Why Is Safari So Slow on iPhone & iPad

Why is Safari so slow on my iPhone? If Safari is slow to load, you may have too many tabs open or not enough iPad or iPhone storage available. There are a few other ways to fix Safari acting slow, too. Read on to find out!

Jump To:

• Check Your Internet Speed
• Close All Safari Tabs
• Clear Browsing History and Data
• Check iPhone or iPad Storage
• Reset Network Settings
• FAQ

Check Your Internet Speed

You need a strong Wi-Fi or cellular connection on your iPhone or iPad, or Safari will run slowly. To check your Wi-Fi or cellular connection, look at the symbols at the top-right of your screen. 

The four vertical bars represent your iPhone's cellular connection. The more bars are white, the stronger the connection. If only one or no bars are white, Safari will run extremely slowly or not at all. You may also see 5G, 4G, or 3G, depending on your iPhone model, and whether or not your cellular carrier offers those speeds. If you're relying on your cellular connection alone for your internet connection, Safari may still be slow if the network is congested or you've used or almost used up your data for the month. 

The pie slice-shaped icon to the right of the cellular connection bars represents your iPhone's Wi-Fi signal. The more white bars you see, the stronger your connection. If you aren't connected to a Wi-Fi network or are out of range of the network you are connected to, you'll see LTE instead. This means that your iPhone is relying on its cellular connection to browse the web.

If you think there's a problem with your cellular connection, we have a troubleshooting article on what to do if your data is not working on your iPhone or iPad. We also have an article about how to fix it if your Wi-Fi is slow. 

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Close All Safari Tabs

If Safari is running slowly, it may be because you have too many tabs open. Close all Safari tabs and see if Safari speeds up! If you regularly leave multiple tabs open, you can set Safari tabs to close automatically on a regular schedule. 

Safari slow to load still? Try the next step.

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Clear Browsing History and Data

Safari acting slow still? It's time to clear the browsing history and data on your iPhone or iPad. We can also offer guidance if you can't clear your Safari browsing data.

Safari browser slow still? Read on!

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Check iPhone or iPad Storage

If Safari is slow after the previous steps, check your iPad or iPhone storage and optimize storage if needed. There's no hard and fast rule for how much storage should be free, but I've found that keeping roughly 25% of my storage free keeps things running quickly and smoothly. 

Safari loading slowly still? There's one more thing to try!

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Reset Network Settings

There's one more thing to try if you want to make Safari run faster: reset your network settings. 

I hope these tips helped Safari run faster on your iPhone or iPad. If not, please contact Apple Support. Also, be sure to check out our free Tip of the Day for more great Safari tutorials!

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