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Level 1

28 points

Safari won't open any links and then freezes/crashes

HELP! The Safari on my fairly new iphone 6s has gone haywire. Safari opens fine, and if you type in a direct URL, it will go to the website just fine. However, if i attempt to search any subject it will pull up the pages of websites, but will not allow me to connect to any of the links and when I select a link it then freezes and crashes safari. Additionally, if i try to open any weblink imbedded in an email, it again freezes and crashes both mail AND Safari. SO FUN!

And just to test general connectivity and function, i downloaded Google Chrome to see if I can search and connect there, and I can. The search works fine, pulls up the pages, and strangely, I can't access the pages direct, but it will allow me to open the page in another tab. I feel like this should be a clue for someone smarter than I. 😝

I have been tinkering for about an hour with it and I am at a loss.

Things I have tried:

1. Resetting the phone - both just by powering off and a hard reset (Power + Home)

2. Turning off Safari Suggestions (and browser suggestions) - this was a fix that I found for a bug that seemed similar from earlier this year.

3. Changing the search engine from Google to Yahoo and back, nothing.

4. Private Browsing (again a "fix" I found on the interwebs...)

5. Downloading and upgrading my iOS to 9.3. Still nothing.

6. Banging my head on my computer and cursing very loudly at the phone.

PLEASE, if you have any suggestions, i am all ears... I am going bananas and can't let it go.

THANK YOU!!!

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.3, Prob started while on 9.2.1

Posted on Mar 22, 2016 3:35 PM

Best reply

GALACTICPROTON

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Apr 11, 2017 1:09 PM

First thing a human should do after receiving an iPhone or iPad is download Google Chrome then download Google Maps then download Gmail and possibly download Google+ if you have a business.

Google Chrome is the best web browser in the world plain and simple. Sure you could use Safari or Firefox or Opera or IE or Egde But why waste time when you have a gem available to you with the push of a couple buttons.

Safari is a joke made by Apple so they can say they have a browser on their devices when you purchase them.

Firefox is a nonprofit group that has no money

Anything made by Microsoft is worse then Apple

Opera is so old but kinda funny in my opinion. I would actually recommend Opera just because most people have never heard of it and it's only used by about 1% of the worlds devices.

Put it this way, I bet you've seen a google car driving around at some point in your life. I have seen quite a few of them loaded up with cameras and gadgets. What's my point? Google has a lot of money and they usually spend it in the right places like having Chrome up to date with all coding and new stuff.

I think Safari is a disgusting browser. When I look at the news widget on my iPhone and click on a story to read it opens a new window everytime which is a pain in the azz. I have to close a bizzillion windows weekly just from reading some news articles. Great work Safari team.

Any unbiased web developer would most likely recommend using Chrome.

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325 replies

cmorey

Level 1

59 points

Mar 26, 2016 7:32 AM in response to mizmantha

This just started happening to my iPhone 6 last night, and I'm on 9.2.1

nothing on this phone has been updated in a number of days... Just started happening

Sven020

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2016 7:37 AM in response to mizmantha

Dear Apple

I am -very- disappointed in the 9.3 IOS update: links in safari do no longer work (workaround with disabling java is not enough). Please can you move forward on this and update and fix this issue asap?

Sven

exefire

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2016 8:49 AM in response to mizmantha

I have the same issue in 2 devices:

- iPhone 6s 64 iOS 9.3

- iPad Air 16 iOS 9.2.1

divniy

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2016 10:02 AM in response to mizmantha

Same here. iPhone 5s iOS 9.2.1

Mar 26, 2016 10:22 AM in response to mizmantha

I Have an iPhone 6, on iOS 9.2 and started experiencing this problem this morning. No fix previously published seems to fix it. And from reading this thread and others - restoring system settings or upgrading to iOS 9.3 doesn't appear to have any effect. i can use any favourites like Facebook or other sites. But I cannot get a link to open from any of my browsers. It's very WEIRD!

Mar 26, 2016 10:26 AM in response to mizmantha

It's so odd that with the majority of people (from what I can tell) this just "started happening" for no apparent reason - not caused by a recent update or installing new apps. It's just "appeared"...

