The Safari Suggestions feature baked into Apple’s own web browser for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac is causing widespread crashes for users around the globe this morning. Simply tapping the address bar is all it takes to crash the app, but there are some simple workarounds.
Update: Apple has fixed the bug that was crashing Safari on iOS and OS X
“When you type a URL, Apple sends what you type to its servers, returning a response with autocomplete search queries, Top Sites and other info,” explains 9to5Mac. “There appears to be a bug in this server request that is causing Safari to randomly crash.”
There are two simple ways to get around this until the problem is resolved by Apple. The quickest and easiest is to use Private Browsing mode, which does not contact Apple’s servers for Safari Suggestions when you enter URLs and search terms.
The other option is to disable Safari Suggestions and Search Engine Suggestions. Here’s how on iOS:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Safari
- Disable Safari Suggestions and Search Engine Suggestions
Here’s how on Mac:
- Open Safari
- Click Safari in the status bar, then click Preferences
- Click the Search tab
- Under “Smart Search Field,” click “Include search engine recommendations” and “Include Safari Suggestions” to disable
Following this process will mean you don’t see suggestions when entering URL and keywords, of course, but it’s the only way you can use Safari until Apple addresses this issue. It’s not totally clear what the problem is, but it is affecting a large number of users in many countries.
