Are Web pages acting weird when you visit them in Safari on your iPhone?
While there are several potential reasons why this might be happening, one cause might be Javascript which isn’t working properly.
While it could be due to Javascript being turned off, or a script not working correctly, you can follow our tutorial below and find out how to turn the Javascript setting on or off for the Safari browser on your iPhone 13.
You can also check out this video about how to restart an iPhone 13 if you would rather try restarting the entire device to fix a problem instead.
How to Disable or Enable Javascript on an iPhone 13
- Tap Settings.
- Select Safari.
- Choose Advanced.
- Turn off Javascript.
Our guide continues below with more information on shutting off the iPhone’s Javascript setting, including pictures of these steps.
Javascript is an important part of many of the websites that you visit every day.
It allows Web pages to provide some of their more unique and interactive features, and it’s a programming language that is responsible for many of the things that make you like the majority of the Web pages you visit.
But Javascript can be problematic, and it can cause issues that make some Web pages not work properly, or possibly not work at all.
You can turn off Javascript on your iPhone 13 if you need to by going to Settings > Safari > Advanced > then tapping the button next to Javascript.
You can then open Safari back up and continue browsing Web pages without allowing any Javascript to run.
Once you have finished performing whatever activity required the disabling of Javascript, be sure to go back and turn it back on if disabling Javascript isn’t a permanent change. You can see some unexpected behavior from the sites you visit all the time if Javascript is turned off!
Our article continues below with more on the iPhone’s Safari browser Javascript setting.
How to Turn On Javascript or Turn Off Javascript in Safari on an iPhone 13 (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 13 in the iOS 15.3.1 operating system, but these steps have been similar for most iPhone models and most recent iOS versions.
Note that many websites won’t function properly, and some may not work at all if you elect to turn off Javascript.
These steps will show you how to enable or disable Javascript for the Safari Web browser on your iPhone 13.
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Tap the Settings icon.
Step 2: Scroll down and select the Safari option.
Open the Safari settings menu.
Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap the Advanced button.
Choose the Advanced option.
Step 4: Tap the button to the right of Javascript to turn it off.
Touch the Javascript button.
Now that you know how to turn Javascript off or on for your iPhone 13 Safari browser you will be able to incorporate this step into your troubleshooting when you are diagnosing a browsing issue on the device.
Our tutorial continues below with additional discussion about Javascript on the iPhone and some additional troubleshooting options for Safari.
Video About Restarting an iPhone 13
More Information on How to Change the Safari Javascript Setting on an iPhone 13
The steps above show you where to find the setting for Javascript in the default Safari browser so that you can enable it or disable it as needed.
Note that this will only affect Javascript on Web pages that you visit in Safari. If you are using another browser like Chrome or Firefox then you would need to follow the steps for changing the Javascript setting in those browsers instead.
It’s fairly rare that you will need to disable Javascript for most modern websites, so this is probably a setting that you won’t need to use much unless you are a designer or developer that needs to view Web pages with or without Javascript.
You might also need to change the Safari Javascript setting if you are troubleshooting an issue and can’t seem to find a solution to it after doing common troubleshooting tasks like clearing Website data and history.
If you are going through the troubleshooting process then some other things you might want to consider are:
- Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data to remove the browser data that is saved on the device.
- Restart the iPhone by pressing and holding the Power button and the Volume Down button, then move the Slide to power off slider.
- Close the tabs that are currently open in the browser.
- Close Safari by swiping up and to the left from the bottom of the screen, then drag the Safari browser to the top of the screen.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Safari Javascript Setting on an iPhone
Where can I find the Advanced settings menu for the iPhone Safari browser?
Whether you want to check if you have Javascript enabled or you want to disable Javascript when you visit a Web page, you will need to locate the Javascript switch on the Advanced settings menu.
You can find this if you open Settings > select Safari > then scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen and select Advanced.
There you can toggle Javascript on or off as needed.
Note that most websites rely on Javascript for a lot of interactive elements on their sites so pages may not work as expected when you turn off Javascript on your iOS device.
If I disable Javascript in Safari, will it also turn it off for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox?
No, it will only turn off Javascript for Safari.
While you can adjust many of the settings for Chrome on your iPhone by tapping the three dots icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen and choosing the Settings option, there is currently not an option to disable Javascript for the Chrome iPhone app.
Similarly, you won’t be able to disable Javascript in the Firefox iPhone app either.
How can I reset my Internet connection and network settings on my iPhone?
If you open the Settings app on your iPhone and select the General option you will be able to scroll to the bottom of the screen and choose the Transfer or Reset iPhone option.
You can then tap the Reset button, then choose the Reset Network Settings option.
This is going to reset things like Wi-Fi, cellular settings, and Bluetooth settings, so you will need to reconnect to your wireless networks and devices if you elect to perform this action.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing technology how-to articles and tutorials for over a decade. He has extensive experience in information technology both in small business and as a consultant.
His articles have appeared on dozens of websites and been read millions of times.
He covers many different topics concerning technology, but focuses primarily on smartphones, consumer software, and consumer electronics.
You can read his full bio here.