Why and How to Reinstall Safari on Mac Computers
Some users said they started encountering several issues with Safari, including crashing, freezing, and lagging. They also reported that the setup process was not smooth while importing bookmarks from an Opera bookmarks backup file.
Do you want to uninstall it but don’t know how to reinstall Safari on Mac? Here, you’ll learn simple ways to reinstall Safari, no matter whether you have deleted it intentionally or by mistake.
Why Uninstall and Reinstall Safari on Mac?
Safari, developed by Apple, is used as an ideal default browser over other options available. Since it is a part of macOS, it can’t be uninstalled. But, some reasons lead to uninstalling and reinstalling Safari on Mac. For example, performance issues.
To see the disappeared browser, you have to reinstall it. If you’ve mistakenly deleted the Safari browser, reinstall it using the below methods.
Reinstall Safari on Mac OS X
Before reinstalling Safari, it’s good to make a backup of any important files to be on the safe side. Turn your Mac off and switch it on by holding Command + R. Release these keys when you see the Apple logo. Enter the admin account details and tap Next.
In the Utilities menu, choose Reinstall macOS and follow the recommended steps. Choose the drive. Once the installation completes, log in as usual.
Clear Browser History and Cache
To clear Safari history, launch Safari and choose Safari in the top toolbar. Click Clear History and choose All History in the dropdown. Now, tap Clear History. To clear the Safari cache, go to the top toolbar. Select Safari and click Preferences.
Navigate to the Advanced tab and mark the box next to the Show Develop menu in the menu bar. Then, tap the Develop button and choose the Empty Caches option.
Reset Safari Browser’s Settings
Resetting the Safari browser on your Mac can help speed up the browser and solve various issues. It’s smart to back up crucial browser-saved data because resetting will cause data loss, such as browser extensions.
But note that resetting the Safari browser is not as simple as clicking a few buttons. It will take some time to accomplish.
Remove Safari Extensions and Plugins
Delete Safari extensions by clicking Safari Preferences in the top toolbar. Move to the Extensions tab and choose Uninstall from the list of all extensions. In the Safari Preferences window, go to the Websites tab. Unmark the box next to each plugin.
You will see it at the bottom of the left sidebar. To delete the plugins, click Finder and select Go to Folder under the Go menu. Type ~/Library and click Go. Find and delete the plugins.
How to Delete Safari on Mac?
Clearing browser history improves the overall performance and prevents filling out forms with old information. If, for whatever reason, you have to uninstall Safari on Mac, you need to disable its SIP.
This feature is applied by Apple to prevent users from accidentally breaking the OS. So, remove Safari from the Dock and replace it with another browser if you’re not an experienced user.
Uninstall Safari Using Terminal
To uninstall Safari from the MacBook, you can use Terminal. To launch Terminal, click the Applications folder and access Utilities. Press Command + Spacebar and type terminal in the search box.
Now, open the terminal app. Type cd /Applications/ to go to the Applications terminal. Then, type the command sudo rm -rf Safari.app/. Enter the password if asked. It will quickly uninstall the Safari browser. Recover password from Keychain, in case you forget it.
Delete Safari Files Manually
Remove the Safari-associated files in Finder. Navigate to /Users/(yourName)/Library/Address Book Plug-Ins/ to remove related Plugins. Go to the /Users/(yourName)/Library/Caches/ to delete Cache files. Remove saved states from the /Users/(yourName)/Library/Saved Application State/.
Delete crashes report files by adding the Crash Report folder instead of Saved Application State. Now, move Safari to the Recycle Bin.
Things to Consider Before Deleting Files Manually
If you are using an earlier version of the Mac operating system, manually delete the Safari files to uninstall this browser. You can’t use this method if you are using OS X 10.11 EI Capitan or later versions.
Before deleting any file, you have to find the relevant directory, as discussed above. Follow the process step-by-step and attentively to avoid ending up with a non-functional Mac computer.
The Conclusion
If updating Safari to the new developer version does not solve the problem, then reinstallation is the best solution. You can go for it when freezing and crashing and still start within a couple of minutes.
Now that you are well aware of how to reinstall Safari on Mac, implement the above-mentioned simpler steps and get it back to your Mac. This way helps in retaining the data stored on your system.