Safari is a well-known web browser developed by Apple for macOS, iOS, Windows and Linux devices. Sometimes the Safari browser shows an error of “This Connection is Not Private” when you try to visit a website. You have to fix the issue otherwise the Safari will keep showing this error all the time.
The warning of This Connection is Not Private on Safari occur when a website does not meet the HTTPS protocol. It simply means that you may put your personal/confidential data at risk by visiting that website. If the website is secure and you still get the error then you must find its solution.
Why Does Safari Show This Connection is Not Private Error?
The Safari shows This Connection is Not Private Error because you are trying to visit a website that doesn’t meet HTTPS Protocol or its SSL certificate has been expired. The connection is not private error can also appear when your browser is not up to date. It can also happen when your Mac system has incorrect date and time.
You may face This Connection is Not Private warning/error on Safari because of an insecure broadband/Wi-Fi connection or an antivirus software is preventing you to visit your desired website. So, you should find the exact cause of the error and fix it with one of the methods I am going to share here.
How to Fix This Connection is Not Private Error on Safari Mac
If the connection not private issue is on a particular website, you should try visiting another website. In case you get the same error of not private connection on more/all websites then the problem is not only the website.
In order to fix This Connection is Not Private error on Safari, I have found some simple yet effective techniques. Now, I am going to share those techniques with you so that you can fix that problem on your Mac computer or MacBook device.
- Update Safari to the Latest Version
- Hard Refresh the Webpage
- Use Private Browsing Mode
- Check & Correct System Date and Time
- Clear Cache and Cookies from Safari
- Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
- Disable Antivirus or Firewall
- Visit Website at Your Own Risk
Let me explain all 8 methods to fix This Connection is Not Private issue on Safari browser.
#1. Update Safari to the Latest Version:
The most common reason for an error while visiting a website is that your browser is outdated. You should check if the Safari browser on your Mac is the latest version. In case your browser is not up to date, you may face problems like Your Connection is Not Secure, This Connection is Not Private and others.
You can fix the problem by updating Safari to its latest version. For updating safari browser on Mac, you need to update your Mac software to the latest macOS version. The latest macOS includes the most latest version of Safari browser. Kindly follow the steps given below to update Safari browser on a Mac device.
01. On your Mac, open Apple menu and select System Preferences.
02. Click on Software Update icon in System Preferences window.
03. See if the latest macOS version is available for your Mac and click on Upgrade Now to download & install it.
04. Wait till the latest macOS software is installed on your Mac, it will also update the Safari browser to its latest version.
How to Update Safari from App Store on Mac:
Some Mac devices don’t have the Software Update option in System Preferences window. If you are one of such Mac users then you need to update Safari with help of App Store on your Mac system. Follow the steps to know the process.
- On your Mac, open Apple menu and select App Store.
- On Apple App Store, click on Updates tab.
- See the app updates, security updates and software updates available for your Mac device.
- Select Update All to update all of them at once or select Update option given beside Safari.
- Wait till the Safari browser gets updated to its latest version.
After you update your Mac to the latest macOS version, the Safari browser gets updated automatically. Thereafter you should launch Safari and you should be able to access that website without any error.
#2. Hard Refresh the Webpage:
You can perform the hard refresh on Safari to reload the webpage/website from its origin. All websites you visit on Safari store some cache and cookies on your Mac. The Safari uses these cache/cookies to open the same website faster next time.
When you order Safari to hard refresh the webpage, it reloads the website from the origin and doesn’t use previously stored cache/cookies. This method can fix This Connection is Not Private problem on Safari on your Mac.
The hard refresh is very easy, you can perform it from View menu in Safari or you can also its keyboard shortcut to do that. Kindly follow the steps given below to perform hard refresh on Safari on Mac.
- On your Mac computer, launch Safari browser.
- Click on View menu from the menu bar given at top.
- Navigate to Reload Page from Origin option and click on it.
- You have successfully performed hard refresh of webpage on Safari.
You can also perform the hard refresh on Safari by using the keyboard shortcut as (Option+Command+R). You just need to keep the Safari browser window open on Mac screen and type the keyboard shortcut in given order to force Safari to reload the webpage from its origin.
#3. Use Private Browsing Mode:
The private browsing mode is the best solution for This Connection is Not Private error on Safari browser. When you access a website in private browsing mode, the Safari won’t save its history and other browsing information. Moreover, the private window saves your Mac device from third party cookies and tracking your location.
In case the website has security issues, the safest way to visit it is in the private browsing mode. In order to do that, you need to launch Safari browser on your Mac and click New Private Window from its File menu.
You should be able to access the concerned website in private browsing mode. If you still get the same error (This Connection is Not Private) in private browsing mode then you need to try the next method.
#4. Check & Correct System Date and Time:
When you visit a website on Safari browser on Mac, you can accessing it in real time. So, your system date and time should be matching with your local time zone with exact date and time. The mismatch of date and/or time can cause errors when you try to visit a website.
You can fix the error of This Connection is Not Private on Safari by correcting date and time on your Mac system. Kindly follow the steps given below to change date and time on a MacBook/Mac computer.
01. On your Mac, open Apple menu from the top left corner and select System Preferences.
02. In System Preferences window, click on the Date & Time icon to open its settings.
03. Click on lock icon and unlock it with your Mac password.
04. Uncheck the box saying Set date and time automatically and check it again. If it still shows wrong date/time then try next step.
05. Uncheck the box saying Set date and time automatically and set the date and time manually.
06. Click on lock icon again to lock the updated date and time settings.
07. Restart your Mac system.
After changing date and time on your Mac system, you should be able to access the website previous showing the not private connection error.
