Mouse Training London Ltd: Apple iPad - Force Quit Safari when web page stuck in loop

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Apple iPad - Force Quit Safari when web page stuck in loop

The Infinite Loop

It's that ominous feeling, the dreaded infinite loop. You tap on a link for a site that looks interesting, the web page opens and then the whole screen is greyed out with a message box in the centre showing some horrible threats, a demand for money and an OK button. Clicking on the OK button changes the message but it keeps coming back to where you started. You quit Safari, but when you restart it, the same page is still there. Round and round you go in a loop.

The Infinite Loop

Some people think this is so funny. Hardy-hardy-ha. Usually it's just some reprobate trying to scam you and hold you to ransom. Yeah, like anyone with any sense would pay someone to stiff them with a message box. But you need to get out of it. On your Mac you just Force Quit Safari. But what do you do on your iPad?

Try This One

Force close the Safari app.
Temporarily kill your internet connection by switching to Airplane Mode.
Open Safari and close the offending tab. Avoid that site in future.
Turn off Airplane Mode.
Enjoy your life.

Force close Safari on your iPad

Double-click the Home button to see your most recently used apps. The Home button is that one on the front of your iPad, below the screen. The apps aren’t actually open but in standby mode so that you can navigate and multitask. Swipe right or left to find the copy of Safari that you want to close. Normally, you only force an app to close when it’s being unresponsive.

Here's your open apps

When you've found Safari, swipe up to the top of the screen to close it.

Safari is Force Quit

Airplane Mode

You need to get to Airplane Mode so that you can temporarily kill your internet connection in order to close the web page that's stuck in a loop.

Airplane Mode

Either swipe up from the bottom of your Home screen to open Control Centre and then tap Airplane Mode. Or you can go to Settings, Airplane Mode and tap the slider to turn it on.

When Airplane Mode is on, you will see an aeroplane icon in the status bar of your iPad screen. In this mode Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Voice and Data are disabled.

Now, start up Safari. Your previous tabs will reappear but, with no internet connection active, the code generating the annoying message box can not execute and you can then close the offending tabs without difficulty. The final job is to get out of Airplane mode.