Connection Is Not Private
When the individual is trying to get access to any website they might come across an error that reads “your connection is not private” This error indicates the failure of the browser to authenticate a safe connection between your device and the website. “your connection is not private” can be caused by secure sockets layer error on the server-side or the client-side issue.
The Safari browser is intelligent in tracking insecure and unsafe sites. it also utilizes the availability of SSL verification to identify the website security status. If this finds any mismatch or mixed content, then it directly displays or prompt-up the notice to the users saying “This connection is not private” You can troubleshoot the issue if it is within your system or you can wait for the browser or website admin to fix the certificate-related issues.
This error can come across if you are browsing the internet, watching a YouTube video, sending out emails, or doing your PayPal transactions, and suddenly nothing works properly all this is just because your system or website connection is not secure.
The websites are automatically becoming more and more secure day by day. They are protected by encryption and other security protocols. However, websites are becoming secure, but even web browsers are implementing various ways to become safe. there are numerous shady sites on the internet that intend to steal your data and having a secure browser is of the utmost importance.
Apple Safari is a very secure platform, and it directly keeps you protected from all the websites that can harm you. Whenever you try to visit a website that is not protected by HTTPS protocols then safari will automatically prompt an error message “The connection is not private”
There are multiple hackers on different websites so the hacker who wants to steal other people’s personal information can’t just look into the website server database for information. Therefore, they usually impersonate popular websites and trick you into visiting sites, so users can easily give all personal data their. However, safari is perfect for recognizing such impersonating websites. It quickly identifies the unsecured site and roadblocks you from visiting them and dropping the details over there.
The safari browser on iPhone or iPad regularly notifies you of elements that can compromise your online safety. This includes all the details of cookies, trackers, and other warnings to keep you safe. One such warning that persistently prompt-up on your screen is “your connection is not private” for this we have multiple troubleshooting techniques to fix the error but the user must be aware of the reason why this error prompt-up repeatedly.
Reasons For Connection Error
There are multiple reasons for this error but most importantly it is because of DIGITAL CERTIFICATES. There is a possibility that the certificate is either missing or damaged. You can easily view the digital certification in site information settings in macOS.
Sometimes it’s the outdated browser, expired certificates, incorrect data settings, and server connectivity issues that also cause the error to prompt up.
This is implicit directly that your registered browser is unable to check whether a website is secure or not. This issue is not limited to any specific browser but all around the globe using different browsers can face the issue including safari on iPhone iPad MacBook Android etc.
To protect or safeguard your privacy and the security of your data your web browser examines the security certificate of the website. Your personal information may be exposed to cyber-attacks if a certificate is weak or outdated so take the pre-active steps before the error occurs on the system.
Overall it means that your connection is not secure and the error should not be disregarded. Although it is mostly a warning to help you to stay safe, there are also some instances where this is just a software bug that is creating hurdles and in reality, the site you are trying to visit is safe.
The lock symbol beside the website name in the browser address bar indicates that the site is secure to browse or perform any monetary transactions. It means the digital security certificate of the site is still valid. However, we have multiple tried and tested methods to get rid of this issue easily.
How To Fix The Connectivity Error?
There are multiple methods through which users can easily fix the error and make their connection safe with the browser by following the below-mentioned tips and tricks.
Clear Safari Data:
Safari, like any other web browser, tends to accumulate a lot of temporary data over time. It has the feature to directly load a few elements from your local storage instead of downloading them online every time. This can save the users time and effort but a lot of cache data can slow down your browser and cause a few issues in the browser. For this, the clearing of browser cache data can potentially remove the connectivity issue on web site.
- Open the setting app and click on the safari option
- Click on the clear history and website data
- Select clear history and data
- This is all you need to do and clear the browsing data on safari. If this does not work, then restart your iPhone or iPad and fix the problem in other ways.
Restart iPhone iPad And Wi-Fi Router:
Restarting a device that is in a context like your iPhone, iPad and even your Wi-Fi router can be quite an effective fix to this problem. Therefore, try to switch off and turn on the Wi-Fi router by the following steps.
- First and foremost is to shut down your device
- Press and hold the volume button down and the power button on iPhone to shut down the device
- For iPad, you have to hold the power button at the top
- Now drag the power slider to turn off the device
- Now turn on your device by long pressing the power button on your iPhone.
- If the error persists then the user can go ahead to get access the website using Private Mode on Safari.
Use Private Mode:
When you view any webpage in private mode, your data won’t be saved locally and you will not be signed into any account. Thus, you can try to dismiss the error by accessing the website in private mode.
- Tap on the tabs icon and select the tab groups icon
- Now select private
- Click on the plus icon and it will automatically open a new private tab through which you can view the website
- This mode doesn’t list your history, cache, cookie, etc because of keeping you anonymous.
Try Any Different Browsers:
If you are persistently facing this issue, then try to switch the browser and select the one that focuses on privacy and security. Opera is a browser that excels in these aspects and even opera has a built-in VPN service that protects your browsing activity and your identity.
- Not only VPN but opera also has an in-built anti-tracker that is able to block analytics script, tracking pixels, and other data collection methods.
- A VPN encrypts and reroutes your internet connections through a remote web server which hides your IP address, increases your web anonymity, and protects your personal information.
- Temporarily disabling the VPN might remove some barriers between you and the website and allow you to check if your VPN is causing the error.
Check Date And Time:
This might seem odd but the “your connection is not private” error might be appearing because your operating systems date and time are wrong. Your browser relies on your computer’s clock and date settings to check an SSL certificate validity. If they are incorrect, it might cause issues with the validation process. The certificate can appear to be no longer valid while it actually still is.
Windows:
- Go to settings > time and language > date and time
- Enable the set time automatically and set time zone automatically options if they are turned off. Check if the up-to-date date and time are correct.
- Refresh the website you are trying to access.
MAC OS:
- Go to the Apple menu > system preferences > date and time.
- Make sure that the set date and time automatically checkbox is marked
- On the time zone tab check that setting the time zone automatically using the current location option is also enabled
- Refresh your browser to see whether the issue has been resolved or not.
Disable Third-Party Extensions:
Extensions can be handy tools to block content or provide extra security as your use safari. However, they can also cause some issues and therefore you can try disabling them to see if they help bypass the “this connection is not private” error in safari.
- Open the settings app and navigate to the safari icon
- Select the extensions
- Turn off the toggle to disable the extension
- We are disabling the extension in the image for demonstration only. This extension does not cause any issues with safari.
- This is how you can disable a safari extension. However, if you still keep getting the warning or error you can directly jump to the next few steps to rectify the error.
Use Keychain Access:
If this error only occurs while launching the website on Mac, you can utilize the keychain access application to fix it as follows
- Open keychain access from Mac and utilize folder
- Find the certificate and double-click on it.
- Next tap on trust > always trust and then scroll to the website again to check if the error has been resolved.
- You can delete the certificate if it doesn’t work for you. But you have to get the new digital certificate to avoid this error on the browser.
The “your connection is not private” issue message is primarily caused by SSL certificate errors. However, in some cases, it can be caused by client-side issues. While it is only one of many issues or common connectivity errors, finding a fix for it may be troubling.
Maybe you are about to send some important mail or do an online transaction. This private connection error in the safari browser has ruined countless hours for users.
And in case you are using VPN then make sure you have given proper permission otherwise VPN will create many more hurdles and errors for the users.