Safari remains my preferred web browser on all Apple devices, including Mac, as it is more secure and consumes less resources, unlike Chrome. While the web browser doesn’t have a ton of new features in macOS Catalina, it certainly does have some nice improvements like weak password warnings and an updated start page. However, some Mac users have reported that Safari runs quite slow after the macOS Catalina update. While I’ve been lucky not to run into this issue, I can confirm that a few of my friends have come across this. If you also found your Mac built into it, let’s try some convenient solutions to speed up Safari in macOS Catalina on Mac!
8 Tips to Speed Up Safari in macOS Catalina on Mac
Since the problem may require you to take some drastic measures, you’d better talk about all the important things first.
So How Do We Speed Up Safari for macOS?
First, we will try a series of tricks to fix slow Safari on Mac. We will get rid of all Flash plugins and extensions, to name a few. Although I never doubted their usability, they often slow down the web browser and even cause it to crash from time to time. We will also delete any existing cache along with any website data that may have accumulated over time. Just to keep it light and completely messy so that Safari runs as smoothly as it’s known. Having said that, let’s get started with the guide, shall we?
1. Disable Safari Extensions
Understood. Safari extensions go a long way in providing a more customized web browsing experience. As someone who likes personalized web browsing, I’ve always loved using them. While I’m not a big fan of these, I’m careful not to overdo it as using too many extensions can cause the web browser to slow down. Therefore, the first trick we will try is to disable all extensions or the ones you don’t use.
- Simply start Safari On your Mac -> Safari menu -> Preferences.
2. Now, click on Plugins tab and then uncheck the box for all Safari extensions or extensions you no longer use.
Force quit Safari after disabling extensions. Simply click Apple menu -> Force Quit -> Safari -> Force Quit. Then restart your Mac.
2. Disable Add-ons
It’s no secret that add-ons slow down the web browser and sometimes even cause it to crash unexpectedly. Not to mention, they are also known to sometimes block file downloads. Therefore, it would be better to disable them in favor of smooth performance.
1. Start Safari On your Mac -> Safari menu -> Preferences.
2. Now, click on websites tab and uncheck the box to the left of the plugin name.
Now, force quit Safari as usual. Then restart the web browser to see if it works fine.
3. Remove All Website Data
Website data remains one of my goals when I notice that Safari is not performing as desired or seems rather slow. This is because they become problematic after a while if they are not removed frequently. That’s why I won’t let him escape.
one. Safari app on macOS -> Safari menu -> Preferences.
2. Now, click on Privacy tab -> Manage Website Data. Next, click remove all to eliminate all stored data. Finally, click on Completed to finish.
4. Empty Safari Cache
It is always recommended to remove the cache frequently so that it does not become problematic. If you haven’t taken it off for a while, he may be the secret culprit behind all this mess. Therefore, remove it as soon as possible.
one. Safari Application on your Mac -> Safari menu -> Preferences.
2. Now, click on Developed tab and then tick the box Show Develop menu in menu bar. After that, click on Improve the menu on top and select Empty Caches.
5. Clear Safari History
Removing Safari history is one of the oldest ways to get rid of all the clutter available. So, in a situation where a quick Safari is more important than the accumulated history, you should not hesitate to delete all the data. Note that it will remove Safari history on all devices synced with the same Apple ID. To do this, open Safari -> Safari Menu. Next, click Clear History. Later on, click the dropdown menu and select All History. Then click on Clear History to finish.
6. Update DNS Setting on Your Mac
If you’re still having trouble speeding up Safari on your Mac, update the DNS setting. For those who don’t know, it means: domain name server This allows users to connect to websites using their domain name. In other words, it is known as the phone book of the internet.
- Click Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Network.
3. Next, choose how your computer will connect to the Internet (ie Wi-Fi, ethernet). Then click on Developed button.
3. Now, click on DNS tab. Under the DNS servers section, “+” or “-” button To add or remove the IP address of the DNS server.
If you are using more than one DNS server, you can drag the addresses to change the order. Also, if you don’t know which DNS server to use, check out our list of the best free DNS servers to get started.
7. Clear DNS Cache
Emptying the DNS cache has done the trick for me many times in fixing the slow running issue of Safari on Mac. So again I’m relying on this hack to fix the problem. To do this you need to use the following Terminal commands.
Simply start terminal Enter the command given below on your Mac followed by the return key.
sudo dscacheutil –flushcache
Note: Also, try turning off DNS prefetching as it has the ability to speed up the web browser. To disable DNS booting, start Terminal and then enter the command given below: After that hit the return key.
defaults write com.apple.safari WebKitDNSPrefetchingEnabled -boolean false
Finally, exit the Terminal application.
8. Update the Software on Your Mac
If you’ve been following the latest trend, “This may very well be the answer to this question!” You might be whispering something like Well, it just goes on to explain how much of Apple’s ecosystem (including iOS) has been rife with lately (i.e. Confirmed not working and Messages not syncing to iCloud.) So don’t forget to update macOS. click Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Software Update. Now, follow the usual steps to update macOS Catalina.
Tips to Speed Up Slow Safari on macOS Catalina
Hopefully, you have cleared all the confusion and made Apple Safari run faster and smoother on Mac. While I can’t say how soon the problem will go away, I can definitely say that these tricks will help you get rid of the problem most of the time. So, when you encounter the same issue, turn to this guide to fix it. In the meantime, share your thoughts and let us know if I missed a trick.