When we search the internet, we expect images! So when Safari (or any other browser) stops showing images on websites, it’s a massive problem.
Recently, a few of our readers complained that they are unable to see images while browsing on their Macs using Safari. So let’s dive right in and discover a few ways to fix this Safari issue now!
Assumptions: In this post, we assume the problem happens all the time–irrespective of the website.
Quick Tips
Follow These Quick Tips To Get Safari Showing Images Again
Clear Safari’s history
Empty Safari’s Cache and restart
Check in Safari’s Develop Menu that both Disable Images and Disable Javascript are not ticked
Move Safari’s Cache and Website Preview Data to the trash
For older Safari version, verify that you enabled Display images when the page opens in Safari’s preferences
For earlier versions of Safari (versions 8 and below), go to Preferences and choose Appearance and then choose to Display images when the page opens.
Reader Tips
Go to Safari > Preferences > Extensions and turn all extensions off. Then test Safari. If it’s working again, turn the extensions on one by one until you figure out which particular extension causes the problem. Leave the one off until an update is available
Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced and deselect the box next to Internet plug-ins: Stop plug-ons to save power
Restart in Safe Mode
Set up another admin user account and try Safari using that account. If it works, the problem is your original user account
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
disable “images” was selected in my Develop menu. Thanks, I’m new to Mac and wasn’t sure what was going on. It reloaded the page immediately with images when I deselected this option. Glad I made the switch from Windows. Never going back.
Way for Apple to take ownership of hamstrung code… call it a security feature and put the “fix” on the end-user. Eventually, development being lead by “required-or-die” corporate profit margins cannot align with the happiness of independent consumers retaining the ability to think critically. The revolution never stops turning.
BLESS YOU!!!! Spent two hours yesterday and another half hour today until I found your post–BACK IN OPERATION! Got to Option #2 and held my breath–VOILA! Thanks for your help!
Just wanted to say thank you. Option #1 worked for me.
I have tried those options before but not in that order.
For anyone that is using a current version of Safari as of August 2019, be sure to follow the steps in order and then close and then re-open your browser before loading the page that you are having issues with.
To the person that made this… thank you for putting in the time!
Was extremely helpful as I use this for work and needed to access images. =)
This happens because the browser probably had the image cached earlier and it’s not reloading it from safari’s server, just add something random like this to the end of the safari link like i.e. (&x=whatever) this will force your browser to reload all the images from safari’s server
I too am having issues with my older Mac but running OS High Sierra– with images. Images posted on FB and images on web sites. If I get 1 photo and click to enlarge, the image box appears black. On FB none of the images when clicked to enlarge appear. Any suggestions?
Barb.
I’m on an older iMac 27-inch (mid 2011) running MacOS High Sierra. I am experiencing the same issue with photos on Facebook (on Safari, Firefox seems to work fine). So, solution #1, switch to Firefox.
On Safari, I noticed that the images display correctly in the main page timeline, but when I click to view an image individually it turns into a black box.
I’m still able to click the arrows to advance through each post and see the text on the righthand side of the window, but the images are not showing, well not all of the images.
On the images that weren’t showing, I right clicked and did a save image as to see that they were all .jpg images.
When I continued to scroll through the posts, some of the images did show, right-clicking on these revealed that they were .png images.
So, I think there is an issue with Facebook displaying JPEGs in the timeline on Safari, on a Mac.
And, I’m guessing that the Facebook users on the Mac having this issue, post JPEG images.
Just my two cents hope this information leads to a solution.
Clicking “Show Developer menu” doesn’t result in a new menu item. The options under Privacy on the latest version of Safari are different than those listed above. As for “Click on “More” as shown in the picture and then choose to “Remove All,” the picture doesn’t show a “More” option.
disable “images” was selected in my Develop menu. Thanks, I’m new to Mac and wasn’t sure what was going on. It reloaded the page immediately with images when I deselected this option. Glad I made the switch from Windows. Never going back.
Way for Apple to take ownership of hamstrung code… call it a security feature and put the “fix” on the end-user. Eventually, development being lead by “required-or-die” corporate profit margins cannot align with the happiness of independent consumers retaining the ability to think critically. The revolution never stops turning.
BLESS YOU!!!! Spent two hours yesterday and another half hour today until I found your post–BACK IN OPERATION! Got to Option #2 and held my breath–VOILA! Thanks for your help!
Gong into the development menu fixed it right up – thank you!
Thank you #2 helped in my case.
Just wanted to say thank you. Option #1 worked for me.
I have tried those options before but not in that order.
For anyone that is using a current version of Safari as of August 2019, be sure to follow the steps in order and then close and then re-open your browser before loading the page that you are having issues with.
To the person that made this… thank you for putting in the time!
Was extremely helpful as I use this for work and needed to access images. =)
This happens because the browser probably had the image cached earlier and it’s not reloading it from safari’s server, just add something random like this to the end of the safari link like i.e. (&x=whatever) this will force your browser to reload all the images from safari’s server
I too am having issues with my older Mac but running OS High Sierra– with images. Images posted on FB and images on web sites. If I get 1 photo and click to enlarge, the image box appears black. On FB none of the images when clicked to enlarge appear. Any suggestions?
Barb.
I’m on an older iMac 27-inch (mid 2011) running MacOS High Sierra. I am experiencing the same issue with photos on Facebook (on Safari, Firefox seems to work fine). So, solution #1, switch to Firefox.
On Safari, I noticed that the images display correctly in the main page timeline, but when I click to view an image individually it turns into a black box.
I’m still able to click the arrows to advance through each post and see the text on the righthand side of the window, but the images are not showing, well not all of the images.
On the images that weren’t showing, I right clicked and did a save image as to see that they were all .jpg images.
When I continued to scroll through the posts, some of the images did show, right-clicking on these revealed that they were .png images.
So, I think there is an issue with Facebook displaying JPEGs in the timeline on Safari, on a Mac.
And, I’m guessing that the Facebook users on the Mac having this issue, post JPEG images.
Just my two cents hope this information leads to a solution.
Keith
Thanks, Keith for sharing your experiences and insight.
Clicking “Show Developer menu” doesn’t result in a new menu item. The options under Privacy on the latest version of Safari are different than those listed above. As for “Click on “More” as shown in the picture and then choose to “Remove All,” the picture doesn’t show a “More” option.
Hi Joel,
Thanks for letting us know. We’ll update the article to reflect changes in macOS.
I looked into Advanced Settings, the problem is fixed.
SO OBNOXIOUS! I am going to stop using safari soon if this issue isn’t RESOLVED!
Option – 4
Upgrade to a Dell.