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Why Is iCloud.com Website Not Loading in Firefox, Chrome Browser?

Update: This is a rant. I don’t like the way iCloud works (actually, it doesn’t)!

So this just happened: I was planning to write an article on syncing data between iOS and Mac… which is why I had to visit the iCloud.com website using my Firefox browser. Apple showed me this screen:

This loading screen appears on the iCloud’s homepage (iCloud.com). Until it goes away, I couldn’t login to my iCloud account.

And this issue was bothering me.

I was on a pretty good Internet connection with 2 Mbps speed, so WiFi / Internet wasn’t an issue.

iCloud website worked before. I have done it several times.

But now, it doesn’t.

Before I could even think, my fingers were already on the CMD + R key, trying to reload the website.

Even after repeated refreshes – iCloud blessed us with the same spinning wheel.

Next Logical Step: Try iCloud Another Browser

I fired up Google Chrome and typed in iCloud.com to see if the website was loading now.

Nope.

Same old freakin’ spinning wheel.

Picked up my Android device, launched the Android Chrome browser and quickly went to iCloud.com.

This time?

No spinning wheel.

Whoa.

That’s right.

In fact, Chrome on Android showed me this:

“Your browser is not currently supported. You may be able to use iCloud with the mail, contacts and calendar apps on your device.”

What a bummer!

Well done, Apple!

Now I have these so-called modern browsers that are absolutely useless.

Fixing the iCloud Loading Issue

Apple has a troubleshooting guide. And here’s what they recommend to force open iCloud.com website:

• Use a supported web browser (check)
• Enable cookies and JavaScript (check)
• Troubleshooting the cache (check)

I have done it all.

In fact, even clearing cache multiple number of times – changing the time range from last two hours to last four hours to everything – did not help.

Apple’s solution is very generic.

One that doesn’t always work.

I was able to create a quick video highlighting the problem with Apple’s iCloud website. You will see repeated reloads and even clearing the cache never fixed the problem.

As usual, Apple recommends you to use the Safari browser.

This is what appeared when we use Safari to access iCloud:

Yep – Safari shows iCloud’s login box.

Firefox doesn’t.

Chrome doesn’t.

I tried to see if I was the only one – nope, many users are frustrated.

Especially Windows users – who do not have Safari pre-installed.

And downloading another browser, then using it just to open iCloud?

That’s a massive pain in the b***.

While I cannot explain why or how Firefox and Chrome browser loads iCloud sometimes… and doesn’t load sometimes…

Apple should seriously get rid of the “closed” ecosystem they are trying to create.

Focus on optimizing iCloud on Firefox and other browsers.

And we should at least be able to access iCloud on our Android smartphones and tablets that runs on Chrome browser.

Maybe that’s a “new” feature we can expect in 2016. Maybe.