Safari is a secure browser with advanced security and malware protection features. The browser is supported only on Apple devices such as iPhones, iPad, and Macs. The best part of Safari while surfing is that it identifies unsafe websites and blocks them instantly. It also has an SSL verification tool, which can easily track the security status of any website. If it finds an insecure connection, Safari will notify the user as “This Connection is not private” on the screen. Several users frequently complain about this issue, especially those who use Safari on old macOS versions.
Why Does Safari Show This Connection is Not Private
You can see the message when there is an issue with the SSL certificates. It can be due to the SSL certificate getting invalid or expired. To check the information, navigate to View Site and Information Settings on macOS. The error can also occur due to server problems, incorrect date/time, or when the browser is not updated. In addition, if a particular website doesn’t have HTTPS protection, you may get an error message.
Fix for This Connection is Not Private on Mac Safari Browser
Follow these eight possible fixes to troubleshoot the ‘This Connection Is Not Private’ error in Safari
Information Use !!
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- Refresh the webpage.
- Continue with a manual caution message.
- Check the internet connection.
- Enable private browsing.
- Disable antivirus/firewall.
- Clear cookies and cache.
- Check the system date and time.
- Keychain access.
Refresh the Webpage
You can fix this error by refreshing the web page. However, this error may happen when many users access the site simultaneously. Hence, it overloads the server and results in a slower response. Apart from that, an error can also occur when it fails to load the digital certificates of the site. To fix it, click the View tab at the Safari menu bar and click on Reload Page From Origin. This may fix the error caused by Safari.
Note: You can press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the webpage.
Update Safari on Mac to keep your browser free from bugs, errors, and malware attacks.
Continue With the Manual Caution Message
The last way to fix the error message is to proceed to a website at your own risk. Safari thus offers a way to visit a website, if necessary, manually. At the same time, you must be very careful while accessing an insecure connection.
1. If the error message appears, click on Show Details.
2. Read the description of the warning, and click on visit this website to continue.
3. Click Visit Website for confirmation on a pop-up.
Finally, it will direct you to a website. Be safe by establishing a secure VPN connection in accessing an insecure connection.
Check the Internet Connection
There are chances of high risk if you use a public Wi-Fi network. This paves the way for hackers to steal user data. If the Safari browser displays, ‘This Connection Is Not Private,’ especially when using public Wi-Fi, it indicates that someone is trying to steal your information or that the Wi-Fi is unsafe. In this case, you have to use a VPN to stay secure.
Enable Private Browsing
Incognito (Private Mode) is another way to browse safely and avoid such errors. If you turn ON private browsing, Safari will not store your history, cookies, and cache. To enable private mode, click the File tab at the Safari menu bar, and choose New Private Window. Then, visit the desired website and check whether the error is resolved.
Disable Antivirus/Firewall
Sometimes, your antivirus or firewall may block a particular website for security concerns. Consequently, you will see a warning message on Safari, ‘This Connection is Not Private.’ If you still want to visit that website, you can disable the antivirus and firewall. Be cautious, as it is not recommended. However, you shall enable it later.
Clear Cookies and Cache
When Safari has a lot of cookies and cache files in its storage, there is a chance of an error. These files will take up much of your storage space whenever you visit a website on Safari. So, it will affect your browsing with a slower response.
1. Open the Safari browser on your Mac.
2. From the menu bar, tap the Safari icon and click on Preferences.
3. Go to the Advanced option and select the Show Develop menu in the menu bar checkbox.
4. Close the dialog box and click on the Develop tab at the menu bar.
5. From the options, choose Empty Caches to delete the cache files on Safari.
That’s it! It will delete all the cookies and cache files stored by Safari.
Check the System Date and Time
If your device’s date and time are incorrect with the region, the SSL connection will cause an error. Then it throws an error message ‘This Connection Is Not Private’ on the Safari browser screen.
1. Click the Apple menu on the Safari browser.
2. Next, choose System Preferences and click on Date & Time.
3. Make sure the device’s data and time are similar to your region.
Note: You can check the Set date and time automatically option to avoid such errors in the future.
Keychain Access
You can try the Keychain access feature on the Mac to fix the issue on the Safari browser.
1. Go to the Utilities Folder → Keychain Access.
2. Search for the certificate and click it.
3. Next, click Trust → Always Trust.
Now you can go back to Safari, reload the site, and check if the issue is fixed.
`If the above troubleshooting methods don’t resolve the issue, you can uninstall Safari on Mac and try using other browsers.
How to Fix This Connection is Not Private in Safari iPhone/ iPad
Sometimes extensions may cause such issues. Make sure to turn off the troublemaking extension to sort this issue on iPhone.
1. Go to the Settings option on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Safari from the list and then choose Extension.
3. Now, pick the extension and turn it off.
You can try out similar fixes as we followed in Mac, like clearing Safari data, restarting, using the private mode, checking date and time settings, or getting past the error on your iOS device. You can also try using a different browser in case the fixes aren’t helping you get pass the error.
FAQ
You can enable the incognito mode for private browsing in Safari.
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