What is about:blank and how to fix it
One of the most asked questions is, what is about:blank and how to fix it. Is it some sort of virus, malware or any other danger? To find out the reality of this issue which appears in our browser, what really it indicates or should we take it seriously, read the rest of the article.
What is about:blank?
What about:blank actually is? Brief and simple, it is a built-in page in many web browsers, i.e., Mozilla FireFox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and other browsers. If you see about:blank label on your tab’s page title and browser address bar, no need to worry it is just a standard page displayed by many browsers when they can’t figure out what else to display.
The word ‘about:’ displays built-in web pages, like in Google Chrome, if you type ‘about:history’ in the address bar, it will open the history page of your browser. Many browsers implement the about:URL to process commands, that is what about:blank is, that shows a plain blank page.
Is about:blank useful for your Browser
The about:page is not malware or virus, just a simple blank page built-into the browser with hidden functions. When your browser can’t load a webpage due to poor internet connection or virus then it displays about:blank.
Most users set the blank page display when they launch the web browser to prevent restoring previously opened tabs to ensure privacy. However, for the peace of your mind you can perform a scan of your computer using any anti-virus software to detect any malware or dys-functioning of your browser.
Is about blank a virus or malware?
No, the about:blank is just a blank webpage that is displayed by the browser itself, so it does not involve any third-party source. It is not any data-stealing virus so it is not harmful to your computer.
However, sometimes, malware can interrupt the loading process of any browser and cause about:blank to appear. Sometimes, typo mistakes in URL, discrepancies in HTML codes, or poor internet connectivity displays about:blank on your browser.
How to fix about:blank homepage?
Fixing about:blank is an easy task, all you need to know is why these blank web pages appear. This error can be adjusted via your browser settings.
However, if still see the blank page persists then it might be that your browser is corrupted by any virus that need to be removed.
Quick Ways to Fix about:blank Homepage
If the about:blank appears over and over again on your browser, then there might be something wrong with your browser’s setting. Here we have curated easy to fix the about:blank issue:
Google Chrome
If the about:blank page always appears when you launch your Chrome browser then you need to follow these simple steps to fix the issue:
- Open Google Chrome
- Click on the Three Dot icon(ellipses) on the right top of the corner of the homepage
- Select the Settings option and click on the On startup section
- Next, select Open the New Tab page
- Delete about:blank from the options and click on Add a New Page
- Now add your desired webpage.
Mozilla Firefox
If you have Mozilla Firefox, follow these simple steps below:
- Open Mozilla FireFox, click Menu on the Homepage
- Now click on Options
- Furthermore, select the Home section
- Remove about:blank option from the list
- Add your favourite web page for a new tab
Internet Explorer
Some old business applications still require Internet Explorer for their functioning. So you can change the settings by following the quick steps below:
Launch Internet Explorer, click on gear icon on the homepage.
Next select “Internet Options”.
Remove “about:blank” from the list and add the address of your desired webpage at the top of the General pane.
Apple Safari
Fixing about:blank in Apple Safari on macOS is a child’s play. Follow the quick steps below:
- Click Safari and select Preferences
- Now select General section
- From the Homepage, remove about:blank and enter your desired home page
