about:blank is used to set the browser page or tab as an empty page. It is very popularly used for different browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.
First it may seem it is an error but it is not an error to see the address bar with about:blank and the content of the page completely white or empty.
What Is about:blank?
“about:” is a browser command typed into the address bar where different settings and configurations of the browser can be accessed and set. “about:blank” is one of them where the current web page content will be set as blank or nothing.
Alternatively the “about:” can be used to open settings with the “about:config” like below. Or “about:downloads” will open the download list for the current browser.
Is about:blank An Error?
You may as that is “about:blank” an error? Normally it is not an error. It is just a useful feature provided by the browsers for different use cases. But in some rare situations it may be the result of the malware of virus if it is opened again and again automatically without the user intension.
Is About:Blank A Virus or Malware?
As stated previous part “about:blank” is not a virus or malware. It is just a feature of the modern day browsers to provide user to set his start page. But in rare cases the “about:blank” can be the result of the virus or malware. If the web browsers start automatically and opens multiple “about:blank” pages in a crazy mood you should scan your computer for virus or malware.
Why Use about:blank?
As “about:blank” is just a blank web page without any code, content or script why should be use “about:blank”? Well there are different cases where “about:blank” is very useful and using it will provide some advantages.
- Open a new tab very fast without loading a web page which will take some time.
- Open a clean new tab to start surfing.
- Preventing to show or hide regularly visited web pages which will be shown.
- Preventing bandwidth usage with an empty web page at the start.
- Preventing Google Search as the start page of the browser.
- Make your homepage a blank screen.
Set about:blank For Google Chrome
From Google Chrome menu Settings or just type “chrome://settings/” to the address bar. From the “On startup” part select “Open a specific page or set of pages” like below.
Set the “Site URL” as “about:blank” like below and then click to the “Add” button.
Newly added “about:blank” will be listed as start page.
Set about:blank For Mozilla Firefox
Open the Mozilla Firefox settings from menu or just type “about:preferences” to the address bar. Then from left sidebar click to “Home” whereyou will see the followin screen.
From the “Homepage and new windows” configuration select the “Blank Page” which is equal to “about:config”. Alternatively you can put a “Custom URLs” and type “about:config”.
Set about:blank For Safari
For Apple Safari browser click to Preferences->General which will open following general configuration screen. From “Homepage” set the value as “about:blank”.
Set about:blank For Microsoft Edge/Internet Explorer
First of all, you shouldn’t be using the old Internet Explorer. Open the Microsoft Edge browser and then from Edge menu click to “View advanced settings” like below.
From the page configuration select “A specific Page” which will open a text are where we will put “about:blank”. The last step we will save by clicking the diskette icon.
