Claude Stuck on Loading Screen? How to Fix the UI Hang

When the Claude web application gets stuck on a blank grey screen, a pulsing orange logo, or a continuous loading animation, it indicates that the frontend application framework has failed to initialize properly. Unlike explicit error messages, a loading hang usually means your browser is failing to download Claude's Javascript asset bundles, cannot establish a secure connection to Anthropic's WebSockets, or is hitting a roadblock with corrupted local workspace data.

Follow these troubleshooting steps in sequence to diagnose and resolve the loading loop.

1. Force a Clean Cache Refresh Browsers save parts of web pages locally to speed up load times. If Anthropic pushed an update while you had an active session, a mismatch between old cached assets and new system files can freeze the UI. 1. Press `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `R` (Windows) or `Cmd` + `Shift` + `R` (macOS) while on the loading page. 2. This instructs the browser to ignore its local cache and fetch the entire application bundle fresh from Claude’s servers.

2. Verify WebSocket Support and Blockers Claude's chat interface relies on secure WebSockets (`wss://`) to stream responses in real-time. If your browser, network, or security software blocks WebSocket connections, the interface will hang indefinitely on load. 1. Open your browser's Developer Tools by pressing `F12` or right-clicking the page and selecting **Inspect**. 2. Go to the **Console** tab. 3. Look for red error messages referencing `WebSocket connection failed` or `Refused to connect to...`. 4. If you see these errors, temporarily disable any aggressive privacy extensions (like uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, or Brave Shields) and refresh the page.

3. Clear local storage and IndexedDB Claude saves configurations, chat history segments, and UI states directly to your browser's LocalStorage and IndexedDB databases. If this data becomes malformed, the app will crash silently on startup. 1. Press `F12` to open Developer Tools and select the **Application** (Chrome/Edge) or **Storage** (Firefox/Safari) tab. 2. In the left sidebar, expand **Local Storage** and select `https://claude.ai`. 3. Click **Clear All** or click the trash can icon. 4. Do the same for **IndexedDB** and **Session Storage**. 5. Refresh the page to allow Claude to rebuild its local database structure.

4. Change Networks to Bypass DNS Issues Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have outdated DNS records for Claude’s CDN, routing your browser to dead servers. 1. If you are on a home or office Wi-Fi network, temporarily switch your device to a mobile hotspot or cellular data. 2. If the loading screen resolves instantly, your main internet connection has a routing block. You can fix this by changing your router or computer DNS settings to Cloudflare DNS (`1.1.1.1`) or Google DNS (`8.8.8.8`).

5. Disable Antivirus and Firewall SSL Inspection Some third-party antivirus suites (like Avast, Bitdefender, or Kaspersky) use "HTTPS Scanning" or "Web Shield" features to decrypt and inspect secure web traffic. This process frequently breaks WebSocket handshakes, leading to infinite loading screens on web apps. 1. Open your security software settings. 2. Locate the Web Shield, HTTPS Scanning, or Encrypted Connection Scanning feature. 3. Turn it off temporarily, or add `claude.ai` and `*.anthropic.com` to the exclusion list. 4. Restart your web browser and try reloading the page.

When to escalate If Claude remains stuck on the loading screen across multiple different browsers (e.g., trying both Chrome and Safari) and on entirely different internet connections, the issue could be an account-specific database lock. Contact Anthropic Support via their Help Center at `support.anthropic.com`, specifying that you have cleared local storage and verified WebSocket functionality.