safari hard refresh on mac

How-To Geek

How to hard refresh your web browser (to bypass your cache).

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Proton VPN Expands its Anti-Censorship Program to More Countries

7 signs an online seller is running a scam, 5 things i never back up to the cloud, quick links, what is a browser cache, how to perform a hard refresh in your browser.

Sometimes, a website does not behave as expected or seems stuck showing outdated information. To fix this, it's easy to force your browser to completely reload its local copy of the page (cache) using a simple keyboard shortcut. Here's how to do it.

To speed up browsing, web browsers save copies of website data to your computer as a set of files called a cache. When you load a website, you are often viewing a local copy of elements from the site (such as images) pulled from your cache.

Normally, if the browser loads a website and detects a change, it will fetch a new version of the site from the remote web server and replace the cache. But the process is not perfect, and sometimes your browser may end up with a local copy of the website data in your browser cache that doesn't match the latest version on the server. As a result, a web page may look incorrect or not function properly.

To fix this, we need to force the web browser to discard what it already has in the cache and to download the latest version of the site. Many people call this a "hard refresh."

In most browsers on PC and Mac, you can perform a simple action to force a hard refresh. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click on the reload icon on your browser's toolbar.

There are also keyboard shortcuts to perform the equivalent hard refresh. Because there are multiple ways to do the same action, they will be listed below:

• Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for Windows: Press Ctrl+F5 (If that doesn't work, try Shift+F5 or Ctrl+Shift+R).
• Chrome or Firefox for Mac: Press Shift+Command+R.
• Safari for Mac: There is no simple keyboard shortcut to force a hard refresh. Instead, press Command+Option+E to empty the cache, then hold down Shift and click Reload in the toolbar.
• Safari for iPhone and iPad:  There is no shortcut to force a cache refresh. You'll have to dig into settings to erase your browser's cache.

After you perform the hard refresh, you should see the web page go blank, and the reloading process will take longer than usual. That's because the browser is redownloading all of the data and images on the site.

If forcing a refresh didn't fix the issue, you can try to do a hard refresh again. If that doesn't help, the issue may be with the website itself---or your browser may need an update . Good luck!

• Web Browsers
• Google Chrome

• SEO Auckland
• Google Display Marketing
• Google Remarketing
• Google Shopping
• Paid Social
• Search Engine Optimisation
• E-commerce SEO
• Shopify SEO
• Back-link Building
• Online Reputation Management
• Content Copywriting Services
• E-commerce Web Design
• Landing Page Design
• UI/UX Design
• Front-End Development
• CMS Integration
• Back-End Development
• Social Media Marketing
• Facebook Marketing
• Instagram Marketing
• Linkedin Marketing
• Conversion Rate Optimisation
• Call Tracking
• Reporting and Dashboards
• Google Analytics
• Google Tag Manager
• Customer Success
• 0800 032 248

How to hard refresh your browser and clear your cache

How to hard refresh your browser and clear your cache..

You may have noticed that when you return to a website you’ve visited before, it loads a faster than it did when you first visited it.  This is because you browser stores a copy of the website on your computer.

The browser does this because it is a lot faster for your browser to load the website locally, opposed to downloading the website from the internet again.

Why do I need to hard refresh my browser cache?

Although storing pages to the browsers cache makes loading pages faster, it can mean that changes made to the website aren't always visible until you perform a hard refresh. A lot of our web design clients notice that when we make changes to their websites, they cannot see the changes when they visit the site. We also use hard refreshes all the time ourselves when doing SEO to ensure we're looking at fresh search engine results.

This is because their browsers have cached version. In this situation, you would hard refresh your browser to clear the cache and download the new content. Preforming a hard refresh is easy and the commands vary depending on what browser and operating system you are using

If you prefer to learn visually, we have created this Infographic for you to use. If you decide to share it, please reference Fabric with a link back to our website.

How to hard refresh browser and clear cache if you're using Chrome.

Chrome and windows:.

To hard refresh on Google Chrome on Windows, there are two ways you can do it:

• Hold down Ctrl and click the Reload button.
• Or Hold down Ctrl and press F5.

Chrome and Mac:

To do a hard refresh on Google Chrome on Mac, there are two ways that you can do it:

• Hold down Shift and click the Reload button.
• Or Hold down Command, Shift and click the ‘R’ key.

How to hard refresh browser and clear cache if you're using Firefox.

Firefox and windows:.

To hard refresh on Firefox on Windows, there are also two easy hotkey commands you can use:

• Hold down Ctrl, Shift and the ‘R’ key.

Firefox and Mac:

To hard refresh on Firefox on Mac, there are also two easy key combinations that you can use:

• Hold down Command, Shift and the ‘R’ key.
• Or Hold down Shift and press the reload button.

How to hard refresh browser and clear cache if you're using Safari.

To hard refresh safari, there is one simple way to do it.

• Hold down the option and command key then press the ‘E’ key.

How to hard refresh browser and clear cache if you're using Internet Explorer

Internet explorer.

To hard refresh safari, there is one simple way to do it:

• Hold the Control key, press the F5 key.
• Or, hold the Control key, click the Refresh button.

Thanks for reading and we hope this helps anyone who is looking to hard refresh their browser.

 Update 2020: All of these combinations still work on the above browsers.

Enjoy our articles? Keep reading!

How to install google analytics using google tag manager, how click-through rates vary depending on what organic position you are at.

Thomas' Miniblog

Technology, digital insights and more, safari on mac: how to refresh a page (keyboard shortcut).

Recently, I made the move from a Windows 10 computer to a MacBook Pro running MacOS . What a shift it has been! While the move has been relatively easy, I had to learn quite a few new things here and there.

One of the main recurrent keyboard shortcuts I used on Windows was the F5 function-key to refresh a webpage in the browser. However, on MacOS, there is no such key. For me, I then simply hit the refresh button manually in the browser window. But, this takes time and becomes annoying quite fast. What is the keyboard shortcut on Mac to refresh a Safari page? What is the equivalent F5 keyboard shortcut that I used to use on Windows?

The answer is luckily relatively simple, although on Mac you have to press a key combination instead of 1 single key.

Refresh Safari webpage on MacOS

Use the key combination Command and the R key to refresh a Safari page on MacOS.

Hard refresh a Safari webpage on MacOS (clear cache)

Sometimes, a simple refresh of a page is not enough – you may want to also clear cache and cookies for a given webpage in the Safari browser on your Apple computer. You will combine 3 keys on your keyboard as a shortcut to do a hard refresh, Option , Command and R :

Alternative way to do a refresh

You may also perform a refresh of a page by clicking the refresh button next to the address/URL. Or, hold the Shift key and click on the refresh button to do a hard refresh of a page (i.e. removes cookies and cache).

