Search not working on any browser on Mac
Historical Records Search feature shows indication of loading followed by a blank screen. I have tried on Safari, Chrome, and Firefox on my Mac. All other sites work as expected and I have tried to restart the computer and the browser. I was thinking the site was down entirely, but I made the attempt on a Windows machine and everything worked as expected so... the newest updates made it so Search does not on any browser on Mac. It has not been working for a couple of weeks. I was trying to wait to see if the devs would just fix it--apparently not. I use FamilySearch most days, every week or at least I did until it broke.
Answers
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@Vee - I'm not as experienced as most with FamilySearch, but would you please share the operating system on your PC and Mac?
Another thing you could try is clearing your cache.
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Cleared cache, restarted computer, restarted browser, tried another browser, tried three other people's Mac. It doesn't work.
Update: I updated from Mojave to Catalina. Still did not work. Tracked down several more updates... Now it works ONLY on Firefox. It still does not work on Chrome or Safari (which are better browsers on Mac).
But it is still glitchie on Firefox. Not all the links work. It sometimes takes several minutes to load. and so forth...
Not everyone can afford brand new computers that run the latest software... No other websites gives me these troubles.
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@Vee - I hear your frustration! It sounds like you're doing everything right, and it's making you nuts. :
Edited to remove my request for another upgrade because it was all out of whack. @Vee would you confirm whether you're using Monterey or Catalina? Monterey is the most current.
In the meantime, I'll see if I can come up with any other ideas. The biggest difficulty troubleshooting things like this is that if another person on the team can't replicate the problem, it's hard to come up with a resolution. Don't give up on me, and I won't give up on you.
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Edited to correct references originally stated as Mojave to Monterey. Apologies.
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macOS 10.14 = Mojave 2018 (I was on this one) <== FS Record Search does not work at all in this OS
macOS 10.15 = Catalina 2019 (this is the one I am using now) <== FS Record Search partially works and ONLY on Firefox
macOS 11 = Big Sur 2020 (I am not sure my mac can run this one)
macOS 12 = Monterey 2021
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@Vee - As I understand it, FamilySearch currently supports the currently released OS and one step back from there.
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@PiperWilson, not quite: FS commits to supporting the current and previous versions of browsers. Operating systems theoretically don't matter, as they're supposed to be the browser's headache, not FS's. Of course, in practice nothing is that simple, but there's not much that FS can do about that.
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Julie
Well, to some degree ...
You would think ...
But, maybe, not quite ... according to 'FamilySearch' ...
Which internet browsers are compatible?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/which-internet-browsers-are-compatible
Where it states, among other things
Quote
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The website supports the current Windows and Mac operating system (OS) versions and one version back.
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Brett
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@Julia Szent-Györgyi - Thanks!
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That help center article needs editing: I'm pretty sure what they're saying is that they commit to supporting the most recent and preceding versions of browsers in the Windows and Mac operating systems.
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@Vee - I don't know which Mac you're using. Maybe these lists from Apple will help.
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@Vee - After asking more about this, here are a couple of links that may be useful.
A thread from Apple's support forum - old system, old browser, old mac - dated October 4, 2021.
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I am also having issues with the search function since December. I am able to get onto the site, but whenever I select the search function it returns a blank page and no results.
I am also using a Mac and all of my browsers have the same issue.
This is clearly a server-side issue and looking through the discussion boards of late, I can see that it is a problem that many others are also experiencing.
Thanks
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All
FYI
Related, "Comment"; and, "Post", to PREVIOUS ...
[ 1 ] Comment
FamilySearch Help
'Category'= Search
HOME > FAMILYSEARCH HELP > SEARCH
Post:
Record Search Page not Displaying
https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/111647/record-search-page-not-displaying
Comment:
https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/417067/#Comment_417067
[ 2 ] Post
FamilySearch Help
'Category'= Search
HOME > FAMILYSEARCH HELP > SEARCH
Record Search is not working
https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/112652/record-search-is-not-working
Brett
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OK, now this makes sense. I haven't been able to get a decent search recently and now I know why. I can't find records I KNOW are on the site, and most queries bring up nothing. I'm surprised that the people who ran this launch didn't work this stuff out in Beta.
A robust search is the who purpose of the site, yo.
Not cool.
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So... just checking the errors... the site seems to be checking which operating system is being used, finding it isn't the newest one and refusing to send back a response. It could... it should... and the results should be just fine even though it isn't the newest browser on the newest operating system... but it doesn't.
The server just doesn't answer back if it doesn't like the operating system.
