{"id":29981,"date":"2012-09-24T20:15:35","date_gmt":"2012-09-24T14:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=29981"},"modified":"2026-10-15T12:11:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T06:41:15","slug":"lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Lock SafeSearch to Protect Kids Online (2026 Methods)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Can you still <strong>lock SafeSearch<\/strong> in Google so your kids cannot switch it off? In 2012 Google had a simple &#8220;Lock SafeSearch&#8221; button protected by your account password, which we showed here step by step. Google has since removed that button. In 2026 you lock SafeSearch through Google Family Link, your home network or your device&#8217;s parental controls instead. Here is how each method works.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-29989\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-search-settings.png\" alt=\"Google SafeSearch settings\" width=\"334\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-search-settings.png 334w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-search-settings-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> To lock SafeSearch for a child, set up their Google account with <strong>Google Family Link<\/strong>; SafeSearch filtering is then turned on and only a parent can change it. To lock it for every device on your Wi-Fi, use a family DNS service or your router to force Google SafeSearch. Google also turns SafeSearch filtering on by default for signed-in users it believes are under 18.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad8ca350b58f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad8ca350b58f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#What_happened_to_the_Google_SafeSearch_lock\" >What happened to the Google SafeSearch lock?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Method_1_Lock_SafeSearch_with_Google_Family_Link\" >Method 1: Lock SafeSearch with Google Family Link<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Method_2_Lock_SafeSearch_for_your_whole_home_network\" >Method 2: Lock SafeSearch for your whole home network<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Method_3_Device_parental_controls\" >Method 3: Device parental controls<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Turn_on_SafeSearch_on_a_shared_computer\" >Turn on SafeSearch on a shared computer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Protect_kids_on_other_platforms\" >Protect kids on other platforms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Which_method_should_you_choose\" >Which method should you choose?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Can_I_still_lock_SafeSearch_with_a_password\" >Can I still lock SafeSearch with a password?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Why_is_SafeSearch_locked_on_my_account\" >Why is SafeSearch locked on my account?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/lock-google-safe-search-protect-children-online\/#Does_SafeSearch_block_everything\" >Does SafeSearch block everything?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_to_the_Google_SafeSearch_lock\"><\/span>What happened to the Google SafeSearch lock?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The old lock worked through a browser cookie. Clearing cookies, using another browser or a private window got around it, and it showed coloured balls on the results page so parents could check from across the room. Google retired it and moved protection to account and network controls, which are much harder for children to bypass.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_1_Lock_SafeSearch_with_Google_Family_Link\"><\/span>Method 1: Lock SafeSearch with Google Family Link<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Install <a href=\"https:\/\/families.google\/familylink\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Family Link<\/a> on your phone.<\/li>\n<li>Create a Google account for your child, or add supervision to their existing account.<\/li>\n<li>In Family Link, open your child&#8217;s profile, then Controls, then Content restrictions, then Google Search.<\/li>\n<li>SafeSearch filtering is on for supervised accounts and children cannot turn it off. You can also manage YouTube, Chrome and app settings here. To stop specific sites, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/how-to-block-websites-on-chrome\/\">how to block websites on Chrome<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_2_Lock_SafeSearch_for_your_whole_home_network\"><\/span>Method 2: Lock SafeSearch for your whole home network<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google lets networks force SafeSearch by pointing <code>www.google.com<\/code> to <code>forcesafesearch.google.com<\/code> in DNS. You do not need to edit DNS records yourself; easier options are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Family DNS services<\/strong> such as <a href=\"https:\/\/cleanbrowsing.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CleanBrowsing<\/a> Family Filter, which enforces SafeSearch on Google, Bing and YouTube. Enter its DNS addresses in your router.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Router parental controls<\/strong>. Many routers and mesh systems have a &#8220;SafeSearch&#8221; or &#8220;family filter&#8221; switch. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/home-networking\/\">home networking<\/a> guide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Network locks protect every device on your Wi-Fi, but not phones using mobile data. For an iPhone on mobile data, use Screen Time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/block-adult-content-on-iphone\/\">limit adult websites on iPhone<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_3_Device_parental_controls\"><\/span>Method 3: Device parental controls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Windows:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/family-safety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Family Safety<\/a> filters search in Edge and can block other browsers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>iPhone and iPad:<\/strong> Screen Time, then Content &amp; Privacy Restrictions, then Web Content, then Limit Adult Websites.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Android:<\/strong> Family Link covers both the device and Google Search.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turn_on_SafeSearch_on_a_shared_computer\"><\/span>Turn on SafeSearch on a shared computer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For a quick setting without a lock, open Google SafeSearch settings and choose <strong>Filter<\/strong>. Our guide shows how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/10\/change-google-safe-search-settings\/\">change Google SafeSearch settings<\/a>, and how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/change-bing-safe-search-preferences\/\">change Bing SafeSearch<\/a> too. Since 2023, Google also blurs explicit images by default for everyone.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Protect_kids_on_other_platforms\"><\/span>Protect kids on other platforms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Search is only one way children find unsuitable content. Also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2023\/01\/block-adult-content-youtube\/\">block adult content on YouTube<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/05\/block-netflix-adult-content\/\">on Netflix<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2023\/02\/block-adult-content-amazon-prime-video\/\">on Prime Video<\/a>, and watch for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/delete-children-facebook-accounts\/\">underage social media accounts<\/a>. Filters miss things, so talk with your kids about what to do when they see something upsetting.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_method_should_you_choose\"><\/span>Which method should you choose?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For a young child with their own phone or tablet, Family Link is the strongest single step because the lock travels with the child&#8217;s account to any device they sign in to. For a family PC or a house full of devices, a family DNS filter on the router adds a second layer that also covers visitors and gaming consoles. Teenagers often find ways around a single control, so the best approach is two layers plus an honest conversation about why the filters are there. Review the settings every few months as your children grow.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_still_lock_SafeSearch_with_a_password\"><\/span>Can I still lock SafeSearch with a password?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not with the old Google button. Use Family Link, network DNS or device parental controls instead.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_SafeSearch_locked_on_my_account\"><\/span>Why is SafeSearch locked on my account?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It may be set by a parent through Family Link, by your school or workplace network, or by Google if your account appears to belong to someone under 18.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_SafeSearch_block_everything\"><\/span>Does SafeSearch block everything?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. It filters most explicit results but is not perfect. Combine it with parental controls and conversations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can you still lock SafeSearch in Google so your kids cannot switch it off? In 2012 Google had a simple&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":29989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-29981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google","category-security","tag-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29981"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66891,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29981\/revisions\/66891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}