I have a Safari extension which allows the user to load their own homepage upon opening a new tab. The extension works by retrieving the homepage URL from UserDefaults and then redirecting to it using window.location.replace. In iOS 18, if the homepage is unable to be loaded due to, for example the user having no internet connection, Safari will go into an rapid loading loop, which eventually stops after a while. This is unlike iOS 17, where trying to reproduce the same scenario will end up with a Safari error page, which should be the expected behaviour.
In short, instead of Safari going into an infinite loading loop, it should display a Safari error page like iOS 17 does.
As this issue is only happening on iOS 18, I am almost certain it's an iOS bug and would appreciate if this can be fixed as soon as possible.
I have created a Feedback Assistant report with ID FB15853821, which contains a sysdiagnose file from my iPhone 16 Pro, as well as two videos, one from my iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18.2 beta 3 and the other video showing a comparison between iOS 18 and 17. Both videos first show the extension functioning correctly with an active internet connection, but when I disable my internet, the iOS 18 Safari goes into an infinite loop.
Here are the steps to reproduce the issue:
- Download the Homepage for Safari app from the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/homepage-for-safari/id6481118559
- Enter any valid homepage URL, such as https://apple.com and tap Save
- Go to Settings -> Apps -> Safari -> Extensions -> Homepage and enable the extension
- Make sure Open New Tabs is set to “Homepage”
- Turn off both WiFi and cellular data and attempt to open a new tab in Safari
Please note that this also happens with iOS 18.2 beta 4.