Fix Safari Can’t Establish a Secure Connection on Mac

Safari showcasing can’t establish a secure connection should be an indicator to not trust the website you are trying to visit. However, if you are sure about the website’s authenticity and want to bypass the limitation then the error might be bothersome to you. Let’s fix the issue. Before we go ahead, let’s understand why it’s happening in the first place.

Why Can’t Safari Establish a Secure Connection

Most modern websites use encryption to protect user data and identity from hackers. If the website you are trying to browse doesn’t offer encryption, you might face the Safari can’t establish a secure connection error. That way, Safari is advising you against visiting the website with personal info as the information will be available in plain text for others to steal. The browser also checks the SSL certificate of a website. If it’s expired then, you will face an error while browsing the website. We recommend you learn more about SSL certificates and other security settings.

1. Check Web URL Again

You must have heard of hackers stealing information from users by creating scam website versions of the original and popular websites. They cleverly change a word or two and send you to a fake website to steal your login, password, card details, and other info. Let’s say, you are trying to visit adidas.com and make a single mistake and visit abidas.com instead. Most of these fake websites don’t follow security protocols and you might end up facing Safari can’t establish a secure connection error. Check the address bar at the top and inspect the web URL again. If there are any typos, then fix them and try to visit the original website again.

2. Check Current Date and Time

You might be surprised but using the wrong date and time on your Mac might lead to Safari can’t establish a secure connection error on Mac. Here’s how to fix it. Click on the little Apple icon in the upper left corner.

  1. Click on the System Preferences menu.
  2. Select Date & Time.
  3. Enable Set date and time automatically toggle. Make sure Mac is displaying the correct time and date. Open Safari and try to browse the same website again.

3. Disable iCloud Private Relay

For iCloud+ subscribers, the Private Relay automatically enables the Safari browser. iCloud Private Relay shields your online location and routes the traffic from an Apple-branded server. That way, the website provider won’t have your actual location through the IP address. The behavior might mess up the experience where your actual location is needed to visit the website. You should disable iCloud Private Relay from the System Preferences menu. Open the System Preferences menu on Mac and click on Apple ID. Disable Private Relay from the following menu.

4. Disable Private Relay for a Wi-Fi Connection

You can also disable iCloud Private Relay on Mac for a specific Wi-Fi connection. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Open the System Preferences menu on Mac and go to Network.
  2. Select your connected Wi-Fi connection and disable Use iCloud Private Relay toggle. Now go ahead and try browsing the web again.

5. Change DNS

DNS acts like a phone directory on your Mac to check the location of the website. You can change the default DNS settings to Google’s public DNS and browse the web without any issues. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Open the System Preferences menu and click on Network.
  2. Go to Advanced > DNS menu.
  3. Click on the + icon at the bottom and add Google’s public DNS servers. Here are they.

6. Disable Antivirus

If you are using any antivirus on Mac, then disable it and try to browse Safari again. Normally, you don’t need an antivirus on Mac, but even if you are using it on Mac, you should turn it off for a time being.

7. Disable IPv6 for Your Network

Internet Protocol version (IP) identifies and locates everything that’s connected to the internet. The previous version was IPv4 and the latest one is IPv6. Some websites still use the IPv4 protocol and that might trigger the error in the Safari browser. You need to temporarily disable IPv6 on your Mac. Here’s how to do it. Go to System Preferences > Network and select the Advanced menu at the bottom. From the following menu, click on TCP/IP and select Manually from the Configure IPv6 menu. Hit ok at the bottom and start browsing the web in Safari.

Wrapping Up: Fix Safari Can’t Establish Secure Connection on Mac

Sometimes, due to a sketchy internet connection, Safari fails to check the SSL certification of the website. You can simply reload the webpage and try again. Before you switch to a Safari alternative, Go through the tips above and fix the issue.