Occasionally, when browsing the web you may see a website fail to load or interrupt with an error message that says “Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the browser console for more information).”
Let’s dive into what this error message means, and how to fix it in Safari, whether you’re on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or otherwise.
What does the “Application error: a client-side exception has occurred” error message mean?
Typically if you see the “Application error: a client-side exception has occurred” error message in Safari, it is because there was a problem with the code behind the webpage or web application you are attempting to use. As this is a client-side error message, that means the error is occurring with the web browser itself, and not on the remote server that is hosting the site or webapp.
Most often, you’ll see an “Application error: a client-side exception has occurred” in Safari if the webpage you are trying to load has some issue with JavaScript code, or perhaps compatibility issues with the browser you are using and the webpage itself.
You may see this error message in Safari on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
How to Fix the “Application error: a client-side exception has occurred” Error in Safari
To resolve the “Application error: a client-side exception has occurred”, you can try one of the following tricks to troubleshoot the error and get things working again.
- Clear the browser cache, cookies, and site data for the specific URL displaying the error
- Disable content blocking browser extensions or plug-ins
- Update the web browser to a newer version
- Temporarily disable JavaScript and reload the web page throwing the error message
- Use a different web browser and access the web site again
The latter trick, using a different web browser, is often the easiest immediate solution. For example, if you experience the “Application error: a client-side exception has occurred” error message on Safari on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you may try using the Chrome web browser available for those same devices, and accessing the website or web app again with Chrome.
This is a frequently reported problem and error message that many users may eventually experience throughout their web browsing experiences, so don’t be totally shocked if you ever see it. Just remember to keep your web browser up to date, to clear cache/cookies when experiencing a problematic webpage, or use an alternate web browser.
There are many other web browser choices out there, from Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and many others.
Often the JavaScript code that is throwing the error message in your browser will be updated to resolve the issue in time as well, as web developers test out browser and versions, and bugs are reported to them. Keep that in mind as well, as it’s unlikely to be a permanent issue with a particular webpage, website, or web app. You may be able to push that along yourself by directly contacting the developer(s) or support team of the website or web app you are attempting to use, and providing them with information about your device, browser, version of OS and browser, a screenshot, and other helpful information.