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hard refresh in macOS Safari

Shift-click the refresh button, or choose View → Reload Page From Origin (⌥⌘R) to refresh ignoring cached resources for the current domain. You can observe the effect in the Web Inspector’s Network tab. What I suspect is catching you out here is how a force refresh only bypasses cache for the same domain as the site you’re refreshing. Even with a force refresh, resources may still be cached, such as from CDN domains. To bypass cache for all resources, open the web inspector, choose the Network tab, then select ‘Ignore the resource cache when loading resources’. Refresh the page normally (all refreshes ignore cache now, not just ⇧-refresh) and all resources will be loaded from origin.

For me changing the ‘Ignore the resource cache’ icon from blue to black, seemed to do it.

Source: keyboard – How to do a complete refresh in Safari 10.1.1 on MacOS Sierra – Ask Different

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Increase PHP memory limit in Laravel Valet

Fix 504 gateway timeout in laravel valet, pull all remote git branches to local.

How To Fully Reset Safari On Mac

This article explains how you can fully reset Safari on your Mac. You might need to do this if Safari on your Mac runs very slowly, crashes often, acts bizarre, or functions incorrectly.

See also: Your System Is Infected With (3) Viruses

Safari is included with the macOS operating system.

How to reset Safari

1-Remove site history

There are two ways to do this. If you want to remove particular web sites (e.g., a web site is giving you problems whenever you visit) then try the second option. Please also note that if you are using other Apple devices (iOS devices or other Macs), if you turn on Safari in iCloud preferences with the same Apple ID, your site browsing history will be removed from all of them.

See also: How To Change Default Search Engine in Safari

When you do this, you will be removing history of web sites you visited, recent searchers, list of download items, frequently visited sites list, web sites that asked to use your located and to send you notifications.

• Open Safari
• Click Safari located in the menu bar in the top left hand corner of your screen
• Click Clear History

• Click the Clear History button
• Click Preferences
• Click the Privacy tab
• Click the manage Website Data button
• Here you can remove everything, or you can remove specific web sites. You can also search to find a specific web site.

2-Clear web caches 

Here is how you can clear Safari’s caches. Caches are images and videos, or the layouts for entire web pages you browsed.

• In the Safari app, click Safari
• Click the Advanced tab

• Close the Preferences window
• Now you will see a new menu bar item called ‘Develop’
• Click Develop

Disable Safari extensions

Extensions are small programs that extends your Safari’s functionalities. They add new features to let you enhance and customize your browsing experience. But some may have bugs and thus cause problems. And you may want to turn them off. Here is how:

• Choose Safari from the Safari menu bar
• Click the Extensions tab
• For each extension, you can use the checkbox to enable or disable that particular extension.
• You can also uninstall extensions.

Disable Safari plugins 

Please note that Safari is no longer supporting most plugins. You can however view and manage the plugins you have installed. Here is how:

• Click Safari
• Click the Websites tab

• When you are done, close the window

See also: How To See The Full Web Site Address In Safari URL Bar

Dr. Serhat Kurt worked as a Senior Technology Director specializing in Apple solutions for small and medium-sized educational institutions. He holds a doctoral degree (or doctorate) from the University of Illinois at Urbana / Champaign and a master’s degree from Purdue University. He is a former faculty member. Here is his LinkedIn profile and Google Scholar profile . Email Serhat Kurt .

Similar Posts

Itunes keeps opening itself how to stop it.

This article explains what you can do to fix when when iTunes opens itself automatically for no apparent reason. Some users have reported that iTunes opens randomly and starts playing songs. Even after…

How to Change Weather’s Default City on Apple Watch

When you travel to another location, you probably want to know the weather where you are, not the weather back home. Certain things, like the current time, can change automatically on your Apple…

How to Change Mac User Login Image to a Memoji

You may be getting tired of using the default image (the gingerbread man, maybe a snowflake). You can change your user login image on your Mac; you can choose from a Memoji, an…

Messages Won’t Open On Mac, Fix

This article explains how you can fix if you are unable to open the Messages app on your Mac. You can use Messages with your Mac to send and receive iMessage. You can…

How to Sync Your Apple Music Library Across Devices

You can create a personal music library if you are an Apple Music user. Your Apple Music Library is the collection of music, like songs, albums and video content. If you are an…

Where Saved Audio Messages Go and How to Save Them Somewhere Else

You may send and receive a lot of messages. Some people just are more verbal than others. If you have friends like that, they tend to send a lot of voice messages instead…

I Have been having this for about a week now. I Have tried getting rid of the Cookies and what not, restarted Safari, everything still doesn’t work. Did Apple do something to Safari? Like I Can use Chrome and everything is fine, but I go to Youtube on Safari and login and I get a blank screen. I am not logged in I Can see the page it’s only when I login is when I can’t see anything. Again not the case with Chrome. Does anyone one know what is going on?

I have the same problem

Safari 14 I cannot attach photos into facebook, its takes forever to open any websites, i have cleared the history and still takes forever, its like something is running in the background making my computer run slow. We don’t even use this computer very much as we do most surfing on our iPad, we have att wifi which shows 4 bars on the wifi icon. Can the problem be to many files on the computer or in the iCloud?

No facebook or youtube since updating to Big Sur 11.0 Safari is not working properly.

Safari not working at all…i couldn’t even open http://www.google.com

Hi, I have done all steps recommended, YouTube still does not play on MacBook Air. YouTube opens alright, but when I try playing a video, it won’t play, just that circle on the screen that keeps rotating. Can you please help me solve this problem. I am not computer savvy. Thank you, Liviu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories:

• Hard refresh browser

How to Hard Refresh Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari

• User by Alex Ion
• Calendar Mar 12, 2021
• Comment No Comments

Anyone using a web browser probably knows about the benefits of having cached data stored since it helps load pages faster.

The only problem is that sometimes web pages go through changes that are too minor for the browser to notice, and you end up with web page loading errors.

This is because when you load the page, the data that was stored in the browser’s cache is no longer the same as what the page is feeding it at that moment, resulting in errors.

When this happens, you have one of three options:

• Perform a complete browser reset
• Perform a complete clear cache , along with clearing your browser’s history
• Perform a hard refresh on the web page that has issues

Since the last option is the least destructive in terms of saved data, we’ve created this step-by-step article where we will showcase exactly how you can use a hard refresh on your web browser.

How To Hard Refresh Browser?

Keybindings are a fast way of performing hard refreshes, and the exact keybindings used for hard refreshes is similar to that of a regular refresh:

Hard Refresh Chrome (Works on Mac, too)

• Launch Google Chrome, and open a web page of your choosing
• Hold down Ctrl , and press Shift + F5.
• Open a web page
• You can also right-click on an empty area of the page and select Inspect
• Pressing F12 also works
• A new drop-down menu will appear under the refresh button

Hard Refresh Edge, Firefox, Opera

• Launch your web browser, and open a web page of your choosing
• Hold down Ctrl , and press F5.

