Turning on Google SafeSearch is essential and almost always necessary when the kids are using your phone. But what happens when you want to access critical information and can’t remember how to disable the SafeSearch feature?
To turn off SafeSearch on the Safari browser, go to iPhone Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restriction > Content Restrictions> Web Content > and select Unrestricted Access. You’ll need to change this for Google and Bing in their app browser settings.
Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide on how to turn off SafeSearch on your iPhone. The steps are all-inclusive and apply to all iPhone models.
What is SafeSearch?
Google introduced the SafeSearch feature in November 2009 to filter inappropriate content. Ideally, it is designed to prevent kids from accessing explicit and potentially offensive content such as violence, gore, and pornography from search engines.
Google says SafeSearch isn’t 100% accurate and may hide relevant information. Some of its limitations include:
- It doesn’t allow users to create a whitelist or blacklist for specific websites.
- Users can’t regulate the sensitivity level of the feature.
Also, it’s important to note that a SafeSearch setting is browser-specific. It only applies to the browser you have enabled it in. Therefore, if you’re using different browsers, you’ll need to disable the feature in each browser.
How to Turn SafeSearch off on Safari
To disable SafeSearch on Safari browser:
- Open Settings.
- Select Screen Time.
- Go to Content & Privacy Restriction and then tap Content Restrictions.
- Scroll down and select Web Content.
- Select Unrestricted Access.
Alternatively:
- Open Safari Browser on your iPhone.
- Search for anything, e.g., sortatechy.
- Next, tap on the Three Lines at the top left corner of your screen.
- Select Settings.
- Look for SafeSearch Filters.
- Tap Hide Explicit Results.
You have successfully turned off SafeSearch on your Safari, and you can now browse the internet without any restrictions.
How to Turn SafeSearch off on Google
If Google Chrome is your default browser:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Tap your profile icon at the top right corner of the screen.
- Select Settings.
- Look for Hide Explicit Results and disable it.
You are good to go!
How to Turn SafeSearch off on Bing
Disabling SafeSearch on Bing is pretty much the same as Google. Here’s how to go about it:
- Open the Bing Browser.
- Tap on the Three Lines at the top right corner of your screen.
- Select SafeSearch.
- There are three options. Select Off and then tap Save.
- A pop-up message with an age verification appears. Tap Agree to complete the process.
What to Do if You Can’t Turn SafeSearch off on Your iPhone
If you’ve tried to disable SafeSearch using the above steps but are still unsuccessful, try to do the following:
Clear Cache
Clearing your cache helps declutter your device from temporary data and frees up storage (which may cause the problem). It also helps apps and websites load faster.
Here’s how to clear cache on iPhone:
- Go to Settings.
- Choose your browser, Safari or Chrome.
- Select Clear History and Website Data.
- A message will pop up warning that if you clear your cache, you will remove browsing data, history, and cookies—tap Clear History and Data to complete the process.
Try turning off SafeSearch and see whether it works.
Clear Search History
If clearing the cache doesn’t fix the problem, try clearing your search history. To clear history on Safari:
- First, go to Settings > Safari.
- Then select Clear History and Website Data.
To clear search history on Chrome:
- Open the Chrome App and tap More.
- Scroll down and tap Clear Browsing Data.
- Tap Done to confirm.
Update Browser
Outdated apps are known to cause all kinds of problems. You cannot disable SafeSearch, probably because you are running on an old browser. Try updating it and see whether you can disable the feature.
To update Safari:
- Go to Settings.
- Select General.
- Tap Software Update.
- Download and install any available updates.
To update Google Chrome:
- Go to the App Store.
- Tap on your Profile at the top right.
- Go to Available Updates and scroll down to Chrome.
- Tap Update. Enter password when prompted.
If you’re unsure of which web browser you’re using, you can find out here.
In Summary
Hopefully, you’ve successfully turned off SafeSearch and are back to browsing the internet without any restrictions. Remember, you can always enable and disable the feature through the browser settings whenever you want.
If you are still experiencing any difficulties, you can always download Apple Support’s dedicated app to see if a live-chat assistant can help you navigate to the settings you need!