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What is About Blank(about:blank)?

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Have you ever attempted to navigate to a website page only to see “about: blank” shown on the address line, where the desired URL is?

Be assured that it can happen at times, and isn’t a problem. The following article will allow you to find out:

  • what about:blank means
  • the reason it appears
  • the reasons you might consider using this method
  • If you are able to remove it whether you can get rid of it
  • Whether you should be worried about whether you should worry about

Let’s begin.

What is about:blank?

About: blank page is displayed when your browser does not have anything other than a page to show. It’s not an actual page that you can access via the web but something that is internal to your browser.

The “about” part of what you see comes from your browser’s URI or URL scheme. You can use “about:[whateveryou want to know)” within the address field in order to get more regarding your web browser.

It works with the majority of major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Chromium, Internet Explorer, and so on.

For instance example, in Chrome you can enter “about dino” (which Chrome changes to chrome://dino) and Chrome will show the notorious “No internet” dino message. Why is that?

If you’ve never tried the no-internet games, discover how (and be ready to spend the rest of your life). It’s not over there.

For instance, “about:about” displays a list of URLs for Chrome: So many URLs (and there were more. Screenshots can only be so big.)

Return on the “:blank” portion of the text. It simply instructs your browser to bring up a blank page when it doesn’t have any other page to show.

Then it displays a blank white page, with nothing else to do with it: They named it well.

It’s not an internet-connected website It’s an empty page that the browser has on hand to fulfill a specific reason.

What causes about:blank?

Why is it that this blank page appears? One of the primary reasons are:

  • If you’ve found an incorrect link/URL
  • If your browser isn’t sure which direction to take or how to proceed, then it needs to perform something and inform you: blank
  • If your browser is able to detect something potentially harmful (like malware) certain browsers display about:blank rather than advancing to dangerous terrain.

So, as you will see, the word “blank” by itself isn’t something to be concerned about. However, if you’re seeing it frequently and you’re not sure, it’s time to look into your computer for malware. We’ll discuss that further below.

Uses for about:blank

You might be thinking why I’d need this blank page to be displayed intentionally? This seems like a waste of time.

But not so fast.

If you’re experiencing limited bandwidth or low internet connectivity, you could make your browser’s homepage be about:blank. This way, when you start your browser, or a new tab it will load very quickly, without wasting one millisecond or resource.

Also Read :  How To Fix Runtime Broker (RuntimeBroker.exe)

How to set about:blank as your homepage

In Chrome, you can open your menu (those three tiny vertical dots that are located in the upper right-hand corner of the browser) and scroll to”On Startup. “On Initialization” section (likely near the bottom):

Then, select “Open an individual web page, or set of webpages” (the 3rd option) and enter “about:blank” into the text field that pops up.

When you then launch your browser or another tab, you will find a blank, white page.

Other uses for about:blank

You may also want to ensure that after you start your browser, you have no tabs or any other elements that you had previously browsed were deleted.

This is advantageous in terms of privacy, allows users to begin a surfing session without the internet, and consumes less bandwidth.

Can you get rid of about:blank?

About:blank shouldn’t be something you “get off of” or stay clear of. However, if you’re seeing it each when you open the browser you’re using, it might be due to the fact that it’s configured to show about:blank on launch.

If you don’t want this to happen, just log into your account and change the homepage to whatever you’d like to have it be (following the same steps as previously).

Is about:blank malware or a virus?

As we’ve seen in this article, blank itself isn’t a threat. However, it could indicate the computer’s blocking malware. Therefore, they could be connected.

Certain anti-virus and anti-malware programs utilize about:blank to identify the presence of a malicious URL or site. Instead of redirecting you to the malicious website, the browser will show this blank page in order to protect you.

The about:blank web page may show up after you’ve eliminated malicious software from the system. If during your removal process something goes wrong, the browser will show about:blank since it isn’t able to complete the task that you instructed it to carry out.

If, in the end, you’re planning to use the following as your home page or think that you’ll need to research the possibility of viruses or malware in your system You don’t have to be concerned regarding:blank.

I am a dedicated and passionate writer. A self-starter who learns through hands-on experience, research, and collaboration. Detail-oriented and attuned to the big picture.

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