From a visual standpoint, performing a hard refresh will be just like hitting regular refresh, albeit the webpage’s reload time may be slightly longer.

Once the page reloads, it will be with fresh new cached data, and there is a high chance that the entire page’s layout may be much different from before.

All other browsers, especially those that are Chromium-based, function similarly, so make sure you try Ctrl+F5 or Ctrl+Shift+F5 on them as well, since one of the two will surely work.

Hard refresh Safari

• Launch Safari, and open a web page of your choosing
• Hold down the Shift key and click on the refresh button

Hard Refresh: is it worth using?

A hard refresh is basically like your regular refresh, only you reset all the stored data for that web page only.

Because of this, you can just as well use the hard refresh function instead of the regular refresh without fearing it may affect your browsing experience in any way.

In fact, if it’s been a long time since you visited a certain page, a hard refresh might actually be called for.

Have you fixed any website loading issues by using the hard refresh function? Tell us if it helped you out with your problems by leaving your feedback in the comments section below.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Searching for something else?

Chances are, we can find what you're looking for:

How to refresh a webpage in Safari

Learn how to quickly refresh a webpage in Apple’s Safari browser, especially when using your iPhone with one hand and with the URL address bar displayed at the bottom.

How to quickly refresh a webpage in Safari for iPhone and iPad

To refresh a webpage in Safari on iPhone and iPad, hit a reload icon in the address bar, press a dedicated shortcut on the keyboard or perform a downward swipe on a webpage.

Address bar

Whether you’re using Safari with the address bar at the top or bottom, there’s a dedicated reload icon available at the right edge of the address bar. Conveniently, this shortcut is instantly reachable with the bottom address bar in one-handed mode.

Keyboard shortcut

If you use a wireless Bluetooth keyboard with your iPhone or iPad, you can press the dedicated Command (⌘) + R shortcut on the keyboard to reload the currently-viewed webpage. Extra tip: To display a cheat sheet of all the keyboard shortcuts an app supports, simply press and hold the Command (⌘) key. In fact, you can choose the Reload Page command (or any other shortcut for that matter) right from this cheat sheet.

Pull-to-refresh

And last but certainly not least, you can refresh any webpage by pulling it down from the top. If you’ve already scrolled, simply touch the iOS status bar to jump to the top of the page, then pull down to refresh.

This pull-to-refresh gesture is especially convenient when using your iPhone in one-handed mode, with one notable exception: large-screened devices. If your iPhone is too big for you to comfortably use with one hand, you won’t even be able to reach the status bar with your thumb. Read: How to switch between the old and new Safari design

In that case, you should switch to the address bar at the bottom by hitting the “aA” menu, then select the option labeled “Show Bottom Tab Bar.” And just like that, you can now hit a reload icon in the address bar to refresh the currently-viewed webpage.

How to quickly refresh a webpage in Safari for Mac

To refresh a webpage in Safari for Mac, click the reload icon within the address bar, press a keyboard shortcut, or choose an appropriate command from Safari’s menu.

Like with Safari for iOS, Safari for macOS also includes a reload icon within the address bar, at the rightmost side. Click it to reload the current page.

Alternatively, you can press the Command (⌘) + R shortcut on your Mac’s keyboard in Safari to reload the webpage that you’re currently viewing.

Menu command

You can also find the Reload Page  command in Safari’s View menu.

How to hard refresh a webpage in Safari for Mac

When you reload a webpage, Safari may fetch some of the assets like cookies from its temporary cache. If the webpage has since changed, you may not get an up-to-date version. Thankfully, you can tell Safari to perform a hard refresh which causes it also clear cache and cookies for a given webpage. To hard-refresh a Safari webpage, press the Option (⌥) + Command (⌘) + R combination on your keyboard.

Alternatively, press and hold the Option (⌥) key while clicking Safari’s View menu, then choose “Reload Page From Origin.” Lastly, you can also hold the Shift (⇧) key whilst clicking a reload icon within the address bar. All those methods will prompt Safari to loads the webpage along with any same-domain resources requested by the webpage without using the browser cache, presenting you with a newly downloaded view.

For further resources on Safari, check out Apple’s website .

Wrap up: Thank God for pull-to-refresh

When I sit at my computer and browse the web in Safari, I never bother clicking the reload icon within the address bar or reaching for the menu option. Instead, I hit the Command (⌘) + R shortcut on my keyboard, it’s much faster this way. So go ahead and memorize this super handy shortcut if you haven’t already.

When I switch over to my mobile device, however, things are a bit different. I usually work without a keyboard connected to my iPad so the Command (⌘) + R keystroke is out of the question. Of course, I can hit that reload icon within the address bar.

The problem is, I can’t always find the address bar as I switch between the top and bottom address bar every so often. Meaning, the pull-to-refresh method wins out hands down as the most intuitive gesture to refresh a webpage in Safari—at least on iPhone.

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

How to refresh the browser on macOS?

This seems so basic, but I found no answer. I'm using the MacBook Pro with the touch bar. Crtl + F5 / F5 doesn't work somehow, which is the case for windows computers.

• google-chrome
• macos-sierra

• In mac most CTRL+xxx shortcuts are used with the command key. Tried CMD+F5? –  LPChip Commented Mar 1, 2017 at 21:29
• fn+f5 should work too –  Blaine Commented Mar 2, 2017 at 3:10

5 Answers 5

Refresh: CMD + R (same as F5 on Windows/Linux)

Refresh cleaning cache: SHIFT + CMD + R (same as CTRL + F5 on Windows/Linux)

• I moved the accepted answer to this since it is the most straightforward and compact one to my question. –  codepleb Commented Nov 5, 2019 at 13:28

Regular shortcut is Cmd - Shift - R .

Workaround for F5 adapted from https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/chrome/If0TdQ2m6hU/ZSrbu8BCDpwJ :

• Go to "System Preferences" -> "Keyboard" -> "Shortcuts" -> "App Shortcuts"
• Hit the little "+" button under the main white area
• In the little pup-up window select "Google Chrome" as the Application
• Type in "Reload This Page" in the "Menu Title" field exactly as it appears in the Chrome's View menu (no quotes of course)
• Click inside the "Keyboard Shortcut" field and hit F5 key (or any desired combination)
• Finish with "Add". Shortcut should work directly.

• 2 Thank you! I've been trying to figure this one out for a while. –  jarrodwhitley Commented Feb 7, 2019 at 15:02
• Unfortunately when you assign "F5" to "Reload This Page", the "Cmd+R" stops to work -.- –  Krzysiek Commented Apr 6, 2019 at 21:20

Macs show you their keyboard shortcuts right in the menus. If you look on Safari's View menu and see the Reload Page command, you'll see it's shortcut is Cmd-R.

