Running into an error message when you are browsing the web can be an unpleasant experience. Most macOS users usually come across this “safari can’t establish a secure connection” error. Ride with this article on to learn how to get rid of this error message.
Safari can’t establish a secure connection is a common experience most users browsing the web usually encounter and it can be fixed with a few simple solutions. Simply read on.
Why can’t Safari establish a secure connection?
There is a possibility Safari can’t open a particular page online. However, there are a few reasons why Safari can’t open a particular page online. Each time you load a web page, Safari checks if the data on the other end is valid and secure.
A website may be unsecured. A website can impersonate a real website to get your personal information, intercept your data in transit, or even contain malware.
In a case where safari detects such websites, safari would show you a warning message and, in some cases, completely prevent you from accessing the website.
Safari also gives you a hint about website security; it displays a padlock icon next to the URL. A gray padlock icon means that the website is secure and encrypted.
A green icon means that the website has acquired an even more extensive SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate.
An unsecured website will write or display “Not Secure” before the domain name.
Other factors that can cause Safari to block websites are:
- Wrong Date and time on your device.
- DNS server records might be mixed up.
- Malicious scripts could be detected.
- An incorrectly installed SSL certificate.
- A URL might be misspelled.
- An IPv6 protocol might not be working correctly.
These are the possible reasons why Safari can’t establish a secure connection.
How to fix Safari can’t establish a secure connection error on Mac
The first thing you need to do when trying to fix Safari can’t establish ensure is that your Mac is clean from potentially unwanted programs (PUPs).
If your device is infected, some cyber threats might be blocking access to the URL you are trying to load.
You can also try to fix the “Safari can’t establish a secure connection” error automatically by installing a professional system optimization software that will perform a full system scan to detect potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that may be interfering with Safari.
Set the Correct Date and Time
You may have the wrong date and time set on your devices, follow the step below:
On macOS
Follow the steps below to update your macOS time to automatic update.- Go to the Apple Menu >> Select System Preferences.
- Go to Date & Time.
- Unlock the changes and then enable the Set date time automatically option.
On iOS
For iOS devices, the steps below would walk you through how to change and set your iOS time to automatic update.
- Go to Settings >> Select General.
- Find the Date & Time option >> turn on the Set Automatically function.
That’s it!
Adjust your DNS Setting
In case setting the Date and time to the correct figure doesn’t fix Safari can’t establish a secure connection, you can try adjusting your DNS Setting.
Follow the steps below to do that:
- Open System Preferences and select go to Network.
- Select Advanced.
- Go to the DNS tab and click the + button.
- Enter 8.8.8.8 and hit Enter.
- Again, click + button.
- Submit 8.8.4.4 and click Enter afterward.
- Select the Ok and Apply buttons.
This should fix the error message, however, if it doesn’t proceed to the next fix below. 
Ensure the Website Certificate is Trusted
Follow the steps below to ensure that the website certificate is trusted.- Open the site showing Safari can’t establish a secure connection error.
- Go to the address bar and click the (Lock icon) Secure button.
- Select More information.
- Select View Certificate and check which certificate is in use.
- Go to the Details tab and click Command + Space buttons at the same time.
- In the Spotlight Search enter Keychain.
- On the left panel select System Roots.
- Search for the website’s certificate.
- Click on it and expand the Trust section.
- When using this certificate section select Always trust.
That’s it! This should solve Safari can’t establish a secure connection issue. If not, try the next solution below.
Disable Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) on your Mac
To disable the internet protocol version 6 (IPV6) on your macOS; you can follow the steps below.
- Go to System Preferences
- Open Network
- Select Ethernet and click on the Advanced button
- Pick Manually on Configure IPv6
- Tap Ok and click Apply
Ensure the site is on your antivirus tool’s whitelist as well.
In some cases, there might be restrictions for visiting specific sites. If there are any restrictions for visiting specific sites.
Look for anywhere on your antivirus menu where the web page might have been blocked, in case you spot a quirk that may potentially block the page, turn it off or modify its functionality to let the URL flow through.
How Do I know If Safari Established a Secure Connection?
Each time you try to load a URL, safari checks the website’s certificate to verify that the connection is secure.
Take a close look at the Search bar at the top of Safari to find out how secure the current website you’re looking at is. You are likely to see a padlock symbol.
A grey padlock means that the website has a standard certificate, and is secure.
A green padlock means that website has a more extensive, identity verification certificate and is even more secure than a grey padlock.
If there is no padlock, you might see the words “Not Secure” instead. Avoid entering your personal or financial details on such websites because the website is not secure and you are not protected.
Safari might also refuse to load the page if it can’t establish a secure connection.
We hope this article was helpful and you have been able to fix your safari browser issues. Let us know what you think by dropping your comments in the section below.