macOS
How to Close a Suspicious Pop-Up in Safari on a Mac
Also available for: Windows 11
What you need: A Mac with a suspicious warning open in Safari.
Before you begin: Do not click the warning, call its phone number, or enter information. These steps close all Safari windows. Unfinished work in other Safari tabs may be lost.
- Hold down the Option and Command keys. While holding them, press Esc, then release all three keys. The Force Quit Applications window opens.
- Click Safari in the list.
- Click Force Quit. If asked to confirm, click Force Quit again. Wait for Safari and the warning to close.
- Close the Force Quit window by clicking the red button in its upper-left corner.
- Click Finder (the blue smiling face) in the Dock, the row of app icons along the edge of the screen.
- In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Go, then Applications.
- Click Safari once to select it. Hold down Shift, click Safari twice quickly to open it, and keep holding Shift until Safari opens. Then release Shift. This prevents the previous windows from reopening automatically.
- Leave the suspicious website closed. If Safari offers to restore the previous windows, leave that offer alone.
- If you installed something from the warning, shared personal information, or allowed someone to control the Mac, stop following their instructions and contact Apple Support using this link. If you gave payment details or sent money, also call your bank using the number on your card.
Expected result: The Safari window containing the warning is closed.