How to Continuously Refresh a Web Page
Are you following a breaking news event? Maybe you're checking up on scores of your favorite sports team? If you need the latest news from your browser, you become intimately familiar with that circular arrow refresh icon.
But who has time to spam that refresh button or wait until the screen refreshes itself?
If you want to take control of when and how a web page automatically refreshes, there are some workarounds to get there. Discover how to automatically refresh your web page using a variety of internet browsers in this article.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page
In a perfect world, web pages would refresh regularly with setting controls to change the frequency. Unfortunately, internet browsers don't quite work that way. But there is something you can do about it.
Apps and extensions make the dream of automatically refreshing a web page a reality. And they're easy to install, too!
You'd just go to your browser's web store or search the available extensions for "auto-refresh." Odds are that you'll have a multitude of options to choose from with varying levels of control.
Keep reading to find Instructions for specific browsers.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page in Chrome
Google Chrome may not come with the tools to enable auto-refresh for a web page, but they make it easy to add one.
If you go to the Chrome Web Store and search for "auto-refresh," you'll see a handful of options available. For this example, let's use Super Simple Auto Refresh. This extension has features like being able to set custom intervals, multiple device sync, and local storage bypass. To install it, follow the steps below:
Step 1 – Download the Extension
Step 2 – Enable the Extension
- Enable the Extension by clicking on its icon in your browser toolbar (if you don't see it, click on the jigsaw puzzle icon to see your extensions and pin it)
Step 3 – Change Extension Settings
- Select the new extension icon to set refresh intervals or to stop automatic web page refresh
Just remember that you do need to be signed in to your Google account to download the extension. You can't use incognito mode or a guest window to install it.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page in Internet Explorer
Newer versions of Internet Explorer have an option that allows you to refresh web pages automatically. It's buried deep in the Settings menu and you can't specify the intervals but, some users may find enabling this setting is more convenient than using a third-party app.
Check out how to get started:
- Launch Internet Explorer.
- Go to the Tools menu and then Internet Options.
- Go to the tab marked Security in the Internet Options box.
- Select the zone labeled "Internet."
- Press the Custom Level button.
- Look for the option "Allow Meta Refresh" and Enable it.
By default, Internet Explorer does not enable this option. So, if you'd like web pages to automatically refresh at regular intervals, you need to enable this function.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page in Microsoft Edge
The bad news is that Microsoft Edge users don't have the option to automatically refresh a web page in their browsers, at least natively. They do have the option of using an add-on, though.
Follow these instructions to start auto-refreshing pages on Edge:
- Go to the Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store.
- Search for "auto-refresh" add-ons.
- Pick an add-on and press the Get button.
- Confirm your download by pressing the "Add extension" button.
- Enable the new add-on by pressing the icon in the browser toolbar.
- Choose the refresh interval and press the icon again to minimize the menu.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page in Firefox
Much like the other browsers on this list, Firefox doesn't have a native function to auto-refresh web pages. But they make it simple to download an extension for this function. Here's how to get started:
- Launch Firefox.
- Go to the Firefox Browser Add-Ons website.
- Enter "auto-refresh" into the search bar.
- Choose an add-on.
- Download and install the extension.
The exact user interface may vary depending on the add-on you choose. However, you generally need to enable/add the add-on to your browser taskbar and click its icon to access the settings menu.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page in Safari
As much as Apple users love the Safari browser, it does have its faults – namely, a lack of native automatic refresh options. While some users may not notice their pages don't refresh automatically, it is a useful thing to have on-hand.
Luckily, Safari users can use an extension to make up for this shortfall. Take a look at how to get this feature for your browser:
- Open Safari.
- Go to the App Store.
- Search for "auto-refresh" in the search bar.
- Choose an extension and download it to your device.
Some extensions like Browser Auto Refresh are free to download. For some others, you may have to pay a small download fee.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page on iOS
If you're using a mobile device like an iPhone or an iPad, you can always do a "hard refresh" by pressing the circular arrow in the browser address bar. But some users are looking for a refresh option that doesn't require so much babysitting.
The simplest solution is to use an app or extension for your browser.
Where you go for your extensions depends on the browser you're using on your device. If you have Google iOS installed on your phone, you'll need to head over to the Chrome App store to find an extension. On the other hand, if you're using Safari, your extension solution is probably waiting for you in the Apple App Store.
