AmishCake

I deleted browsing history, but that doesn't close any webpages that are currently open websites.

Deleting browsing history only means that when you type a URL, the address bar can't anticipate what you're typing based on what you visited in the past.

Deleting cookies means that you lose whatever setting and preferences you had on a web page. Deleting cookies also deletes any login information so when you visit a site, you need to log in again.

Neither of these will kill a rogue web page that is running.

I was yelling because I'm frustrated and perhaps you don't understand the problem.

I can prove my point by sending you the URL for the offending site. See what you can come up with then?

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Answer 5

ddkilzer

Level 2

344 points

Nov 7, 2013 8:57 PM in response to winwintoo

You need to open Safari with a URL from another application to force it to load a new tab, then close the old tab without selecting it.

1. Kill Safari if it's running.

2. Launch Notes.

3. Create a new note.

4. Type in the note: www.apple.com

5. Dismiss the keyboard (by tapping in the blank part of the note, or using the "key" in the lower right-hand corner of the keyboard).

6. Tap on the now-linkified "www.apple.com" link.

7. Close the offending tab in Safari since the current tab should be the Apple home page.

Note that Steps 2-6 can be replaced by tapping a link in a mail message instead.

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Answer 6

winwintoo Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 7, 2013 9:23 PM in response to ddkilzer

Do this:

1. open Safari. Close all open tabs

2. Type "www.apple.com" in the address bar.

3. tap "Go" on the keyboard

4. tap the "+" to open a new tab

5. type "www.amazon.com" into the address bar.

6. tap "Go" on the keyboard

7. with the amazon tab active, close the other tab without selecting it.

8. come back here and explain how you managed to close a tab that was not active.

I'll be waiting

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Answer 7

ddkilzer

Level 2

344 points

Nov 8, 2013 8:35 AM in response to winwintoo

Yeah, that's what I get for trying to write instructions from memory. 🙂 Sorry about that.

However, I realized that you could probably use Airplane mode to kill the tab after clearing the cache. I don't have a way to test this, but give it a try:

1. Kill Safari.

2. Clear caches in Settings > Safari.

3. Enable Airplane mode in Settings.

4. Launch Safari.

5. Close the tab (which should now just give an error about not being able to connect to the Internet).

6. Turn off Airplane mode.

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Answer 8

winwintoo Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 8, 2013 8:45 AM in response to ddkilzer

This probably would have worked and Murphy's law says that you always give up just before trying the one thing that would have worked 😁

Someone else on another board suggested this too, but I had already given up and reset the iPad and set it up as a new iPad.

In the end I'm not sorry I reset it because my stylus had become very unresponsive but after the reset, it was back to being snappy. Also the jerky Keyboard lag that I experienced after upgrading to iOS 7 has disappeared.

I'm retired and lazy, so I play and draw on my iPad about 10 hours a day, so I use it way more than someone who has a job. Someone who knows about such things explained that even solid state drives will degrade over time so resetting it would have the effect of cleaning it up. I don't know if that's true, but that's the story I'm sticking to.

I called Apple and reported the problem because even if the airplane solution would work, many people would be unable to find it and might resort to a baseball bat - it was THAT frustrating.

Thank you for your help.

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Answer 9

Feb 8, 2016 4:13 PM in response to winwintoo

OK I now the easy answer to this but the questioner was so rude to everyone I don't see why he should be given the answer but here it is anyway... First follow previous steps to create new tab by using notes... Eg www.apple.com.

click on on the tab sign ( the two overlapping squares) this will give you the thumbnails view of all open tabs. From there you can delete any offending tabs.

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