Submitted by Marshall Walker on
Several websites and Apple users are reporting that an unknown bug is causing Safari and Mobile Safari to crash on iOS and Mac devices. Simply tapping the URL bar in Safari is causing the app to randomly shut down on the iPhone and iPad. There seems to be an issue with Apple's suggestive search which provides information such as Top Sites based on a user's browser history. Several Twitter users have suggested that disabling Safari Suggestions will temporarily fix the issue while we wait for a proper response from Apple. Here's how to disable Safari Suggestions on your iOS device:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
- Tap the Safari tab
- Tap the Safari Suggestions slider so it is OFF / White
Other Twitter users have reported that using the Private Browsing Mode also helps. This is because Private Mode does not send a request to Apple's suggestions server for autofill information. You can access private browsing by opening the Safari app and tapping the box icon in the bottom right hand corner. Just select "Private" to open a private browsing window. Follow the same steps to return to normal browsing.
The Safari bug has been reported on devices running iOS 8, iOS 9 and OS X 10.11. This is also unrelated to the trick website casuing iPhone devices to overheat and reboot.
Apple has not commented on the bug at this time.