Safari, a default browser for Apple devices, provides an optimal browsing experience for users. However, the “Cannot Parse Response” error message while accessing certain websites in the Safari browser can disrupt your web surfing activities.
Cannot Parse Response means the web browser is unable to understand the response received from the server. This error occurs in the Safari browser due to various reasons, such as network connectivity or issues with website data.
Fortunately, there exist several troubleshooting methods to resolve this common problem that is causing your browser to fail to parse response in Safari.
Table of Contents
1. Remove Web Content Restrictions
By default, Apple restricts your web browsing activities to ensure your privacy. However, this can cause the Safari browser to show the “Cannot Parse Response” error.
To fix this issue, enable the Unrestricted Access option on your iPhone and Mac, and try reloading the page.
It’ll clear out all temporary files stored in your browser and fetch the latest version from the server.
On iPhone
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Go to Screen Time > tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Select Content Restrictions and enter the passcode if asked then, tap on Web Content from the list.
- Choose Unrestricted Access and reload the Safari page to parse the response.
On Mac
- Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen.
- Choose System Settings > Select Screen Time on the left pane.
- Go to Content & Privacy > Content Restrictions.
- Select Unrestricted Access in Access to Web Content.
- Now, reload the page in Safari and it should parse the response.
2. Clear Website Data From Safari
The corrupted website data stored in your Safari browser can cause problems when parsing the response.
To prevent it from happening again, try clearing website data to remove all conflicting cached files and cookies in the browser’s memory then, reload the page.
On iPhone
- Go to the Settings app > Scroll until you find Safari, and select it.
- Swipe down to the end and tap Advanced > Select Website Data.
- Tap Edit > Press the red “-” icon left on the affected website with a parsing error.
- Tap Delete and go back to Safari, and refresh that website.
On Mac
- Launch Safari and click on the Safari tab in the menu bar.
- Select Settings > Go to Privacy > Click on Manage Website Data.
- Find the website(s) causing the parsing issue, select it, and click on the Remove button.
- Relaunch Safari and open the website again to parse the response.
3. Relaunch Your Safari Browser
Restarting your Safari browser is an effective solution to fix any issue related to the parsing of responses. This will clear all the temporary memory in the browser and refresh its working.
Once restarted, try accessing the unresponsive web page again. It should work fine now.
To restart Safari on your iPhone, simply close the browser from the recent apps and then open it again. This will refresh the browser and get it running smoothly again.
On Mac, press the Option + Command + Esc keys together to force quit the Safari browser. After that, open the browser again and try loading the website causing problems.
4. Reset Safari Web Browser
Browser settings can sometimes conflict with the page you are trying to access and cause a “Cannot Parse Response” error. To fix this bug, try resetting the Safari browser to revert the browser’s settings to their default state.
Then, relaunch Safari and check if the issue persists.
On iPhone
- Go to the Settings app > Scroll down and select Safari.
- Swipe down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
- Confirm this action by tapping Clear History and Data in the confirmation dialog box.
- Relaunch the Safari app and try opening the web page again.
On Mac
- Launch Safari, click on the Safari menu and select Preferences or Settings.
- Choose the Privacy tab, and click on Manage Website Data.
- Select Remove All > Confirm Remove Now in the dialog window.
- Click on the Develop menu from the menu bar > select Empty Caches then, open the website again.
If Develop option is missing on your Mac, click on the Safari menu > Preferences > Advanced tab and check the Show Develop menu in Menu Bar option.
5. Enable Mobile Data For Safari
If you’re having trouble parsing a page in Safari, it may be because mobile data is not enabled for the browser.
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Swipe down and tap Cellular.
- Find Safari from the list and turn on the switch if it was off.
- Now, restart the browser and try accessing that web page again.
If mobile data was turned off before, it could be the potential reason why your Safari browser is unable to parse the response.
Once the internet is enabled, you’ll be able to view the contents of an inaccessible website.
6. Change The DNS Servers
The default DNS servers provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have some issues which prevent you from accessing certain websites.
