How to Enable JavaScript on Mac

JavaScript is necessary for properly functioning websites; it allows webpages to be interactive and is used on both the client and server sides. It also adds dynamic content to web pages to make them look nice. Needless to say that enabling JavaScript on your browser is very important and, if not done so, may lead to some discrepancies when loading the website.

You can enable Javascript on Mac using a series of steps that are very easy to follow. Open Google Chrome on your system. Now, head over to the menu bar and click on Chrome. From here, select Preferences, and go to Privacy & Security tab. Next, open Site Settings from the list of options. Furthermore, look for JavaScript under the content section. Select it and check the box beside Sites can use JavaScript option.

This article guides you on how you can enable JavaScript in various browsers on Mac. Keep reading to find out more.

How to Enable JavaScript on Mac?

Here are the steps you can follow to enable Javascript on Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, and by using Terminal. Let us look at all of them.

1. Safari

Safari is the default browser that comes preinstalled on all Macs; it should already have JavaScript enabled by default, but if, for some reason, you need to turn it back on, use the steps provided below to do it.

• Open Safari from the dock or the Applications tab within the Finder window. 
• Head over to the Menu bar and click on Safari. 
• Select Preferences from the list; alternatively, you can also use the Command-Comma shortcut to do the same.

• Click on the Security tab. 
• Check the box next to the Enable JavaScript option. 

2. Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the most used browser out there and the most downloaded. Use the steps below to see how you can enable JavaScript. 

• Open a Finder window and head over to the Applications tab, search for Google Chrome, and double-click on it to open it.
• Head over to the Menu bar and click on Chrome. 
• Select Preferences from the list or use the Command-Comma shortcut to do the same.

• Alternatively, you can also click on the three vertical dots at the window’s top-right corner and select Settings from the list. 
• From the left side menu, click on the Privacy & Security tab.

• Click on Site Settings.

• Find the JavaScript tab, which should be located under the Content section.

• Click on it, and check the circle next to the Sites can use JavaScript option. 

Read How to Save iMovie on Your Mac

3. Firefox

Firefox is also one of the most famous browsers after Chrome and Safari; refer to the instructions below to see how you can enable JavaScript.

• Launch Firefox from the dock or launch a finder window; click on the Applications tab from the menu on the left-hand side and double-click on Firefox to launch it. 
• Type in “about config” without quotations in the address bar and hit return. 
• You will see a warning pop-up; click on I will be careful; I promise to move ahead. 
• You will find a search bar on the top, click on it, enter “ javascript.enabled “ without quotation, and press the return key. 
• Select Javascript. Enable and double-click on it to change its value to true. 

4. Using Terminal

This process is a bit different, and you will install certain packages to use this method. Refer to the instructions provided below to see how it is done.

• Launch a Finder window and click on the Applications tab from the menu on the left-hand side. 
• Search for the Utilities folder and open it. 
• Double-click on the Terminal application to open it. 
• To run JavaScript on Mac, you must install the Javascript runtime Node.js.
• Type in: curl “https://nodejs.org/dist/latest/node-${VERSION:-$(wget -qO- https://nodejs.org/dist/latest/ | sed -nE ‘s|.*>node-(.*)\.pkg</a>.*|\1|p’)}.pkg” > “$HOME/Downloads/node-latest.pkg” && sudo installer -store -pkg “$HOME/Downloads/node-latest.pkg” -target “/”
• Hit the return key to run the command. 
• Now, you need to check whether Node.js has been installed properly on your system or not. 
• To do that, open up the terminal again, type in “ node -v “ without quotations and press the return key. 
• If it is installed properly, you will see the version number of Node.js displayed on the screen. 
• Now, you need to save your JavaScript file as a .js file. 
• Once that has been done, relaunch a terminal window and use the “cd” command to change the directory. For example: cd /Users/myusername/Downloads/
• Now, open the file in Node.js; this can be done using the Node command followed by the file’s name. Example: Node hello.js
• Your output should be displayed within a terminal window.

Read How to Delete Messages on Mac

Why is my JavaScript not working on my Mac?

Even after trying all the methods mentioned above, your Javascript does not seem to be working on Mac. There are certain fixes you can choose to try other than the ones mentioned above.

The major reason behind this could be the fact that your Antivirus might be interfering with the functions or the firewall enabled by your network provider. Furthermore, you need to disable your Antivirus or try contacting your ISP to make sure all these possibilities are out of the picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

That’s it for this article, folks; now you know how to enable JavaScript on all the browsers on Mac and also how you can use it within Terminal. JavaScript should be enabled by default on all browsers, but some browsers like Tor have JavaScript disabled to protect the user’s privacy and offer better security.

You may like the following mac tutorials:

• How to Delete Downloads on Mac
• How to Make a Scroll Bar Appear on Mac
• iCloud Drive Take Up Space on Mac
• How to Move a Folder on Mac
• How to Turn on Skype Camera on Mac