Historically, Mac keyboard shortcuts rarely use function keys (F1-F15), because Mac designers and users have tended to favor more compact keyboard layouts that don't have room for the F key row, or nowadays, because that row is primarily used for brightness and volume keys.

• 6 Cmd+R, sweet! I feel a bit ashamed that I didn't look int the menu bar, I thought this was basic and should work on whichever platform. Is there also an equivalent to the windows CTRL-F5? This one isn't listed. –  codepleb Commented Mar 2, 2017 at 7:22

Spiff answered first, and is correct: it's Cmd-R on the Mac. However, I'm used to F5 in Windows (used in MANY apps, not just browsers), so consider using the Mac's Keyboard preference pane to map F5 to the Reload Page function. Or use one of the many other shortcut-key tools.

• Actually I started using "ctrl + R" on windows. It's somehow easier accessible without looking at the keyboard. –  codepleb Commented Feb 26, 2018 at 22:05

As an alternative solution, you can use System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts then add your browser with [+] and then set F5 as a hotkey for the text in the menu you want to trigger.

I've added ^T for New Tab and ^W for Close Tab because I'm flipping back and forth between Mac, Windows, and Linux, and changing my mental keyboard mappings on the fly is error-prone and frustrating.

I do wish OSX supported proper focus-follows-mouse (sloppy focus)

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged macos google-chrome browser macos-sierra ..

• Featured on Meta
• Upcoming sign-up experiments related to tags

Hot Network Questions

• Plotting minima of a mutivariable function
• Do wererats take falling damage?
• How to turn a desert into a fertile farmland with engineering?
• Sarkhan, Soul Aflame Becoming a dragon that entered
• What is the explicit list of the situations that require RAII?
• Can a capacitor be used to close path between center-tap and shield instead of Bob-Smith (capacitor+resistor)?
• which one is correct, "looking forward to hear" OR "looking forward to hearing"
• Would a spaceport on Ceres make sense?
• Design of very long serial signal systems
• DIY Rack/Mount In Trailer
• Historically are there any documented attempts at finding algorithms that are asymptotically faster than the FFT for the Discrete Fourier Transform?
• Co-authors with little contribution
• Why did Geordi have his visor replaced with ocular implants between Generations and First Contact?
• Binary Slashes Display
• Is it possible to animate a curve along it's own path?
• how do i permanently disable my microphone?
• Collaborators write their departments for my (undergraduate) affiliation
• Is "parse out" actually a phrasal verb, and in what context do you use "parse"
• Are close states still close after measurement (regarding trace distance)?
• Frames given by SciDraw package are not closed
• Is there an explicit construction of a Lebesgue-measurable set which is not a Borel set?
• How to join two PCBs with a very small separation?
• Why would anyone kill a dragon rather than subdue it in OD&D?
• My 5-year-old is stealing food and lying

Need to Clear Your Cache? Here’s How

Browser caches are useful for web browsing, but a real pain point for developers. Modern-day browsers cache front-end resources like JavaScript or CSS style sheets. They primarily do this to increase the website performance. This can be irritating though for those working in development mode and constantly modifying the JavaScript or CSS style sheets. The […]

Browser caches are useful for web browsing, but a real pain point for developers.

Modern-day browsers cache front-end resources like JavaScript or CSS style sheets. They primarily do this to increase the website performance. This can be irritating though for those working in development mode and constantly modifying the JavaScript or CSS style sheets. The only way to see these changes is by doing a hard refresh or clearing the cache of the browser.

A  hard refresh  is a way of clearing the browser's cache for a specific page, to force it to load the most recent version of a page. Sometimes, when changes are made to the website, they don't register immediately due to caching. A hard refresh will usually fix this, though occasionally completely clearing the cache is necessary.

How to Hard Refresh in Various Browsers

A hard refresh in Chrome can be done by using the following short cut keys:

Windows/Linux:

• Hold down Ctrl and click the Reload button (or hold down Ctrl and press F5).
• Open the Chrome Dev Tools by pressing F12. Once the tools are open, right click on the refresh button  and a menu will drop down. This menu gives you the option of doing a hard refresh, or even clearing the cache and doing a hard refresh automatically. The latter enables you to empty your cache and reload Chrome.
• Hold ⇧ Shift and click the Reload button.
• Or hold down ⌘ Cmd and ⇧ Shift key and then press R.

Mozilla Firefox:

• Hold the Ctrl key and press the F5 key.
• Or hold down Ctrl and ⇧ Shift and then press R.
• Hold down the ⇧ Shift and click the Reload button.
• Or hold down ⌘ Cmd and ⇧ Shift and then press R.

Internet Explorer:

Windows and mac:.

• Or hold the Ctrl key and click the Refresh button.
• Open the Microsoft Edge Developer Tools by pressing F12. Once the tools are open, right click on the refresh button  and a menu will drop down. This menu gives you the option of doing a hard refresh, or even clearing the cache and doing a hard refresh automatically.

Hard Refresh Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do i force refresh my browser.

Different operating systems and browsers use different commands and shortcuts. For Windows in Chrome or Edge, the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F5 (or Ctrl + Reload) refreshes. For Mac, hold Cmd+Shift+R or Shift+Reload. Most browsers also have a refresh button next to the URL.

What is Ctrl F5?

Ctrl + F5 is the shortcut to trigger a refresh, which will force the page to reload. To make the browser refresh without relying on the cache, use Shift + Ctrl + F5. This triggers a “hard refresh”, so the browser pulls up the newest version of a web page.

How do I hard refresh Safari?

Safari is easy to refresh.

Safari for Mac: Simply right-click on “Safari” at the top left of the screen and select “Empty Cache”. Confirm your choice, then reload the page.

Safari for Windows: Click the “Alt” key to reveal the menu bar. Select “Edit” – “Empty Cache”. Then confirm selection.

Does a hard refresh clear cookies?

A hard refresh forces a page to reload without relying on the cache. It does not clear the cache or the cookies. To do so, you must go through the Control Panel’s Internet Options (or Safari’s Preferences), then select the option to delete Browsing History or Website Data, including cookies.

How do I hard refresh a website?

Ctrl + R is considered a soft refresh that reloads the page from the cache. A hard refresh ignores the cache and requests a new set of pages from the server, which ensures any updates are reflected. To do a hard refresh, press Shift + Ctrl + R.

How do I clear cache and hardly reload Chrome?

Access Chrome Developer Tools by clicking F12. After accessing these tools, right-click on the refresh button and you will get a dropdown menu. There you get the option of choosing a hard refresh or clearing the cache and doing a hard refresh automatically.

How do I refresh my cache?

If you run a hard refresh and see that pages are showing new information, it’s wise to clear your cache. You can do this by navigating to the Control Panel—>Internet Options/Settings –> General Tab – >Browsing History.

