about:blank Meaning and How To Remove It

Have you ever tried to access a website and instead seen “about:blank” in the address bar? If you see “about:blank” in your browser’s address bar, you’re on a browser-generated blank page. It’s in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and IE.

About:blank is fine. Most people have their browser set with about:blank as their home page, their web browser always starts with a blank white screen. I’ll show you how to stop your web browser from opening with about:blank if you are not liking it.

What is about:blank?

“about:blank” pages are part of the “about:URL” scheme used by browsers to perform internal commands. Most browsers use ‘about’ instructions like ‘about:about,’ ‘about:cache,’ and ‘about:plugins.’

An “about:blank” tab or window does not have or is not designed to load a webpage. But these windows aren’t just blank websites; they contain hidden browser functionalities. In short, “about:blank” is a blank page that isn’t a URL; it’s a browser command.

about:blank Meaning and How To Remove It

This is your browser’s default blank page. The “about:” directive instructs the browser to display internal web pages. If you’re using Chrome, type about:settings or about:downloads into the address bar that will open the settings page and downloads page respectively.

A blank page will be loaded when you type about:blank into the address box and hit Enter. You don’t need to go to the internet to see this page.

Is about:blank Malware or Virus?

Many people believe “about:blank” is a computer virus, but it isn’t. The “about:blank” scenario is just a blank webpage displayed when a browser wants to present a blank page.

Not supplied from an external source, this page is safe for your computer. But spyware can make a browser open blank.

The about:blank page isn’t malicious. If you suspect your computer has malware, we recommend running a scan with your preferred antimalware tool.

We like Malwarebytes and recommend it for your PC. The free version can manually scan for viruses. Premium includes automated background scanning. Malwarebytes works on both Windows PCs and Mac PCs.

Usefullness of about:blank

About:blank is a popular choice for a home page. Each time you open your browser, you will be presented with an empty page.

To accomplish this, simply go to your browser’s settings and tell it to open with “about:blank” rather than another web page.

If a web browser launches and doesn’t know what more to show, it may open the blank about:blank page. After all, a browser must always show something, and loading about:blank is a way to show a blank page.

For a variety of reasons, many enjoy the idea of starting their browser on a blank page, including:

  • Keeping the browser from reopening multiple tabs or windows from a previous session
  • Ensure privacy before to start
  • Managing bandwidth by starting their session in a non-internet browser tab.
  • Leaving the homepage empty
  • Managing processes on an older computer

How to set Your HomePage as about:blank

Open the Chrome menu (the three little vertical dots in the upper right corner of the browser) and scroll down to the “On Startup” area of the settings at the bottom.

Then select “Open a specific page or set of pages” (the third option) and type in “about:blank” to the text field that appears.

Now, whenever you will open the new tab you will see the default webpage is set to about blank page.

How to Fix about:blank Issue?

If you are getting about:blank page again and again whenever you are opening the new tab then you can go to the setting and set the website you desired to open whenever you open a new tab.

If you made your home page blank, simply go to settings and alter it to anything you like. Most browsers include prior or pre-included choices to help you. In this case, insert a new URL into the box or area.

How to Fix about:blank Issue

How to Stop About Blank Popups

Stopping about:blank pages relies on why they are shown. Just go back into your browser settings and undo any modifications you made to open blank sites.

If you frequently encounter blank pages, you should first remove malware or viruses, then reinstall Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or whichever browser you use. Infection removal can leave your PC with missing files and browser settings that weren’t repaired/replaced after the malware was eliminated.

Except in the two cases mentioned above, you should usually leave about:blank alone. Defensive URLs are those that don’t execute code or deceive you into doing an action.

Although these sites are safe, you should conduct a virus scan if you view them frequently. The pages may be caused by a virus on your computer or web browser. If you use another browser and the page works, the problem is most likely with your browser.

To fix the web page, try clearing the cache in that browser, closing it, then reopening it. You can also update the browser to see if the issue is resolved.

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