Google Safe Search filters adult content and violent material from your search results by default

Google Safe Search is a filter that removes explicit images, videos, and websites from your search results. It runs automatically on most devices and accounts, but you can turn it off if you want to see all results without filtering. The steps differ depending on whether you are signed into a Google account, what device you use, and whether your network or organisation has locked the setting.

Turning off Safe Search does not change what Google stores about your searches — that happens separately through your search history settings, which you learned about in the previous section. Disabling Safe Search only changes what appears on your screen when you search.

Key Takeaways

  • Safe Search is a filter you control in your Google account settings, not a separate tool you read or install.
  • If you are signed into a Google account, you can turn off Safe Search by going to Google Search Settings and unchecking the Safe Search box.
  • If Safe Search is locked and you cannot change it, your network administrator, school, or parent has restricted the setting — you will need to ask them to unlock it.
  • Turning off Safe Search does not stop Google from recording your searches; you control that through your search history settings separately.
  • On some devices like school or work computers, you may not have permission to change Safe Search even if you are signed in.

Disable Safe Search on a Computer When You Are Signed In

Go to google.com and sign into your Google account if you are not already signed in. Look for your profile picture or initial in the top right corner — if you see it, you are signed in.

Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the search results page (it appears after you have done a search, or you can go directly to google.com/preferences). Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Search settings. Scroll down until you see the SafeSearch filters section. Uncheck the box next to Turn on SafeSearch. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Google will ask you to confirm. The setting takes effect when ready, and your next search will show unfiltered results. This change applies only to the account you are signed into — if someone else uses the same computer with a different Google account, Safe Search will still be on for them unless they turn it off in their own settings.

Disable Safe Search on a Phone or Tablet

On an iPhone or iPad using Safari, go to google.com and sign in. Tap the gear icon (you may need to scroll right to see it), then tap Settings. Tap Search settings, scroll down to SafeSearch filters, and uncheck the box. Tap Save at the bottom.

On an Android phone using Chrome, open Chrome and go to google.com. Sign in to your Google account. Tap the three-line menu icon in the bottom right corner, then tap Settings. Tap Search settings, uncheck SafeSearch filters, and tap Save. If you are using the Google app instead of Chrome, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then Search settings, and follow the same steps.

The change applies to searches you do while signed into that account on that device. If you sign out or use a different account, Safe Search will be back on unless you turn it off in that account's settings too.

What to Do If Safe Search Is Locked

If you go to your Search settings and see the Safe Search box is greyed out or locked, someone with control over your account or network has restricted the setting. This is common on school computers, work networks, and devices managed by parents.

You cannot unlock it yourself. You will need to ask the person who manages the device or network — a school IT administrator, your employer's IT department, or your parent — to unlock Safe Search in their admin settings. They can do this from their own account or control panel, and the change will take effect on your device.

If you are on a public network like a library or coffee shop, the network itself may have Safe Search locked for all users. Ask the staff whether they can unlock it, though many public networks keep it on by policy.

Safe Search on Shared Devices and Family Accounts

If you share a computer with family members and each person has their own Google account, each account's Safe Search setting is separate. You can turn it off for your account without affecting anyone else's — they will still see filtered results when they sign in.

If your parent set up a Google Family Link account to manage your device, Safe Search may be locked through that parental control. You cannot unlock it yourself. Your parent can adjust it by opening Family Link on their own device, selecting your account, going to Controls on Google Play, and changing the setting there.

Verify That Safe Search Is Actually Off

After you save your changes, do a test search for a term that would normally be filtered — something like "anatomy" or "violence" — and check whether you see results that were previously hidden. If you still do not see unfiltered results, Safe Search may still be on.

This can happen if you did not save your changes properly, if you are signed into a different account than the one where you changed the setting, or if your network or device administrator has locked it at a level above your account. Go back to your Search settings and confirm the box is unchecked. If it is, and you are signed into the right account, the lock is likely at the network or device level and you will need to contact your administrator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Safe Search stop Google from recording my searches?

No. Safe Search is only a filter on what you see. Whether Google records your searches is controlled separately through your search history settings. You learned how to manage that in the previous section — turning off Safe Search does not change it.

If I turn off Safe Search, will my searches be private?

Turning off Safe Search does not make your searches private. Google still records them in your search history if you are signed in. To keep searches from being recorded, you need to turn off Web & App Activity in your Google account settings, or use Incognito mode in your browser.

Can I turn off Safe Search just for certain searches?

No. Safe Search is an account-level setting that applies to all your searches once you turn it off. You cannot turn it off for one search and back on for the next. If you want to search without Safe Search sometimes and with it other times, you would need to toggle the setting each time, or use a different account.

Why is Safe Search locked on my school computer?

Schools lock Safe Search to comply with laws like the Children's Internet Protection Act, which requires schools receiving federal funding to filter internet content for minors. The school's IT department controls this setting, and you cannot change it yourself. You can ask them to unlock it, but they may decline based on school policy.

If I use Incognito mode, do I still need to turn off Safe Search?

Yes. Incognito mode stops Google from recording your search history, but Safe Search still filters your results. If you want to see unfiltered results in Incognito mode, you still need to turn off Safe Search in your account settings first.