How to fix unresponsive Safari in iOS 18

Like any iPhone user, your first instinct is probably to turn to Safari when you need to look something up. It is Apple’s built-in browser packed with powerful features that deliver accurate information quickly. However, after updating to iOS 18, many have noticed that it stops responding, crashes, or stops responding at all.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to switch to a new web browser just yet. This is probably just a minor issue caused by the update and there are several ways to fix it.

How to fix unresponsive Safari in iOS 18?

1. Disable advanced tracking and fingerprint protection

2. Disable Private Relay

If you are an iCloud+ subscriber and have Private Relay enabled, this may affect your web browsing and prevent pages from loading properly. By disabling it, you allow Safari to connect directly to websites without requiring additional layers of security that could impact performance.

1. Go to Settings > (your name) > iCloud.
2. Knock Private relay. To temporarily disable Private Relay, tap Turn off until tomorrow. It will automatically turn on again within 24 hours. To completely disable Private Relay, tap Disable private relay.

3. Clear history and website data

If you haven’t cleared Safari’s cache for a while, web pages can take forever to load. Deleting old data, cookies and browsing history allows for a fresh start.

4. Go to Settings > Apps.
5. Knock Safari > Clear history and website data.
6. Knock All history and turn that on Click the “Close All Tabs” button.. Then tap Clear history.

4. Check your internet connection

It’s a good idea to double check your internet connection. First, reconnect to your WiFi or try switching to a different network. If that doesn’t work, restart your router. You can also test your internet speed and switch to your mobile network.

5. Close unnecessary tabs

If Safari is running slowly on your iPhone, it may be because you have too many tabs open. They put a strain on your phone’s resources. Close all unnecessary tabs running in the background to speed up background processes.

1. Open that Safari app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Tab icon in the bottom right corner. Tap X symbol on each tab to close them.

6. Restart Safari

If your Safari isn’t behaving properly, sometimes all you need to do is force quit it and start it again.

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see it App carousel. Swipe up safari to close it.
2. Tap Safari icon on the home screen to open it again.

7. Update iOS

Make sure you have the latest version of iOS installed. There may be fixes to help fix the Safari app if it is unresponsive.

1. Open that Settings app on your iPhone and tap Generally.
2. Knock Software Update > Update Now whether an update is available.

8. Restart your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone is a quick way to fix minor glitches and temporary software problems.

1. Hold both Performance And Decrease/increase volume Buttons pressed simultaneously for a few seconds.
2. If the Turn off screen appears, slide the Turn off Press the right button to turn off your phone.
3. Wait a few seconds. Press and hold the button Performance button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

9. Disable Safari Suggestions

Safari Suggestions provides content recommendations such as news, articles, app store suggestions, movie ideas, weather forecasts and nearby places. Although they are helpful, they can slow down your device. Turn them off while troubleshooting.

1. Go to Settings > Apps.
2. Knock safari and turn off Safari suggestions.

10. Enable JavaScript

Normally JavaScript is enabled by default. However, if Safari isn’t working, check if it was accidentally disabled.

1. Go to Settings > Apps.
2. Knock Safari > Advanced.
3. Tap JavaScript switching to turn it on when it is off.

11. Disable extensions

Safari extensions can improve your browser’s functionality, but adding too many can cause overlap or interfere with web browsing. Some extensions may even malfunction. Try disabling them one by one to see if Safari works properly again.

1. Go to Settings > Apps.
2. Knock safari > Extensions. You will see a list of installed extensions.
3. Tap each extension name and turn it off.

12. Enable background app refresh

Background App Refresh allows processes to be updated in the background. Although it is necessary, it can drain your battery and consume a lot of data. Instead of turning it off completely, enable it only for select apps. This way, you can reap the benefits without putting a lot of strain on your device.

1. Open that Settings appand then tap Generally.
2. Knock Background app refresh.
3. Use the individual app switches below to disable it for selected apps. If you want to disable it completely, tap Background app refreshand then tap Out of.

13. Clean your device

It’s a good idea to clean up the clutter every now and then. This will prevent unnecessary files from taking up valuable storage space and prevent other problems from arising later.

NOTE

Would you like to never run out of space again? Check out our guide to how much storage you actually need when buying a new iPhone.

1. Go to Settings > General.
2. Knock iPhone storage.
3. A bar at the top shows how much storage space is used and how much is still available.
4. If storage space is almost full, you can free up space by following the recommendations or deleting photos, videos, documents, or unused apps.