Then select the delete or settings button.

Why should I clear my cache?

Browsers cache front-end resources to improve website performance such as HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and images. However, the cache may not reflect the most recent version of a web page. Clearing the cache prompts your browser to pull a fresh record for the web page.

Are JavaScript files cached?

Most modern browsers do cache JavaScript files. This is standard practice for browsers as it ensures an optimized loading experience. Cached items such as JavaScript will usually be served from the browser's cache instead of making another request for a resource that has already been retrieved.

How do I force JavaScript to refresh a cache?

To refresh a cache, use Ctrl + F5. You can also do a hard refresh using Shift + Ctrl + F5. Apple users replace Ctrl with Cmd. Linux just needs F5.

The cache can also be cleared manually through the Control Panel or Preferences Menu->Internet Settings/Options->Clear Browsing History/Website Data

Blog was originally published in March 2015, updated in November 2023 .

By Team FileCloud

Related posts.

• Guide to Enterprise File Sync and Share – EFSS Market Outlook
• ‘Growth Mindset’ + ‘Anti-Fragile’ = A dream team
• FileCloud Best Practices: How to Maintain External User Accounts
• No More Unlimited Storage: Google Workspace for Education’s Policy Change and Why the Education Sector Needs FileCloud More than Ever
• Client Downloads
• FileCloud Server Overview
• FileCloud Online Overview
• Compliance and Security
• EFSS Product Comparisons
• FileCloud Online vs Competitors
• ownCloud vs Nextcloud
• ownCloud vs FileCloud
• Citrix ShareFile vs FileCloud
• Egnyte vs FileCloud
• Box vs FileCloud
• Customers Success Stories
• FileCloud Security FAQ
• FileCloud Online
• تأمين مشاركة ملفات المؤسسة، المزامنة والنسخ الاحتياطي
• FileCloud Deutsch
• FileCloud Netherlands
• HTML Sitemap
• Desktop Sync Client
• FileCloud Drive App
• Endpoint Backup
• ServerSync - Hybrid Cloud
• ServerLink - Multi Site
• Data Governance
• Smart Content Classification
• Data Leak Prevention
• Branding/Customization
• Network Folders, NTFS Support
• Full Text Search
• Advanced Audit
• Admin Controls
• Anti-Ransomware Protection
• FileCloud Security Features
• Multi Tenancy
• High Availability Architecture
• 3rd Party Apps Integration
• Run FileCloud As a Microservice
• FileCloud on AWS
• FileCloud on Azure
• Enterprise File Sharing
• Cloud File Sharing
• Cloud File Server
• On-Premise File Sharing and Sync
• Self Hosted File Sharing
• Remote Access to File Server
• Virtual Data Room
• Content Services Platform
• Enterprise Records Management
• High Security File Sharing
• Sharing Files to China
• White Label File Sharing and Sync
• FTP Replacement
• ITAR Compliant File Sharing
• Partner File Sharing Portal
• External File Sharing for Business
• Client Portal for File Sharing
• Free Unlimited Client Accounts
• GDPR Compliant File Sharing
• CCPA Compliant File Sharing
• Branch Office File Sharing
• Secure File Sharing for MSPs

Industry Solutions

• Automotive Dealerships
• Construction and Engineering
• Advertising Agencies
• Accounting and Tax
• Banking, Finance and Insurance
• County, City, State Government & Non-Profit
• Digital Media and Marketing
• Engineering and Manufacturing
• Hospitals and Healthcare
• Managed Service Providers
• Universities, Schools & Educational Institutions
• Web/Graphic Design Firms
• Real Estate Firms
• Analyst Reports
• Annual Enterprise Cloud & Data Security Report
• Whitepapers
• On-Demand Webinars
• In the News
• FileCloud Connect - Newsletter
• System Admin Hub
• Request a Free Demo
• Privacy Policy
• FileCloud Terms of Use
• FileCloud Online Terms of Service
• Cookie Policy
• FileCloud Branding Guide
• Contact Sales
• Contact Support
• Customer Portal
• Documentation
• Enterprise Premium Support
• Vote for new features!
• Community Forum
• Developer API
• Release Notes
• Installation Guide
• FileCloud User Guide
• FileCloud University

How To Refresh Safari On Mac

• Software & Applications
• Browsers & Extensions

Introduction

Safari is a powerful and versatile web browser that comes pre-installed on Mac computers, offering a seamless and intuitive browsing experience. However, over time, you may encounter issues such as slow performance, unresponsive tabs, or unexpected crashes. When these issues arise, it may be time to refresh Safari to optimize its performance and ensure a smooth browsing experience.

Refreshing Safari involves clearing browsing data, disabling extensions, and updating the browser to the latest version. This process can help resolve various issues, including sluggishness, frequent crashes, and unresponsiveness. By following a few simple steps, you can refresh Safari and enjoy a faster, more reliable browsing experience on your Mac.

In this guide, we will walk you through the process of refreshing Safari on your Mac, providing step-by-step instructions to help you optimize the browser's performance. Whether you're a seasoned Mac user or new to the platform, these straightforward steps will enable you to refresh Safari and address common browsing issues effectively.

By taking the time to refresh Safari, you can enhance its stability, speed, and overall functionality, ensuring that you can browse the web with ease and confidence. So, let's dive into the steps and revitalize your Safari browsing experience on your Mac.

Step 1: Open Safari

To begin the process of refreshing Safari on your Mac, you'll first need to open the Safari browser. Safari is typically located in the Dock at the bottom of the screen, making it easily accessible. Alternatively, you can find it in the Applications folder within Finder. Once you've located the Safari icon, simply click on it to launch the browser.

Upon opening Safari, you'll be greeted by the familiar interface, featuring the address bar, bookmarks, and various navigation tools. If Safari was previously open, it will resume from where you left off, displaying any tabs or windows that were active during your last browsing session.

Opening Safari is the initial step in the process of refreshing the browser, setting the stage for the subsequent actions that will help optimize its performance. By ensuring that Safari is up and running, you can proceed to the next steps, which involve clearing browsing data, disabling extensions, and updating the browser to the latest version.

As you open Safari, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the browser's layout and features. This will enable you to navigate through the subsequent steps more efficiently, ensuring that you can address any browsing issues effectively. Whether you use Safari for casual web browsing, research, or work-related tasks, having a clear understanding of its interface will be beneficial as you proceed with the process of refreshing the browser.

With Safari now open on your Mac, you're ready to move on to the next step, which involves clearing browsing data to eliminate unnecessary clutter and optimize the browser's performance. This step is crucial in refreshing Safari and addressing common issues such as slow loading times and unresponsive tabs. By following the subsequent steps, you'll be able to revitalize Safari and enjoy a smoother, more efficient browsing experience on your Mac.

