About:Blank: What is it, Is it Harmful?

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About Blank Chrome
About Blank Chrome

About:blank is an empty page built into your web browser.

It is included in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, and other browsers.

Have you ever opened a browser only to be met with a blank page?

There is no need to be concerned about the about:blank page.

In fact, it can speed up your browser and even protect you from malware.

Continue reading to find out what the About Blank page is, what it does, and how you can use a secure browser to enjoy safe, fast browsing.

What is about:blank?

The about:blank page, also known as About Blank, is an empty browser tab that appears when your browser has nothing else to display.

The about:blank page may appear if your browser does not have a home setting or if the web address you entered does not exist.

Because a blank display in your browser when there is nothing else to show is not an actual webpage.

About Blank is a feature of your browser.

Simply enter a valid URL or search term into the address bar of any web browser to get past about blank.

The about:blank page isn’t a problem to be solved; in fact, it can be beneficial.

For example, on Chrome, the About Blank address bar functions in the same way as the Google search bar.

In addition to lowering browser battery consumption, the about:blank page can act as an additional defence mechanism alongside Chrome security extensions when your browser is attacked by malware.

Directing you to the about:blank page immediately is especially effective against scareware pop-ups that try to scare you into clicking them.

The about:blank page can be a useful tool across PC, Mac, and mobile devices once you understand how it works.

It can help you avoid visiting unsafe websites and also function as a search engine.

What is about:blank on a Phone?

If you see the about:blank page on your phone, it means the same thing as if you see it on your desktop.

This does not imply that your phone is infected.

It simply means you haven’t chosen a home page or your web browser is having difficulty displaying the content.

Is about:blank a virus or malware? About.blank virus

Because about:blank is not malware and there is no such thing as a about blank virus, the About Blank page is not a cause for concern.

However, malware can make it appear more frequently because your browser defaults to a blank link to protect against computer viruses.

If about:blank appears on a regular basis, or in conjunction with other potential signs of malware such as device crashes or sluggish performance, it could be a sign that something is wrong with your device.

Even if you suspect that something is a bogus virus warning, if in doubt, run an antivirus scan to be certain.

However, when about blank opens, it is usually for reasons unrelated to security, such as:

  • A misspelt or broken URL
  • Internet connectivity issues
  • Cache problems
  • A faulty website
  • Clicking on something that is still loading
  • Having too many browser extensions open

You can’t completely remove the about:blank page because it’s the default page that the browser displays when there’s nothing else to show.

But don’t worry about removing it; some people even prefer to begin browsing sessions with a “nothing” page!

If you believe your device has been infected with malware, follow our instructions for removing a virus from your computer or removing mobile malware.

Is the about:blank page useful?

The About Blank page is certainly useful. Because about:blank is completely empty, it loads extremely quickly and can serve as a good homepage for slow devices or connections.

It also functions well as a blank Google search page for those who prefer to start from scratch each time.

About Blank is useful for:

  • Slow connections
  • Low-battery emergencies
  • Starting browsing sessions without previous sessions’ tabs loaded
  • Minimalist appeal and fewer distractions

The “blank” after “about:” instructs the browser to display a blank page; however, you can instruct the browser to perform other actions by typing different words into the address bar.

For example, in Chrome, about:downloads displays your downloads page, about:apps displays your apps, and about:newtab displays a new tab.

The specific commands you can use are determined by your browser.

Set about:blank as your homepage if you prefer a minimalist, clutter-free browsing experience or want to experiment with any of the potential uses of About Blank.

What causes about:blank?

So, why does this blank page appear from time to time?

Some of the most common reasons are:

  • If you’ve encountered a bad link/URL
  • If the browser doesn’t know where to go or what to do, it has to do something – so it displays about:blank
  • If your browser detects something dangerous (such as malware), some browsers will display about:blank instead of entering dangerous territory.

As you can see, about:blank isn’t a cause for concern in and of itself.

However, if you notice it frequently, you should scan your computer for malware. More on that later.

Uses for about:blank

You may be wondering why I would want a blank page to appear on purpose.

Seems pretty useless. Not so quickly.

If you have limited bandwidth or a slow internet connection, you can change the homepage of your browser to about:blank.

As a result, whenever you open your browser or a new tab, it will load super fast without wasting a single resource or millisecond.