To fix this issue, switch to a reliable DNS server like Google from device settings then, try opening the page again in your Safari browser.
On iPhone
- Go to Settings > tap Wi-Fi
- Press the info icon ⓘ next to your connected Wi-Fi network.
- Tap Configure DNS and choose Manual from the top.
- Remove the current DNS servers then, tap Add Server.
- Type 8.8.8.8 and press the Save button when done.
- Open the Safari app again and refresh the problematic website.
On Mac
- Click the Apple menu, and go to Settings or Preferences.
- Choose Network Settings.
- Select your Wi-Fi connection on the left pane and click Advanced.
- Go to the DNS Settings tab > Press the + button to add the server.
- Type 8.8.8.8, hit OK, and try reloading your Safari page.
7. Check Your Internet Connection
A slow internet connection can cause the Safari browser to be unable to parse a page response. The parsing error usually occurs when the browser is unable to connect to the server due to internet connectivity issues.
To resolve this issue, connect to a high GHz Wi-Fi network or a cellular data network.
If the problem is resolved by doing so, then it indicates that the issue lies with your Wi-Fi connection. You can test your internet speed using Speedtest by Ookla service.
You can also try restarting your WiFi router or modem to clear any connectivity issues and provide a stable internet connection.
8. Disable Conflicting Safari Extensions
Different browser extensions installed in your Safari can sometimes interfere with the proper functioning of your browser including parsing the server response errors.
To resolve such issues, you can try disabling all extensions and then check if the parsing error still pops up.
On iPhone
- Go to Settings > Safari.
- Tap Extensions > Turn OFF all extensions.
- Open a page again on Safari and check if it works.
On Mac
- Open the Safari browser, click on Safari > Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Select the Extensions tab to view all installed extensions.
- Uncheck all the boxes next to extensions to disable them temporarily.
- Now, try refreshing the page again in Safari.
9. Update Your Safari Browser
At times, outdated browser versions can cause it to be unable to open web pages and generate a “cannot parse response” error. To prevent it from happening again, simply install the latest version of the Safari browser.
After that, open the page again and the browser should display its contents.
To update Safari on iPhone, open App Store > search for Safari > install the updated version if available.
On Mac, go to System Settings from the main menu options > select General on the left menu bar > Software Update then, click Update Now to install the latest Safari version.
Causes Of Cannot Parse Response in Safari
While browsing the web, Safari may not be able to parse server responses for various reasons.
- Corrupted browser data. Outdated cached files and cookies in the Safari browser can lead to a “cannot parse response” error. It usually happens when the browser is used for a long time without clearing its data.
- Connectivity Issue. When you are browsing with a slow or unstable network connection, your Safari browser may often face difficulties in parsing server responses.
- Conflicts with plugins. Safari extensions can also interfere with browser operations and cause parsing errors. Moreover, using outdated plugins can be a culprit of this issue.
Although there are other potential causes of this error in Safari, these are the most common ones. However, the fixes provided above should help you solve the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does The Error “Cannot Parse Response” Mean?
When the Safari browser cannot interpret a web page response that it receives from the server, it displays a “cannot parse response” message. This means that the browser is unable to display the website content. Poor network connection is one of the root causes of this issue.
How Can I Get Rid of Parsing Error in Safari?
To resolve the parsing response issue, start by updating your Safari browser and then clearing its data. If the problem persists, try clearing your browsing history and cookies as well. Additionally, disable the conflicted extensions to see if this is creating an issue.
Why is Safari Browser Not Opening Some Websites?
Due to restricted web content access on Apple devices, Safari might not be able to load some modern websites. To enable unrestricted access, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Web Content then, choose Unrestricted Access to open any website.
Conclusion
Although Safari, a native browser, is optimized for Apple devices, it can still face certain issues. The “cannot parse response” error is quite common and can be resolved by following the steps mentioned in this article.
Hopefully one or more of these solutions has helped you overcome this issue and move on to browsing without any issue.
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