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Google links don't work after iOS 9.3

After update to iOS 9.3 on my iPhone 6 Plus I can no longer click on search links from Google anymore. Tried both in Safari and Chrome. Works well with Bing.com.


If I hold down on the link and choose to open in new tab it works.


restarted apps -> same result

Rebooted iPhone twice -> same result.


suggestions?

iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 9.3

Posted on Mar 25, 2016 11:16 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Mar 25, 2016 1:31 PM

Other threads have suggested turning off JavaScript fixes this. To do this, go to Settings > Safari > scroll down to Advanced > turn off JavaScript.

337 replies

Mar 27, 2016 7:06 AM in response to Agathorn

Having the same issue in Safari and Chrome on my iPhone 5 since recently. Don't know for sure whether its iOS 9.3: I installed it on Tuesday and only noticed yesterday evening, so probably the problem came sometime after I updated-- Can't click any links in Google, although some other links outside Google sometimes work, just like holding down/open in new tab sometimes works. This is very inconvenient, hoping for a fix soon. Currently can't even restore the software because it was pulled for iPhone 5.

Mar 27, 2016 7:23 AM in response to JohnUKDevon

Thanks for sharing this. I am having link problems in safari too. Didn have it immediately after upgrading to 9.3. Initially it was fine, but then after 6/8 hours, the problem started. My hubby too has the same phone-Iphn6, but his safari is working fine. I guess the problem is not universal. For the time being I have downloaded the google search App.

Mar 27, 2016 7:57 AM in response to yousef220

Turning javascript off does not help me. Safari in my iPad mini 4 is not working with ios 9.3 upgrade. Google Chrome does not work, too. As SSARMA said, I didn't see this problem when I initially updated to ios 9.3 on my iPad mini 4. But, it started a day after installation. And it seems that iOS 9.2.1 also has this problem as others commented. Anyway this is horrible and not acceptable.

Mar 27, 2016 7:56 AM in response to Agathorn

My business depends on me having working email and internet on my iPhone all the time so I needed to find a solution.


Here is a temporary (or permanent up to you) workaround which seems to give a 99.9% solution:


Download e-mail client: Google Inbox (NOT GMAIL client)

Download browser client: Google Chrome


All links seem to work using the above solution.


A small number of links in Chrome require opening in a new tab.


Please indicate if this helped you.

Mar 27, 2016 8:01 AM in response to alphaman65

9.2.1 - been on that since shortly after it came out.


Started happening yesterday morning 26th March. It was definitely ok on 25th March.


No changes/updates my end, other than whatever apps may have auto-updated themselves.


So Apple must have secretly/silently changed something/somewhere. Unless there was a date/time based bug just waiting to happen......


Apple seem very tight-lipped on this issue!

Mar 27, 2016 8:16 AM in response to alphaman65

It really is odd... ALL my browsers - Chrome, Safari and Mercury were broken. The only way I could initially click on a link was using the separate "Google" app to search.


  • Turning off Javascript in settings/Safari allows Safari to work, but that setting doesn't help the others.
  • Mercury is "fixed" by choosing a different user-agent string. Bizarrely choosing Chrome as the user-agent lets it work....
  • Chrome just seems broken by whatever it is.

Mar 27, 2016 8:20 AM in response to nameisunique

I was going to say I will NEVER install new Apple software when prompted in future until I'm sure Apple are not using its customers to test it! However, I did find a way to revert to 9.2.1 but, even with disabling Java, the problem persists and more and more functionality is being lost as the day goes on. Are Apple being honest with us? Has their operating system been hacked? Now both my iPhone 5S and my iPad Mini 2 are useless. My iPhone is due an upgrade - I'm seriously considering ditching it and going to Samsung - tablet too. My partner was going to buy a new iPad but he's not going to risk it now.

Google links don't work after iOS 9.3

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