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Apple Safari users suffer crashes Apple fixes Safari crash search bug
(about 2 hours later)
There are widespread reports that Apple's Safari web browser is crashing for many users when they carry out a search via its address bar. Apple believes it has fixed a problem that caused its Safari web browser to crash when users carried out a search via its address bar.
Users are complaining that they have experienced the bug on both the firm's mobile devices and its Mac computers. The problem appears to have begun earlier in the day.
Apple recently updated its iOS and OS X operating systems, but users who have not installed the new versions have also reported the fault. Users had complained that they had experienced the bug on both the firm's mobile devices and its Mac computers.
A spokesman for Apple was not able to provide comment. Apple recently updated its iOS and OS X operating systems, but users who had not installed the new versions had also reported the fault.
However, the Verge news site has suggested users disable the "search engine suggestions" option in Safari's preferences or activate the private mode as a temporary workaround. This would suggest that the problem was caused by a process happening at Apple's data centres, rather than a coding error in Safari itself.
This would suggest that the problem is caused by a process happening at Apple's data centres rather than a coding error in Safari itself. Apple has not provided a comment about the fault.
Earlier in the week, it emerged that a web link had gone viral that forced Safari to crash. The page the browser was sent to used a JavaScript to put the software into a loop forcing it to fail. But the BBC understands that the fix may take some time to go through for everyone.
The current problem appears to be much more widespread, and has been replicated by the BBC. However, it does not affect all searches or all users. Users can, however, speed up the process by clicking on the "clear history and website data" in Safari's preferences.
The issue only impacted people whose "suggestions cache" had updated while they were using the phone between 09:00 GMT and 12:00 GMT.
As a result, Europe-based device owners were more likely to have been affected than those in Asia or the US.
Malicious link
Earlier in the week, it emerged that a web link had gone viral that forced Safari to crash.
The page the browser was sent to used a JavaScript to put the software into a loop forcing it to fail.
However, the more recent problem appears to have been much more widespread, and was been replicated by the BBC.
Apple revealed on Tuesday that there are about one billion of its core devices in use.Apple revealed on Tuesday that there are about one billion of its core devices in use.
The vast majority of those may have been affected, although the number also includes its set-top TV boxes and smartwatches, which do not use the browser.The vast majority of those may have been affected, although the number also includes its set-top TV boxes and smartwatches, which do not use the browser.