Amazon on mac lately

By Moopie Curran, 13 December, 2024

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Hi,
Has anybody else been having significant troubles with amazon.com on safari on mac lately? I'm using mac OS 15 Sequoya. I can't navigate by headings anymore, and voiceover searches don't work, it's awful. If anyone has been having issues, I urge you to contact amazon, although they probably don't care, lol. Also, if anyone is having issues with it, are there any work-arounds?
Thanks,

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Comments

By Siobhan on Sunday, December 15, 2024 - 06:43

First, they have keyboard shortcuts. Shift option C takes you to the cart, I think shift option slash takes you to the search field, though I tab through. what bugs me is when the results load, you're stuck in Windows spots or something like that and no way to get out of them. You have to command tab out, the hope it works. I'll stick with the app. Go through the keyboard shortcuts, it's the first level two heading. That might help.

By mr grieves on Sunday, December 15, 2024 - 06:43

The way I use the Amazon UK site at the moment is to go to the top of the page (VO+Shift+End) then VO+right and there are some links to skip to important bits of the page like product detail, and purchasing options. I've found for a while that the Amazon site - and app - do make it really difficult to find the actual buy button sometimes.

I do find I struggle in particular when viewing books, and I tend to reach for the app on my phone at that point. But even there it is still a bit of a faff to find some things.

I don't think I've tried this, but I would also suggest giving Chrome or Microsoft Edge a go. I am finding that Chrome is coping in situations where Safari cannot these days.

By Alicia Krage on Sunday, December 15, 2024 - 06:43

I'll keep it professional here and just say I am not a fan of Amazon, at all. In my personal opinion the app is just as disorganized.

I used to love the site on the mac, honestly. Six months ago or so, it was great on here. Now it's a disaster to navigate.

I wish I had tips but I don't. Only time I use Amazon is during the holidays and it stresses me out so much. Otherwise I use voice shopping on Alexa. That's it.

By Brian on Sunday, December 15, 2024 - 06:43

Why not just use the accessible Amazon site? Unless they have taken it down?
Www.amazon.com/access (us)
Www.amazon.co.uk (UK)

It's not perfect, but at least heading in such work.

HTH.

By Ollie on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

I reported this to apple accessibility:

accessibility@apple.com

but they said they couldn't recreate the issue. If others could send in then there might be some movement on the issue. It is especially difficult when viewing books, kindle or otherwise.

By MelodicFate on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

It's the kindle portion of Amazon that I'm really struggling with right now. When I click on a book's link, all info about the book is hidden behind sponsored ad frames. If I tab through, I can see some stuff, but it's awful. There are like 4 frames with ads in a row if I navigate by arrows(I use quick-nav).
It makes looking at Kindle books on Mac awful. I can't even see prices anymore.

By MelodicFate on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

It's the kindle portion of Amazon that I'm really struggling with right now. When I click on a book's link, all info about the book is hidden behind sponsored ad frames. If I tab through, I can see some stuff, but it's awful. There are like 4 frames with ads in a row if I navigate by arrows(I use quick-nav).
It makes looking at Kindle books on Mac awful. I can't even see prices anymore.

By Siobhan on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

Not sure how, but you posted twice. I use the app to buy, or i also will use headings. It might help. Plus, I hit K to go into the kindle store then tab past the search, go back, write my search term then go by headings, click and see what I get from there. sorry this isn't more helpful, coffee hasn't been consumed yet.

By MelodicFate on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

I didn't think it saved the first time, so I did it again. Then when I clicked edit, I found no way to delete.
I used to go by heading too, but literally all I'll see unless I tab around is 4 sponsored ads featuring other books. It's a pain. Sucks you can't just buy Kindle books in the Kindle app.
Either way, Amazon's got serious work to do.

By mr grieves on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

I had a closer look. Firstly, it seems that the skip links don't appear for books. But I have seen them before for other things and they are useful.

Anyway, I tried using Chrome and found a book, and it navigated by heading fine. I took the same thing over to Safari and it just couldn't cope.

So I definitely think it's worth giving Chrome or Microsoft Edge a go.

By Brian on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

It's a wonder anybody still uses Safari as a web browser anymore. At least as far as macOS goes. Who knows, maybe one day Chrome will be the default browser for macOS.
Wouldn't that be something?

By mr grieves on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

For a long time I've felt that Safari was slightly less bad than Chrome on the Mac. I flip flopped between them quite a lot - whenever I found a bug in one I'd try the other and between the two I'd usually get things done.

But I can't remember the last time that I had to ditch Chrome for Safari, whereas I am constantly having to go the other way.

Safari is really only my main browser of choice these days out of habit and laziness but I don't think I'm far off ditching it.

As mentioned, Microsoft Edge is basically the same as Chrome and does have lovely Microsoft natural voices if you fancy using them to read a long article for you. Another topic on here was suggesting Brave which I've not tried but seems to also be a Chromium based thing so should work the same.