Generally, the Google extensions are downloadable free of charge. But you may have to pay a small fee for Safari ones in the App store. It all depends on the extension you decide to try.
When you find one you like, just hit the "Download" button and follow the prompts to get started. These extensions aren't overly complicated to use and you can usually set intervals by tapping on the extension icon.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page on Android
Browsers on Android devices don't have an auto-refresh function for their browsers. But you can download an app to take care of that shortfall.
If you're using Google Chrome, head over to the Play store and search for "auto-refresh." Choose one from the results and install it on your device. It's as simple as that.
How to Automatically Refresh a Web Page Every Minute
There are a couple of options if you want your webpage to automatically refresh at set intervals. The first one involves downloading an extension for your web browser. If that's the way you want to go, head over to your browser's extension store and search for "auto-refresh." There are a variety of options for each browser.
There are a few online tools available that claim they automatically refresh web pages for you. Take these websites with a grain of salt if you decide to use them and keep your anti-virus on. Many of them are phishing sites that look for ways to reel you in for information.
How to Refresh a Web Page Automatically in JavaScript
The refresh page code for JavaScript is:
document.location.reload()
If you want to force reload a page from a server instead of a cache, use the word true in the parenthesis:
document.location.reload(true)
On the other hand, using the word false in the parenthesis automatically reloads a page using the cache.
Reloading a web page window using JavaScript uses:
window.location.reload()
If you'd like to reload a page at set intervals, you'd use a setTimeout function in the script:
setTimeout(() => {
window.location.reload (true);
}, 5000);
Embedded in a page code, this automatically refreshes a web page every five seconds. Every time the page is reloaded, the set timer gets reset for another five seconds.
If you just want the JavaScript function to refresh a page, it's location.reload().
How to Automatically Reload a Web Page at a Certain Time
Auto-refreshing is one of those functions that everybody takes for granted until it's not available anymore. And unfortunately, many of today's favorite browsers don't reload pages automatically, let alone specify refresh times.
But that doesn't mean you can't set this up!
You just need to go to an outside source to get your web page to automatically reload. It's as simple as going to your browser's app/extension store and finding one you like:
- Launch your browser.
- Go to app/extension store (Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-Ons, Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store, etc.).
- Enter "auto-refresh" in the search bar.
- Choose an extension.
- Follow the prompts to download and install the extension onto your browser toolbar.
Read the descriptions carefully when choosing an extension. You may see a handful of results, but only some, like Super Simple Auto Refresh, give you the option to set custom intervals for refreshing pages.
How to Refresh a Web Page After a Few Seconds
You have a couple of options if you want to refresh a webpage after a few seconds. Going manual is the first option and that simply involves pressing the refresh icon next to the address bar. But if you're trying to get tickets to a hot event or in an intense auction, that may get tedious.
So, option number two is to look for a third-party extension for your browser.
Luckily, that's not as difficult as it sounds.
Simply go to your browser's app store and search for auto-refreshers. Some may fit the bill while others only refresh after lengthy intervals, so check out all of your options before downloading one.
Additional FAQs
What Is the Shortcut to Refreshing a Web Page?
If you want to refresh a page without hitting the refresh icon, here are a few ways to do it:
• Press the F5 key (or hold down Fn and press F5)
• Control + R (Windows)
• Command + R (Mac)
Force-refreshing a web page is another option you can do with shortcuts. When you force-refresh a page, it clears the current page's cache. This means that you only see the most recent version of the browser page. Check out how to force-refresh pages like a pro:
• Control + F5 or Control + browser refresh icon (Windows)
• Command + Shift + R or Shift + R (Mac, Safari)
How Do I Set Tabs to Auto Refresh?
Unfortunately, your browser does not have the capacity to auto-refresh individual tabs. But there is a workaround for this function.
Head to the browser extension store and search "tab auto-refresh."
Extensions like Firefox's Tab Auto Refresh by Alex target individual tabs of your choice. Each browser has extensions similar to the Tab Auto Refresh, so read the descriptions first. The last thing you want to do is waste time downloading something you don't need.
Let Your Browser Do the Hard Work
Sometimes refreshing a web page is all that stands between you and a big win – whether it's tickets to a hot event or winning an auction. Don't let manual refreshing hold you back from those dreams of finally attending Comic-Con. Download a browser extension that does the hard work for you. Then, all you have to do is sit back and wait for your turn.
Do you have an auto-refresh extension story you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source: https://www.alphr.com/automatically-refresh-web-page/