Why Does about:blank Page Appear?

Although it may not appear to make much sense, the about:blank feature is critical for your web browser.

Browsers operate in the following manner during normal operations:

  • First, you enter a URL or click a button or web link.
  • The browser connects to the webserver, requests your page, and receives the code necessary to display the desired page.
  • The HTML or PHP is deciphered by the browser.
  • The browser renders the page in accordance with the code.

In most cases, there is no need for a about:blank page, so you would not see it.

However, consider a scenario in which it would be required:

  • While looking for free games to play, you come across a link and attempt to download the installation file.
  • Within the tag used for the download link, there is a target=” blank” parameter.
  • The code instructs your browser to download the file and display a blank web page.
  • The file downloaded will be visible at the bottom of the about:blank page.

This may be inconvenient for the user, but it is just one method that web developers use to code file download links.

There is nothing dangerous to be concerned about.

Should You Set About Blank as a Start Page?

Set about:blank as your own browser page quickly and easily.

You are not required to use advanced settings, extensions, internal commands, or contact customer service.

Set about:blank as your homepage

Because about:blank consumes few resources, making it your homepage can be useful if you’re running low on battery power or have a slow computer.

Some people simply prefer the look and feel of the about:blank page and use it in conjunction with blocking Chrome popups to keep their browsing experience clutter-free and minimalist.

In both newer browsers like Chrome and Firefox, as well as older browsers like Internet Explorer, you can set your homepage to about:blank.

How to set about:blank as your homepage on Chrome

1. Launch Chrome.

2. Select Settings from the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of your browser window. (First, type about:settings to see how the About Blank page works.)

3. Select Startup.

4. Choose Open a specific page or group of pages.

5. Enter about:blank and press Add.

How to set about:blank as your homepage on Safari

1. Launch Safari, then select Preferences from the Safari Menu.

2. Navigate to the General tab and change your homepage to about:blank.

How to set about:blank as your homepage on Edge

1. Launch Edge, then click the three horizontal dots and choose Settings.

2. Select Start, Home, and New Tabs from the menu. Choose Open these pages, then Add a new page.

3. Enter about:blank and press Add.

How to set about:blank as your homepage on Firefox

1. Launch Firefox, then click the three horizontal lines and choose Settings.

2. Select Home, then Custom URLs next to Homepage and new windows.

3. Enter about:blank into the address bar.

Using about:blank as your homepage should help your computer run faster, but having too many browser extensions can also slow it down.

Remove any Chrome extensions that you aren’t using to see if it improves performance.

How to Set about:blank For Opera

Many Opera users change the startup page because the default settings for the Opera start page can be cumbersome.

You can clean up the Opera startup page in two ways, using internet options.

Method 1

1. In the top right corner, click the Easy Setup button.

2. You’ll find a setting Start page below the appearance.

By default, all toggles will be enabled.

3. You want a blank tab as your startup page, so turn off all the toggles from Show Wallpaper to Show Weather.

4. You must now close Opera, and when you reopen it, you will see a completely blank page with the exception of a Google search bar.

Method 2

If you don’t want the Google search box, do the following:

1. Type opera:/settings into the search bar.

Then, scroll down until you reach the On startup settings section.

It will be set to Begin fresh with the start page by default.

2. Choose Open a specific page or set of pages, then Add a new page and enter about:blank in the Site URL.

3. When you restart Opera, you will see a completely blank startup page.

Removing about:blank

Because the About Blank page is part of your browser, it cannot be completely removed.

However, you can remove about:blank from your startup page.

If you suspect it’s a sign of a malware infection, use the best antivirus software to remove viruses, worms, trojans, and other infections.

If you try to visit a website and access is denied for security reasons, your browser may display about:blank#blocked.

About blank blocked, like the regular About Blank page, cannot be completely disabled.

When a browser detects a threat, the page is prevented from loading. When this happens, your browser has no choice but to display about:blank#blocked.

You don’t need any software to prevent blank from opening. All you need to do to get free blank removal is change your browser settings.