Step 2: Clear Browsing Data

Clearing browsing data is an essential step in refreshing Safari on your Mac. Over time, Safari accumulates temporary files, cookies, and browsing history, which can contribute to sluggish performance and unexpected behavior. By clearing this data, you can eliminate unnecessary clutter and optimize the browser's performance, resulting in faster loading times and improved responsiveness.

To clear browsing data in Safari, follow these simple steps:

Open Safari Preferences : Click on "Safari" in the top menu bar and select "Preferences." Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut "Command + ," to access Safari Preferences.

Navigate to the Privacy Tab : Within the Preferences window, click on the "Privacy" tab. Here, you'll find various options related to managing website data, cookies, and other browsing information.

Manage Website Data : To clear website data, click on the "Manage Website Data" button. This will display a list of websites that have stored data on your Mac. You can choose to remove individual website data or click "Remove All" to clear all stored data.

Manage Cookies and Website Data : In the Privacy tab, you can also manage cookies and website data. Click on the "Manage Website Data" button to view and remove stored cookies and website data.

Clear History : To clear your browsing history, navigate to the "History" tab within Safari Preferences. Click on "Clear History" and select the desired time range for which you want to clear the history. You can choose to clear the history from the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history.

By following these steps, you can effectively clear browsing data in Safari, decluttering the browser and optimizing its performance. This process helps remove unnecessary files and data that may be contributing to slow loading times, unresponsive tabs, and other browsing issues. Once you've cleared the browsing data, you're ready to proceed to the next step in refreshing Safari on your Mac.

Clearing browsing data is a proactive measure to maintain Safari's efficiency and ensure a seamless browsing experience. By regularly clearing browsing data, you can prevent the accumulation of unnecessary files and data, thereby optimizing Safari's performance and responsiveness. With the browsing data cleared, you're now prepared to move on to the next steps, including disabling extensions and updating Safari to the latest version, further enhancing the browser's functionality and stability.

Step 3: Disable Extensions

Disabling extensions is a crucial step in the process of refreshing Safari on your Mac. Browser extensions, also known as add-ons or plugins, are additional software components that enhance the functionality of the browser by adding features and customization options. While extensions can be valuable tools for improving productivity and enhancing the browsing experience, they can also contribute to performance issues and unexpected behavior in Safari.

To disable extensions in Safari, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Extensions Tab : Within the Preferences window, click on the "Extensions" tab. Here, you'll find a list of installed extensions, each accompanied by a checkbox to enable or disable the extension.

Disable Extensions : To disable an extension, simply uncheck the box next to the extension's name. This action effectively disables the extension, preventing it from running and impacting Safari's performance.

Remove Unnecessary Extensions : While in the Extensions tab, take the opportunity to review the list of installed extensions. If there are any unnecessary or unused extensions, consider removing them entirely by clicking on the extension and selecting "Uninstall."

Disabling extensions in Safari can help address various browsing issues, including slow performance, frequent crashes, and compatibility issues. By temporarily disabling extensions, you can assess their impact on Safari's performance and determine whether they are contributing to any issues you may be experiencing.

Additionally, disabling extensions can serve as a troubleshooting step, allowing you to identify specific extensions that may be causing problems. By systematically disabling extensions and observing Safari's behavior, you can pinpoint any problematic extensions and take appropriate action to resolve the issues.

Once you have disabled or removed unnecessary extensions, you can proceed to the next step in refreshing Safari, which involves updating the browser to the latest version. This ensures that Safari benefits from the latest features, security enhancements, and performance optimizations, further improving its functionality and stability.

By disabling extensions in Safari, you can streamline the browser's operation, mitigate potential performance issues, and create a more reliable browsing environment on your Mac. This proactive approach to managing extensions can contribute to a smoother and more efficient browsing experience, allowing you to make the most of Safari's capabilities while minimizing potential disruptions.

Step 4: Update Safari

Updating Safari to the latest version is a pivotal step in the process of refreshing the browser on your Mac. Regular updates not only introduce new features and enhancements but also address security vulnerabilities and performance issues, ensuring that Safari operates at its best. By keeping Safari up to date , you can benefit from improved stability, compatibility with web standards, and enhanced browsing security.

To update Safari on your Mac, follow these straightforward steps:

Check for Updates : Launch Safari and click on "Safari" in the top menu bar. From the drop-down menu, select "About Safari." A window will appear, indicating the current version of Safari installed on your Mac. Next to the version number, there will be an option to "Check for Updates." Click on this option to initiate the update process.

Install Available Updates : If a new version of Safari is available, you will be prompted to install the update. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed with the installation. Depending on your Mac's settings, you may need to enter your administrator password to authorize the update.

Restart Safari : Once the update is successfully installed, restart Safari to apply the changes. This ensures that the latest version of Safari is active and ready for use.

By updating Safari to the latest version, you can take advantage of performance optimizations, bug fixes, and security patches released by Apple. These updates not only enhance the browsing experience but also contribute to a more secure and reliable web environment on your Mac.

In addition to updating Safari itself, it's important to ensure that your Mac's operating system is also up to date. Safari updates are often bundled with macOS updates, so keeping your Mac's operating system current is essential for maintaining the overall performance and security of Safari.

Regularly checking for and installing Safari updates is a proactive measure that helps mitigate potential browsing issues and ensures that you have access to the latest features and improvements. By incorporating the habit of updating Safari into your routine, you can optimize the browser's performance and enjoy a seamless browsing experience on your Mac.

With Safari now updated to the latest version, you're ready to proceed to the final step in refreshing the browser, which involves restarting Safari to apply the changes and ensure that the updates take effect. This last step will complete the process of refreshing Safari on your Mac, allowing you to enjoy an optimized and reliable browsing experience.

Step 5: Restart Safari

Restarting Safari is the final step in the process of refreshing the browser on your Mac. After completing the previous steps, including clearing browsing data, disabling extensions, and updating Safari to the latest version, restarting the browser is essential to ensure that the changes take effect and that Safari operates optimally.

To restart Safari, follow these simple steps:

Close Safari : If Safari is currently open, click on the Safari menu in the top menu bar and select "Quit Safari." Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Command + Q to close the browser. This action ensures that Safari completely shuts down, allowing for a fresh start when it is relaunched.

Relaunch Safari : After closing Safari, click on the Safari icon in the Dock or open it from the Applications folder. As Safari launches, it will initialize with the recent changes and optimizations applied during the refreshing process. You may notice improved responsiveness, faster loading times, and overall enhanced performance as Safari restarts with the updated settings and configurations.

By restarting Safari, you allow the browser to reset its state and apply the modifications made during the refreshing process. This ensures that any lingering issues or performance bottlenecks are addressed, providing you with a revitalized and reliable browsing experience on your Mac.