There's also Firefox which has come a long way recently. I think it's still in third place but more options is good.

I'd be worried about having a Chromium based browser as default on the Mac. I think it's perfectly possible Apple could do a Microsoft and switch their engine to it. But for me this reduces the options we have and exposes us to more risk. I'd rathe Apple just pulled their fingers out and put some effort into Safari.

By Ollie on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

The issue with shifting away from safari is access to passwords. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong but, when I want to access keychain passwords I've got to authorise every single session, which is nuts. It's really the only thing keeping me on safari.

Also, counterpoint, report this to apple. I dont' like the idea they cripple safari so much that we have no other choice. I don't like that sort of business.

By Brian on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

As I have mentioned before it's been a while since I've turned on my MacBook, but I do like using Firefox on my PC laptop. And it's password feature is pretty decent, and syncs well with the Firefox app for iOS, along with the password syncing. So, that is something to consider. I imagine chrome or Microsoft edge is probably the same when it comes to syncing passwords across devices.

I agree Ali, I'm not really sure what Apple is doing with VoiceOver on macOS these days, to be honest. And I mentioned VoiceOver, because as I'm sure we all know by now, Safari works absolutely fine in macOS ... if you can see!

By Greg Wocher on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

Hello all,
If you go into your safari preferences and turn off java script, the amazon site works a little better. I think the big issues with amazon and safari has to do with all the A I features amazon seems to be adding. For some reason these are causing chaos with safari. I can use amazon just fine on any of the other browsers on the mac.

By Blade Runner on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

Turning off cursor tracking solves most of these issues in Safari. It allso helps to install the addblock extension.

By Teresa on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

Shift-VO-f3 will toggle cursor tracking. I haven't tried password fields with it, but I suspect if you needed to down-arrow for suggestions, you could manually route a visual cursor to the VO cursor when needed

By Teresa on Monday, December 16, 2024 - 06:43

There is a heading level 2 on the page you land on after saving a comment that says "status message" to indicate you have posted.

By mr grieves on Saturday, December 21, 2024 - 14:43

I tried to place a repeat order on the Amazon site today with Safari and I've got to say it has become totally unusable. I was managing it OK buying Christmas presents a couple of weeks ago, but this time I just couldn't manage it at all. For starters, it kept getting locked into adverts on the home page - refreshing a few times did eventually allow me in, but for a while I couldn't even get to the search box or my previous orders. And even when I finally did manage to get there, the process of going from a previous order to the item was impossible. I tried it on the app and got a bit further. I also tried doing a search on amazon and it was just not happening.

So I tried Brave (which is basically Chrome). I had installed it this last week I think but not used it for much, certainly never on Amazon. I went to sign in, told it to use my passkey and I then had to grant Brave access to my keychain. And then I was in.

And it's basically an entirely different web site. I was able to find the product I want and place my order without any trouble.
I think I've just about had it with Safari at this point. But if you aren't ready to jack it in yet, I would suggest installing a Chromium browser of some sort and then just use it for the sites that aren't working for you - even if it's just Amazon.

By Siobhan on Saturday, December 21, 2024 - 15:43

Is anyone else after searching unable to switch to headings when the results page loads? When I search, it says the page but when I Voice Over U it says window spots, and goes down from the address bar to the main content. to fix this, I have to turn vO off, then back on. annoying to say the least. I don't know all about the turn off and on cursor tracking or whatever that is so maybe the problem's between keyboard and chair? :)😊

By mr grieves on Saturday, December 21, 2024 - 15:43

I don't use the rotor much, but a lot of the time when I navigate by heading in Safari it just doesn't find anything. So I'm guessing it's the same problem. That's the main reason I stopped using quick nav - it wouldn't find a heading and then it was a hassle to try to find somewhere where I could then go back and select headings again.

I think if Safari doesn't see that there are any headings, then it just drops off the rotor.

By Siobhan on Saturday, December 21, 2024 - 22:43

If you turn off voice over, then on again, navigate by window spots then over to links, headings, everything shows up. It's just odd. There's no rhyme or reason. Has anyone done this on a Windows box? I'd be interested if JFW or NVDA might be giving them problems.

By Dennis Long on Sunday, December 22, 2024 - 14:43

Take a screen recording of this happening. Send it to apple accessibility or if you are on the betas include it to your bug report. This will help Apple.

By Brian on Sunday, December 22, 2024 - 17:43

That you cannot delete macOS applications, like you can't iOS applications. Otherwise I would just say delete Safari and get on with life. Lol

By Blindxp on Monday, December 23, 2024 - 00:43

we’ve been reporting for years, and still no fix. Plus not everybody knows how to do a screen recording on macOS. It’s not exactly that easy either.. I tried it a few months ago and for some reason there was no audio at all. So it’s not like as simple as iOS.

It’s also just a disregard for macOS accessibility on Apple’s part.