When you see about:blank (about blank) on a web browser’s address bar, you’re viewing a blank page. About Blank is an element built into your web browser for viewing blank pages or when nothing loads up. This element is a part of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi, and many other browsers.
Some people might prefer using the about:blank (About Blank) page as their home page instead of a New Tab page or a specific page. However, if you’re someone who doesn’t like a blank page on their browser, we’ll show you how to switch the about:blank page to a new tab page or a specific page.
What is about:blank (About Blank)? What does it mean?
About Blank (about:blank) is simply a blank page built into your browser. However, when it comes to about URL pages, these are the part of about:URL scheme used by web browsers. The “about:” part in the URL instructs the URL to show the browser’s internal pages.
For instance, if we type about:settings in the URL, it’ll redirect you to the browser’s Settings page. Similarly, if you type in the URL, you’ll be redirected to the Downloads page of the browser.
Similarly, when you type in about:blank on your address bar and press Enter, an empty page is loaded without any element on it. Again, it’s not hosted on the internet. But it is hosted on your Web Browser.
How is about:blank (About Blank) Useful?
Many users use this page as their home page knowingly or unknowingly. This leaves them with a blank page every time they open their home page.
Usually, web browsers will display about:blank if they don’t have anything to display on the web page. A browser must display something at all times, and if it isn’t displaying, your browser will redirect you to about:blank. Put, an about:blank page is a browser’s way of showing a blank page.
If you want to see a blank page when you open your web browser, you can follow these steps to set your home page as about:blank.
- Open your Web Browser of your choice.
- Type “about:settings” on the address bar, and press the Enter or the Return key.
- In your browser’s settings, croll down to “On startup” section.
Alternatively, you can search for “Home” in the search bar. - Look for something that lets you set a default homepage.
In Chrome, you’ll see something like shown below. - Select the text box, and type “about:blank” in it.
Now go to your home page, and you’ll see a blank page instead of a New Tab. Using an About Blank page as the home page or every time you start your browser reduces the load on your processor. This way, your browser loads up faster and doesn’t use many resources at the same time.
Is about:blank (About Blank) a Virus or a Malware?
No, the about:blank (About Blank) is not a virus, malware, or dangerous file. You don’t need to be afraid of an about blank page. However, malware can set your browser to display an about:blank page if you didn’t set it yourself.
If you see an about:blank page, and you didn’t set it intentionally, then your PC might be affected by malware. In such cases, you can perform a full scan of your PC with Windows Defender or any other anti-virus of your choice.
How to Get Rid of the about:blank (About Blank) page?
You can’t actually get rid of the about:blank page. However, you can hide it completely if you don’t want to see it again. Since it is a page built into the browser, you can’t actually remove it.
To get rid of the about blank page, you need to change your browser’s home page. This way, you’ll see your browser’s New Tab page or a specific page you want. Here’s how to change your browser’s home page to get rid of about blank page on any browser.
Google Chrome
If you’re using Google Chrome on your PC, you can remove the about:blank page on it too. Here’s how you can change your homepage on Google Chrome to get rid of the About blank page:
- Click on the menu (three vertical dots), and select Settings.
- Head over to the “On Startup” section, and select one of these options:
- Open the New Tab Page
- Delete about:blank under Open a Specific page and type in your favorite page.
This will remove the about blank page from your Chrome browser. So you can choose any preferred option from the above.
Apple Safari
Similarly, on a Mac, click on Safari to remove the about blank page on Apple Safari. Then navigate to Preferences > General tab. Now replace about:blank with your preferred page.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft has launched its Chromium-based browser as well. To remove the about blank page from Microsoft Edge, click Menu and navigate to Settings. Click on the “Start, Home, and New Tabs” option on the left. From the “When Edge Starts” section, select either “Open the New Tab Page” or remove the “about:blank” page from the list of the pages that open when you launch Edge.
Other Browsers
You’ll find the same settings on other browsers as well, especially the ones based on Chromium. You can head over to Settings and change the webpage that opens upon startup. Either go with a new tab page or choose your favorite site instead of the “about:blank” page.
About:Blank (About Blank) Pages are Safe Usually
We hope you understood everything about the “about:blank” pages and their usage in web browsers. Since it’s a part of a browser, you can feel safer and be rest assured. If you are running macOS, there’s less probability that it’s malware or virus. On the contrary, the risk is still there if you’re running Windows.
You don’t need to worry when you see an about:blank page on your web browser. But if you haven’t set it yourself or it didn’t come with the browser by default, then you need to worry. It’s always recommended to check for possible malware and virus from time to time to avoid them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you be worried if a page redirects you to about:blank page?
The straightforward answer to this question is yes and no. Usually, it isn’t a concern when you see the about:blank page once in a while. This can become concerning if you repeatedly see your sites being redirected to about:blank or your browser opens up in an about blank page.
Is about:blank a virus or malware?
The about:blank page is not a virus or malware. But if you’re worried about your files and documents, then you should use software like Malwarebytes to scan your PC or Mac.
How to fix about:blank page?
Given that you see about a blank page on every page of your browser, you should be careful. Take a step back and run a virus scan like mentioned above. Try clearing your browser’s cache and history if possible to avoid any further damage.
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