Additionally, restarting Safari serves as a proactive measure to clear temporary data and refresh the browser's operation, contributing to a smoother and more efficient browsing environment. It allows Safari to start afresh, incorporating the benefits of the previous steps and ensuring that the browser operates at its best.

As Safari restarts, take a moment to navigate through your favorite websites and web applications, observing the improvements in performance and responsiveness. You may notice that tabs load more quickly, browsing history is cleared, and any problematic extensions are effectively managed, resulting in a more seamless and enjoyable browsing experience.

With Safari successfully restarted, you have completed the process of refreshing the browser on your Mac. By following these steps, you have optimized Safari's performance, addressed common browsing issues, and created a more reliable and efficient web browsing environment. Whether you use Safari for work, research, or leisure, restarting the browser ensures that you can make the most of its capabilities and enjoy a seamless browsing experience on your Mac.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Crowdfunding
• Cryptocurrency
• Digital Banking
• Digital Payments
• Investments
• Console Gaming
• Mobile Gaming
• VR/AR Gaming
• Gadget Usage
• Gaming Tips
• Online Safety
• Software Tutorials
• Tech Setup & Troubleshooting
• Buyer’s Guides
• Comparative Analysis
• Gadget Reviews
• Service Reviews
• Software Reviews
• Mobile Devices
• PCs & Laptops
• Smart Home Gadgets
• Content Creation Tools
• Digital Photography
• Video & Music Streaming
• Online Security
• Online Services
• Web Hosting
• WiFi & Ethernet
• Browsers & Extensions
• Communication Platforms
• Operating Systems
• Productivity Tools
• AI & Machine Learning
• Cybersecurity
• Emerging Tech
• IoT & Smart Devices
• Virtual & Augmented Reality
• Latest News
• AI Developments
• Fintech Updates
• Gaming News
• New Product Launches

5 Ways to Improve IT Automation

• What is Building Information Modelling

Related Post

Sla network: benefits, advantages, satisfaction of both parties to the contract, what is minecraft coded in, how much hp does a diablo tuner add, what is halo-fi, what is halo lock iphone, related posts.

How Do You Refresh Safari

How To Refresh Browser On Mac

How To Hard Reload Safari

Why Won’t Safari Load

How To Change Safari To White Mode

How To Reset Safari In Mac

How To Get To Safari Menu

How To Turn Safari To Dark Mode

Recent stories.

What is Building Information Modelling?

How to Use Email Blasts Marketing To Take Control of Your Market

Learn To Convert Scanned Documents Into Editable Text With OCR

Top Mini Split Air Conditioner For Summer

Comfortable and Luxurious Family Life | Zero Gravity Massage Chair

Fintechs and Traditional Banks: Navigating the Future of Financial Services

AI Writing: How It’s Changing the Way We Create Content

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

(07) 3217 3028

brisbane office

Now open for 2024 bookings

BA Creative

444 Vulture Street, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Item added to your cart

How to hard refresh browser and clear cache on a mac, ever wondered why, sometimes, when you make changes to your website it won't show unless you're in incognito or on a different device, why is my website not showing my changes.

When changes are made to your website they may not register immediately to your browser. You can hard refresh your browser so you're not pulling your website from your browser's memory. If that doesn't work, you can clear your cache.

Why does my browser cache my website?

Caching increases website performance, such as speed. It allows for a page you've previously visited to load more quickly however when you make changes to your website it can be a pain to see them.

Do you have a Windows or Linux computer instead? Find out how to hard refresh your browser and clear your cache on a range of web browsers on Windows and Linux over here.

Quick find:

Google chrome, mozilla firefox, how to hard refresh on google chrome on mac.

• Hold down Shift and click the Refresh button.
• Or, hold down Cmd (Command) + Shift + R.

 How to clear cache on Google Chrome on Mac

• Launch Google Chrome and click the Chrome menu icon represented by three horizontal bars in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
• Click Settings near the bottom of the dropdown menu.
• Then, click the Privacy and Security link in the left sidebar. You'll have then to look for the Clear Browsing Data option.
• Click Clear Browsing Data. Make sure that the box for cached images and files is checked. You can uncheck the other boxes for browsing history, cookies, or other site data if you only want to clear your Google Chrome cache.

How to hard refresh on Safari on Mac

• Hold down the Option + Cmd (Command) keys then press the E key

How to clear cache on Safari on Mac

• Launch Safari and then click on Safari in the very top-left of the screen's main menu bar. From this dropdown menu, click Preferences.
• Click the Advanced tab in the top navigation bar of the Preferences window and check the box directly on the bottom that says Show Develop Menu In Menu Bar. This will add a new menu to Safari by default.
• Click the Develop menu near the middle of the main Safari menu bar and select the Empty Caches option.

How to hard refresh Mozilla Firefox on Mac

• Hold down the Shift key and click the Refresh button.
• Or, hold down the Cmd (Command) key + Shift + the R key.

How to clear cache on Mozilla Firefox on Mac

• Open Mozilla Firefox then click the button with three bars in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
• Step Preferences from the dropdown menu.
• Click the Privacy and Security tab located on the left side of the navigation bar. Go to the Cookies And Site Data section underneath.
• Click the button labelled Clear Data. Make sure that the option for Cached Web Content is checked and then press Clear. You can also check the box next to Delete Cookies and Site Data When Firefox Is Closed so that this automatically happens in the background.

Now you know how to hard refresh your browser and clear cache on your Mac, you should be able to easily see the changes you've made to your website. If you have any more questions about your website, contact us now! 

• Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
• Opens in a new window.

This page requires JavaScript.

Please turn on JavaScript in your browser and refresh the page to view its content.

ChatGPT was down due to major outage — here's what happened

Find out the status of chatgpt, as the ai tool went down on monday.

A little less than two weeks after it went down , ChatGPT was offline for around 2.5 hours on Monday, June 17, along with parent company OpenAI , according to DownDetector . That outage appears to have been resolved.

ChatGPT looks to have gone offline around 2 p.m. EST, and OpenAI started investigating the issue around half-an-hour later. The service was back online just before 5 p.m. EST.

During the outage, attempts to use ChatGPT were met with a non-response, or an error message that something went wrong when generating a response. 

ChatGPT hasn't commented on the outage specifically beyond to say that it is now resolved. Writing on its status page: "ChatGPT experienced an elevated error rate from 11:20am PT to 1:55pm PT. This is now resolved."

What went wrong?

OpenAI has remained tight lipped about the cause of the latest outage but it is likely a combination of system updates and increasing demand on servers.

This will likely only increase in future as Apple starts to offer users access to ChatGPT from Siri (as an opt-in rather than integrated into the system as some suggested). 

Writing on its ChatGPT status page, OpenAI said: "ChatGPT experienced an elevated error rate from 11:20am PT to 1:55pm PT. This is now resolved." That's it. That is the total extent of the explanation of what triggered the outage.