Stuartan

Level 1

9 points

Mar 26, 2016 10:35 AM in response to Stuartan

Update. Performing an "erase all content and settings" corrected this issue for me where I could not open any URL links in e-mail. A subsequent restore from a backup that I had done just before the reset discussed here, resulted in the problem returning.

Mar 26, 2016 10:40 AM in response to mizmantha

This problem started occurring for me today BEFORE updating to iOS 9.3.

It is happening on both my iPhone 6+ and my iPad..where is Apple on this??? Can't believe there is no support for this problem yet.

able_ape

Level 1

15 points

Mar 26, 2016 10:59 AM in response to Roland.S

But then many sites will not work properly.

Mar 26, 2016 11:07 AM in response to Stuartan

I'm having the same exact problem! It's freaking annoying. Any links in Instagram or iMessage will not work when clicked. I've tried what was recommended above. This issue was happening when I had 9.2 installed, so I thought by upgrading to 9.3 the issue would be fixed, but it hasn't.

This is what I've done:

1. Closed all apps by swiping up

2. Hard reset by holding power and home button for 15-20 seconds

3. Reset Safari settings by turning off JavaScript

4. Full system restore without adding my iCloud settings back

THIS ISSUE IS STILL NOT FIXED! PLEASE FIX THIS!

nelling

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2016 11:16 AM in response to sjames0916

I have the same problem. Started a few days ago with 9.2 installed. Upgraded to 9.3 and nothing changed.

Jonuga

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2016 11:22 AM in response to mizmantha

Same problem for me here. I've tried all steps and to no avail... Apple do something!

able_ape

Level 1

15 points

Mar 26, 2016 11:25 AM in response to ddkilzer

Nice suggestion, there have been a few people who mention specific apps (Wikipedia for example). You are the first to mention the number of apps. Problem is, I don't have the Wikipedia app. I also have only 126 apps, which doesn't sound like a lot (taking < 10% of the storage on my phone).

I also take issue with the number of people suggesting:

1. Disable Javascript. Yes, this works a treat, but trust me, many, many sites use JavaScript and they will not work. This just sounds like someone taking their car to a garage, saying "my engine makes a noise if I travel faster than 20 mph", and then the dealer responding: "Don't drive faster than 20 then". I think I am entitled to be able to use my iPhone on any website, not just those without Javascript.

2. Reboot your iPhone - which you suggest. Impact on issue: zero. Sorry ddkilzer, but if the solution was so simple, do you think I and others would be complaining? Are there really people out there who don't know how to reboot their phone? At least your suggestion doesn't involve the huge waste of effort by those with the next suggestion…

3. Reinstall. Yes. Read the story of lotuseve110, and cry along with her. Re-installing will take an hour or two of your time, which you will never get back. From experience, you also have a good chance of encountering the 'misery' of an iPhone that is (for some mysterious reason) unable to restore a backup. Thanks Apple. Thanks Genius bar. It would be great if all those geniuses throughout the world use their talent to inform their employer that the latest OS has royally screwed what was probably the best browsing experience on a mobile phone, replacing it with something that Apple would have been ashamed of when they sold the very first iPhones. Progress is supposed to make things better.

What I would love to see is Apple 'owning' this issue, and providing a solution. And all those just suggesting Disable Javascript, Delete your Apps, Restart your iPhone. Please Stop. This does not *fix* the issue. Worst of all, stop with the "Reinstall" advice. Just re-read the post from lotuseve110 (2 full reset and restores at a Genius Bar (which did not resolve the issue)), and realize that it's not very fair to inflict this on users who already have a screwed up phone. It doesn't work, and will no doubt make the user even more depressed. Enjoy your Easter.

Mar 26, 2016 1:08 PM in response to mizmantha

I have the same issue on my Ipad mini. I tried to open links in Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera - Nothing works. This issue appeared out of nowhere. I didn't install any apps nor upgraded the software from 9.2.1 to 9.3.

Tried everything mentioned above but without success.

Please have this issue fixed. It is very annoying.

Mar 26, 2016 1:14 PM in response to mizmantha

Same problem with iPad Air 2 using Safari or Chrome. No problem, yet, with my iPhone 6. Both wit iOS 9.3.

Safari won't open any links and then freezes/crashes