How to Establish a Secure Connection

While you're browsing the web on Safari on Mac, you might get a loading error that says something like "Safari can't open the page because it can't establish a secure connection." If macOS detects that a server has a weak encryption or if Safari can't establish a secure connection, Safari won't load or open that web page. This How.com.vn will teach you how to troubleshoot the "Safari can't establish a secure connection" error on your Mac.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Changing DNS Settings

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1
Unplug your modem (and router, if you have one) for a few seconds. Doing so will force your modem through a power cycle and might fix some DNS issues.
- Many modern modems are also a router, but if you have a separate router, make sure you unplug that as well to ensure the DNS settings are reset.
- Wait for about 30 seconds until you plug in your router and modem.
You'll find this inside the Apple menu at the top left of your screen.
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This is usually in the third row from the top with "iCloud."
You'll find this in the lower right corner of the pop-up window.
You'll see this along with tabs for Wi-Fi and Hardware.
You can do this by clicking them to select them and then clicking the minus icon (-) below the box.^{[1]XResearch source}
7
Add the two Google DNS addresses. Do this by clicking the plus icon (+) below the box and enter 8.8.8.8.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Click the plus icon (+) again and enter 8.8.4.4.
- Click OK to proceed.
You'll find this in the bottom right corner of the Network window.
After your computer restarts, try the website again. If it still won't load, continue through the next method.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using a Different Browser

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Most likely, Safari won't load a page because it doesn't meet the security standards of macOS 10.10.4 and iOS 8.4. You can use another browser to unlock these sites for Safari so you can access them with the default browser.
Once the page loads in the other browser, such as Firefox, you'll see a small green lock icon next to the URL address. When you click that, a menu will pop-up.
This will bring up more information and options for the site security.^{[3]XResearch source}
You'll see this at the bottom of the pop-up menu.
This is on the Security tab, in the top section.
6
Click the Details tab. You'll find this near the top of the page with General.
- You'll see the information you need to allow Safari to connect to this site on this tab.
You can either press Cmd + Spacebar and search for keychain in Spotlight or you can open the program from Finder > Applications > Utilities.
You'll see this in the column on the left side of the window under "Keychains."
9
Find the entry that is blocked by Safari. You'll see this certificate information in the "Details" page of the website. It's usually listed as "Issued by…".
- For example, if Facebook is blocked by Safari, you'll see in the "Details" page of the website "Issued by: DigiCert SHA2 High Assurance CA," which you should find in your Keychain as well.
It'll open in a new window.
You'll see a bunch of options load.
You don't want to use your system's defaults because that'll end up blocking that page from loading.
This setting allows this page to always load with Safari. You'll see all the other options change as well.
If it still doesn't load, continue to the next method.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Changing Antivirus Software Settings

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1
Open your Antivirus software. You might have a web shield feature enabled that is blocking the website without notifying you that it is doing so.
- If you don't have an antivirus application, you can skip this method.
Your antivirus software may or may not have a feature called "Web Shield" or something similarly named. You can generally perform a search in your antivirus software or browse the features.
If Web Shield is enabled, it could be blocking the website.
If the page still won't load, continue to the next method.^{[4]XResearch source}

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Disabling IPv6

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You'll find this inside the Apple menu at the top left of your screen.
This is usually in the third row from the top with "iCloud."
You'll see a list of networks in the menu on the left. When you single-click your network, it will highlight in blue.
You'll find this in the lower right corner of the pop-up window.
You'll see this in the row of tabs with DNS, and Hardware.
" A menu will drop-down.
This is usually the second listing in the drop-down menu.