#5. Clear Cache and Cookies from Safari:
Everything you surf on Safari browser can be recorded in form of cookies and cache files. Safari starts gathering cookies and cache from the first time you use and this process goes on. Too much of cookies and cache files take up a lot of storage on Mac and they also slow down the browsing speed.
So, you should delete cookies and cache files from Safari once a month. It will keep the Safari run smoothly and save you from the errors like This Connection is Not Private or other errors.
How to Delete Cookies from Safari on Mac:
Now, I am going to explain a step-by-step process on how to delete cookies from Safari on Mac as under.
01. Launch Safari browser on your Mac device.
02. Click on Safari menu from the menu bar and click on Preferences.
03. Select Privacy tab in Preferences window and click on Manage Website Data option.
04. In the list, select the websites with cookies and click on Remove All to delete cookies.
05. You can also block all cookies to know if it fixes the connection is not private issue or not.
How to Delete Cache Files from Safari on Mac:
Deleting cache files from Safari is quite simple, just follow the steps given below.
- Launch Safari on your Mac, open Safari menu and select Preferences.
- Select Advanced tab and check the box for Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
- Now, close the safari Preferences Window.
- Select the Develop menu from the menu bar.
- Finally, click on Empty Caches to delete all cache files on Safari.
- You can also disable caches to check if it can fix the connection is not private issue.
You restart your Mac after deleting cookies and cache files from Safari browser. Thereafter, launch Safari and visit the website you want to access, now it should open faster without any connection error.
#6. Check Your Wi-Fi Connection:
You may face the error of This Connection is Not Private or safe when you access a website through a public Wi-Fi connection. The public Wi-Fi is free to use but it is equally dangerous for your privacy on internet.
For the safety of your personal data, you should avoid using internet through public Wi-Fi places. In case you need to use internet urgently and you have access to a public Wi-Fi only then use it with a secure VPN to protect your personal data and location from unauthorized tracking, hacking and malware attacks.
Whenever you face This Connection is Not Private error on Safari, you should switch to another Wi-Fi connection or use a VPN to fix the problem.
#7. Disable Antivirus or Firewall:
The role of Firewall is to protect your personal data and your Mac computer from cyber attacks. If a website is not safe or its SSL certificate is expired, the Firewall won’t let you access it. You will get a warning message as This Connection is Not Private on your Mac screen.
In case you are using a third party Antivirus software, it also protects you from visible suspicious websites. So, you can still access the website by turning off Firewall on your Mac computer. But you must be 100% sure that the website you want to access is safe and doesn’t contain any malware. Only then you should disable Firewall on Mac with the steps I am going to share below.
01. On your Mac, open Apple menu and select System Preferences.
02. Find out Security & Privacy icon and click on it to open a new small window.
03. Select Firewall tab, then click on lock icon given at bottom left and enter your Mac password to unlock.
04. Click on Turn Off Firewall option to disable it.
05. Click on lock icon to lock the settings with Firewall disabled on your Mac.
After the Firewall is disabled/turned off, you should be able to access your desired website/webpage without any error.
#8. Visit Website at Your Own Risk:
Safari browser provides an option to visit the website along with the error/warning message showing This Connection is Not Private. If none of the 7 methods can fix the problem, this is the ultimate solution for you.
You can choose the option visit this website to access it even if Safari warns you that This Connection is Not Private. You should click that option only if you understand all possible risks of visiting an unsafe website.
Here I provide the steps to visit a website at your own risk on Safari on Mac as under:
01. Launch Safari on your Mac computer.
02. Enter the URL of your desired website and press enter.
03. As Safari shows This Connection is Not Private warning, click on Show Details option.
04. Now, click on visit this website to proceed.
05. Choose Visit Website to confirm your action.
06. Your desired website is now open and showing on your Mac screen.
So, this is how you can visit a website manually even after Safari shows the error of This Connection is Not Private on your Mac screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Safari is a safe and reliable web browser for personal and professional users. But it can irritate you by showing connection errors. Here I provide some key questions and their answers to help you understand the issue and take necessary steps to fix it ASAP.
Q.1 What does “this connection is not private” mean?
“This Connection is Not Private” means that the website/webpage you are trying to access is not safe due to not meeting HTTPS protocol or its SSL certificate is expired.
Q.2 How do I get rid of this connection is not private on Safari?
You can get rid of this connection is not private on Safari by updating Safari browser, correcting system date & time, turning off Firewall, using a VPN, clearing cooking & cache files and other methods I have explained above.
Q.3 Why is my Mac telling me that my connection is not private?
Your Mac is telling you that your connection is not private because either the website is suspicious (not safe) or you are using an insecure/public Wi-Fi connection or your Safari/Mac software is outdated.
Q.4 Why does Safari not let me open some websites?
Safari does not let you open some websites because those websites are not safe to visit for you. Safari browser doesn’t open the websites that don’t meet latest internet security guidelines.
Final Words:
At the end, you understand that “This Connection is Not Private” error means that your browser can’t verify whether the website you are surfing is safe to visit or not. Don’t worry, you can fix this error by using one of the easiest methods I have shared above.
In case you cannot fix the error because the website certificate is not valid, you can still visit that website manually. It is very risky to visit a website that doesn’t have HTTPS and SSL certificates, so you should visit only if you are 100% sure.
Do share this post with your friends/relatives using Safari to help them fix the connection is not private issue. For more queries about This Connection is Not Private error on safari browser, you can ask me in the comment section. I will reply with an appropriate answer to resolve your queries as soon as possible.