Roger Fingas
A number of Mac and iOS users reported Safari crashing on Wednesday, in what appears to be a glitch related to the browser's search suggestions feature. [Updated]
A crash can be triggered simply by trying to enter search terms into Safari's address bar, according to numerous complaints on Twitter. The connection with search suggestions was highlighted by developer Steven Troughton-Smith, who noted that disabling the feature or switching to private browsing will temporarily solve the situation.
The issue appears to manifest regardless of search engine choice, since they all inevitably flow through the same Apple API. People who are unaffected generally have suggestions cached locally, or else access to Apple's servers via a DNS cache. Devices with iOS 7 or earlier should be immune.
People who still have a working copy of Safari should avoid actions that will reset their cache, such as turning on Airplane Mode, since once back online Safari will start trying to fetch suggestions if the feature isn't already disabled.
Apple has yet to comment on the matter or offer a timeline for a fix.
Update: Apple solved the problem later on Wednesday. BuzzFeed News noted that anyone still encountering crashes should deliberately clear Safari's cache.
Christine McKee
Andrew Orr
Charles Martin
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
32 Comments
Nothing to see here, there is no software without bugs
Oh yeah! I have this. I switched to firefox, as Safari is completely unusable. Crashing instantly, repeatedly, about dozens of times today.
Yeah, as if Cook himself personally is responsible for solving the bug...
Anyways, you can also just enter your search term in the spotlight(?) screen, when you swipe down or left on the home screen, and then select 'search on web'..