I subscribe to the ChatGPT status update email list and get 2-3 a day suggesting elevated error rates or faults in the system and as the company scales up, regularly attracting 100s of millions of users while adding new features — outages are likely. 

With both Down Detector and OpenAI reporting that ChatGPT is back, it appears today's outage has been resolved. Using OpenAI's estimates, the service looked to be down for around 2 hours and 35 minutes total.

We'll add new updates should the situation change, but if not, consider the ChatGPT situation resolved.

Tom's Guide Global Editor Mark Spoonauer asked ChatGPT why there was a spike in error rates. Here's what the AI chatbot told him: 

"Today's spike in error rates for ChatGPT was caused by an unexpected surge in traffic and demand, which led to system overloads. OpenAI acknowledged the elevated error rates beginning around 11:20 AM PT and resolved the issue by 1:55 PM PT. This incident predominantly affected ChatGPT's web and mobile applications, causing various error messages and access issues for users across different platforms.OpenAI's status page initially cited internal server errors and high demand as the primary causes of the outage. They have since restored all services to normal operation, though specifics on the root cause of the spike were not detailed beyond the high traffic levels observed during the incident."

ChatGPT is back up and appears stable. 

Here's the last update from OpenAI (for now):

Resolved  - ChatGPT experienced an elevated error rate from 11:20am PT to 1:55pm PT. This is now resolved.

It's looking like ChatGPT is back up. The status page from OpenAI has everything green. 

Down Detector reports have significantly dropped and we're seeing reports of people being able to use ChatGPT over on X and Reddit. 

Here's a random fun fact ChatGPT gave us as we tested it: Honey never spoils. Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible. Honey's natural acidity, low moisture content, and the presence of hydrogen peroxide all contribute to its remarkably long shelf life.

ChatGPT might be coming back online. Noticed by Tom's Guide Global Editor Mark Spoonauer, the service says that they are investigating the outage. It does suggest a "hard refresh" on your browser or Mac App. Down Detector is still getting reports of ChatGPT being down but we were able to get it to work a little bit. 

Coincidence? ChatGPT goes down and... pic.twitter.com/cKraUKWIPD June 17, 2024

Tom's Guide Global Editor in Chief, Mark Spoonauer, caught something pretty amusing over on X.

As we posted earlier in this live blog, people are now flocking to ChatGPT alternatives. It's no surprise that #GoogleGemini is now trending on X. One company's loss is another's gain, I guess!

A user on DownDetector shares their experience. Though you're able to submit a request on ChatGPT, responses fail to generate. You'll get a pulsing black dot instead of a proper response.

Chat GPT is down.How am I supposed to do my job without Chat GPT to do my job? June 17, 2024

X (formerly Twitter) users are still discussing ChatGPT being down. While some are legitimately frustrated, some (like the user posted above) are trying to make light of the situation.

Still, if you rely on ChatGPT for work, I'm sure you're having a crappy Monday. Hopefully, this recent outage hasn't caused any severe problems for anyone.

As of 4:15 p.m., it's still not working for me, but it looks like it's trying. When I type in a query — in this case, "are you working?" I get a pulsing black dot for a while, before it falls back to an error message. 

Gemini, Claude 3, and Perplexity all seem to be working fine, though.

How to do a hard reset on ChatGPT

Even when ChatGPT's service is restored, it still may be necessary for you to perform a hard reset to get it working properly. Here's what you need to know:

Mac: On Chrome or Firefox: Press Cmd + Shift + R On Safari: Press Cmd + Option + R

PC: Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge: Press Ctrl + F5

Mobile devices:

Manually clear the cache and reload the page as expected.

Update (4 p.m. ET): ChatGPT is still down. It looked like it was starting to recover a bit, but progress seems to have stalled. The DownDetector comments section is getting a bit spicy now, too.

"How am i going to attempt to use chat gpt to create policy violating stories for me if the Ai is down," wrote ThunderChannel 100. 

"I asked chatgpt when will chatgpt be fixed. Still waiting for an answer," David wrote.

What is ChatGPT ? For those of you who have somehow clicked on this story and are wondering what all the fuss is about, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that can do everything from writing papers to creating images, just based on text prompts you enter. While it launched in 2022, it's gained a lot of popularity as one of the leading AIs in the past year, as companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Apple have rushed to incorporate artificial intelligence into their products. 

Based on the company's own logs, ChatGPT has had at least one significant outage a month dating back to March. Some have been as short as 30 minutes, but others have lasted upwards of eight hours. 

Our Global Editor in Chief Mark Spoonauer is really digging the very minimalist interface on ChatGPT right now. No history. No answers to your queries. You can just sit and think about what AI could do for you.

The last time ChatGPT went down, traffic to a number of the best ChatGPT alternatives shot up, and as a result, those services struggled with the increased load. Claude from Anthropic and Perplexity all had their troubles; we're going to monitor them as well to see if they're affected by this latest ChatGPT outage.

People have also taken to Threads to complain about ChatGPT's outage. "I think ChatGPT has been playing too much Football Manager," wrote asherwood21 .

Not surprisingly, many have taken to social media to voice their complaints. 

This one tweet from  @Egocrata  on X sums up the frustration of many ChatGPT users. "ChatGPT would be MUCH more useful if the damn stupid thing was not down half of the time.You cannot rely on it at all."

The comments on DownDetector paint a pretty bad picture on the latest ChatGPT outage. One user ANA says,  “I just used perplexity its way better then this trash.”

Just last week, OpenAI and Apple announced a partnership , whereby ChatGPT would be integrated into Apple's own AI platform, dubbed Apple Intelligence, in iOS 18 . In this implementation, much of the processing will be done on-device, before going to Apple's servers.

ChatGPT went offline for around four hours on June 4, until engineers were able to fix the issue, but noted that some users would have to do a "hard refresh" to get the service working again. 

As we wait for it to come back — again — it's worth checking out our  guide to ChatGPT alternatives  — including Claude 3 and MetaAI.

The reports of OpenAI going down seem to have started around 2 p.m. EST, according to DownDetector. 

About 40 minutes later, a status update on OpenAI noted "We are currently investigating elevated error rates impacting ChatGPT."

• 2 ‘Doctor Who’ season 14 was a solid refresh — but one thing could have made it so much better
• 3 iPhone 16 could have Apple's best AI performance yet — what that means for you
• 4 Why you need a VPN at Glastonbury
• 5 How to set up and use Live Captions on your Copilot+ PC
• 2 I ran 120 miles in the Omorpho weighted vest to train for a marathon — here's what happened
• 3 Act fast! My favorite PS5 controller just hit its lowest ever price
• 4 8 tips for running in the heat you need to know
• 5 ElevenLabs drops new iPhone app that lets you turn any website into a podcast — here's how