Just a reminder here that on Windows the last two operating systems cover the last 6 years (Win 10 starts in 2015, Win 11 starts in 2021), but in Mac Land we get major updates almost every year so 2 operating systems equals 2 years. Could you image how few people could use the search function if it only supported Win 10 v 21H2 from Nov 2021 and Win 11 v 21H2 from Oct 2021?
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I agree - if the browser/OS is no longer supported - there at least should be the response including what is not supported. Erroring out the page is not as good as an informative response indicating version/update incompatibility (should be relatively easy since the check indicates it not 'required version' - so ...else display '...need to update to compatible version ##...'). The relevant supported version documents should be updated in the Help Center.
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Is there a way to tell one's browser to obfuscate one's OS? After all, as far as I know, websites shouldn't care about operating systems -- that's the browser's job.
Can someone at FS confirm or deny that their website purposely throttles Mac usage like this?
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@Julia Szent-Györgyi - I make no promises, but I'll see what I can find out.
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https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/which-internet-browsers-are-compatible
"Supported browsers
Regardless of the operating system you use, our website works with these fully supported browsers:
- Apple Safari—the current version and one previous
- Google Chrome—the current version and one previous
- Microsoft Edge—the current version and one previous
- Mozilla Firefox—the current version and one previous"
According to this help page it does not matter which OS I am using, just which version of the browser. I tried the most recent versions of Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. Search does not even answer back on Safari and Chrome. It is very glitchie on Firefox (ie cutting off the bottom of the search result, taking a long time to respond, not returning results that make sense based on the search criteria, etc).
I repeat, I am using the current version of all 3 browsers. FS Record Search doesn't work on the Mac.
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Are you people using PiHole by any chance? I just found out the site is trying to load data from auth.split.io and sdk.split.io and both were blocked in PiHole for me. After whitelisting them, the Search page started to appear and work for me.
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Thank you for posting this. I use pihole, and recently have only been able to use FamilySearch if I VPN off of my home network. I'll give this a try.
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Just an update... Search still does not work in fully updated Safari or Chrome, partially works in Firefox. Person merging and record attaching do not work in Firefox but partially works in Safari.
Tested all the above on someone else's Mac running Big Sur (one OS back) and fully updated browsers on a fully patched and updated system. Family Tree works in Chrome, nothing else does. In Chrome you can't look at your account settings, you can't merge people, you can't search records, and you can't attached sources. Most things seem to work in Firefox, but is sometimes glitchie.
So...still doesn't work, even on supported OS
Update: Also, we aren't using PiHole, and the addresses are not blocked on pour home network.
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FYI
Just in passing ...
I do not use, any "Apple" products/devices ...
[ So, be kind, bear that in mind ... ]
IF, the "Browsers" are "Supported" (and, the "Versions" are up-to-date); and, the "Operating Systems" are NOT too OLD (and, the "Versions" are up-to-date); THEN, ...
Question: WHAT about any "Add" BLOCKERS (or, the like)?
Something, that is NOT easily evident; as, others, have found "Add" BLOCKERS, that they were NOT aware of...
Just in case ...
Here are some "Knowledge Articles", in 'FamilySearch':
Pages won't open on FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/pages-wont-open-on-familysearch
How do I keep pop-up blockers from causing issues?
And ...
Resetting Safari on an iPad
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/resetting-safari-on-an-ipad
Plus ...
I can't see top-level menu or other parts of FamilySearch
Where, it states, among other things:
Quote
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Turning off an ad blocker or similar program
Adjust the settings of the program that blocks the FamilySearch display to solve this type of problem. We recommend that you look for specific instructions online or use the Help feature of the services and programs that you use.
Here are some of the kinds of instructions or titles you might look for:
- How to add a website as an exception to the sites a service blocks.
- How to add a website to the program's white list.
- How to unblock website.
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I am not suggesting, that you have not already tried such; nor, that such can help/assist.
I just hope, that these may be of some help/assist.
Brett
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@Brett
Thanks for responding. I turned off all ad blockers, on each browser. That isn't the problem.
I tried to access FamilySearch on three other Macs. It still doesn't work. It is not me and it is not my computer and it is not my OS or my browsers. FamilySearch does not work on Macs. If someone who can actually debug this wants to contact me, I can show/tell them the problems.
I am stubbornly continueing family history using FamilySearch, but it requires me having two or three browsers open at the same time. When something doesn't work in one browser, I cut/paste the current url into the next browser. Some things work on Safari and some things work on Firefox. Chrome is usually not possible at all. It is very frustrating. When it won't work on any browser, I call a friend with a Windows computer (an OLD Windows computer) and she performs the needed operation (usually a merge).
FamilySearch works on OLD Windows, it doesn't work on Macs. It's not the operating system, it's not the computer, it's not the human using the computer.
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