How to remove about:blank Chrome

1. Launch Chrome, then select Settings from the three vertical dots.

2. Select Open a specific page or set of pages from the Startup menu.

3. Remove the about:blank start page.

How to Get Rid of about:blank in Safari

1. Launch Safari, navigate to the Safari menu, and select Preferences.

2. Navigate to the General tab.

3. Replace about:blank with a different page as your homepage.

How to remove about:blank on Edge

1. Launch Edge, then click the three horizontal dots and choose Settings.

2. Select Start, Home, and New Tabs from the menu.

3. Select Open these pages, navigate to about:blank, and delete.

How to remove about:blank on Firefox

1. Launch Firefox, then click the three horizontal lines and choose Settings.

2. Select Custom URLs next to Homepage and new windows by clicking Home.

3. Choose Restore Defaults.

How to Stop Those About Blank Popups

Stopping about:blank pages is dependent on why they are shown in the first place.

If you changed your browser settings to open blank pages, you must return to the browser settings and undo those changes.

If you frequently get blank pages, you should first stop using malware or viruses because they can corrupt the browser.

And then uninstall and reinstall Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or whatever you use. Removing malware from your PC may also result in missing files and browser settings that were not repaired/replaced when the malware was removed.

Aside from the two scenarios mentioned above, you should probably leave the about:blank functionality alone.

Blank pages are now used by many antivirus and anti-malware programmes to prevent dangerous URLs from executing code or tricking you into taking action.

FAQs

Who owns about:blank clothing?

Who are the people behind Blank? Perry Davies and fashion blogger and influencer Jack Henderson founded About Blank Clothing.

About:blank hoodie?

When it comes to fit and structure, the about:blank black 430gsm fleece-backed cotton jersey logo hoodies & sweats collection competes with the best.

Why is about:blank blocked?

When the page you are loading is blocked for security reasons, the About:blank#blocked page is displayed. In that case, Chrome displays the About Blank blocked page because it is unsure what to display.

About Blank Game?

BLANK is a fast and fun interactive game that you can personalise with each win! Players use cards in their hands to match colours and numbers.

After you’ve used all of your cards to win the game, MAKE YOUR MARK by creating a new Game Effect or Rule Card. Every play permanently alters the game, making your copy of BLANK truly unique.

What is a blank t-shirt?

A “about:blank t-shirt” is essentially a t-shirt that has been dyed a solid colour but has not been embellished in any way.

How to fix about:blank#blocked in chrome?

In Google Chrome, go to the Settings menu.

Select “Open the New Tab page” from the “On startup” column, remove About Blank from the web pages that start on startup, and replace it with your preferred web page.

What is Memes about Blank?

Blank, editable templates of the most popular trending and most recent memes.

Over a million templates are constantly updated.

About who is Blank Space by Taylor Swift wrote about?

Yes, you guessed correctly. Harry Styles. A pattern is emerging here. Swift confirmed it was about Harry after having to perform the song in front of Harry at the 2013 BRIT Awards.

What exactly is an about-face blank?

Definition of blank face: Something that has nothing on it.

About a blank cheque, What is it?

A signed cheque with a blank space for the payee to fill in.

A blank cheque gives someone the authority to spend as much money as they need or desire.

About to blank out, what does it mean?

To forget something. There are 11 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for blank-out, including lose concentration, whiteout, cross out, lose memory, become abstracted, delete, erase, draw-a-blank, forget, block, and cancel.

Taylor Swift about blank space, who helped write the song?

“Blank Space” is the second track from her fifth studio album, 1989, and was written by her, Max Martin, and Shellback.

On November 10, 2014, it was released as the album’s second single, following “Shake It Off.”

The music video was released the same day as the single.

Why do I get this message about blank blocked?

“about:blank” is a blank page built into your web browser that appears when nothing else is displayed.

It is not malware, but it may occur as a result of malware removal.

“aboutblank#blocked” may appear as a result of security software restricting access to something.

Movie About Blank Check?

The plot revolves around a young man who inherits a blank check and uses it to buy a house under an alias, only to be pursued by several members of the bank where he cashed it.

About Blank HTML, what is it?

What Is The Meaning Of The _Blank Link Attribute?

The _blank link attribute instructs the browser to open a link in a new tab.

You can have multiple links that use the _blank link attribute, and each different link with that _blank attribute will open a new browser tab when clicked.

Conclusion

The about:blank page, like many other computer-related things, serves a purpose.

It can also be useful if you want to accelerate the startup process.

However, if this continues, some people may become frustrated.

There are methods for determining what is wrong, but in general, there is nothing to be concerned about.