Top 5 Ways To Fix Windows SafeSearch

Windows has a number of mechanisms that prevent users from viewing objectionable material. On every Windows PC, SafeSearch is one of these functions and is turned on by default.

When you try to disable SafeSearch so that it doesn’t restrict your search results, you could find that it really remains active. Let’s look at how to permanently stop Windows SafeSearch if this occurs.

1. Update Windows

A missing update could be to blame if you’ve lately realized that you can’t disable safe search any more. Press Win + I to enter Settings and go to Windows Update to update your machine. Select the Check for updates button there.

You may schedule the update at a later time if you don’t have the time right now to avoid dealing with unforeseen system restarts. For additional information, check out how to control Windows Update.

2. Configure SafeSearch from Windows Registry

If the aforementioned fix does not help, you may step up your investigation by making modifications directly to the Windows Registry. The actions that you must do are as follows:

1. Enter regedit in the Run Command box to launch the Registry Editor.

2. To facilitate speedy navigation, paste the following into the top navigation bar:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettings

3. The DWORD “SafeSearchMode” should now appear in the right pane. Double-click it, and the Value Data should be changed to one of the choices below:

0: Turn off SafeSearch
1: Moderate
2: Strict
We will adjust its value to 0 since we want to deactivate it, then click Ok.

4. Restart your computer now to make the changes effective.

Check to determine whether SafeSearch has been turned off once it restarts.

3. Create a New User Account

You could try creating a new user account if your Windows computer’s Safe Search function is still giving you problems. You have to create a Local account to prevent the user from altering your system settings. For additional details, look at how to set up a local account on Windows.

4. Edit the Group Policy Editor

It’s conceivable that your domain administrator modified your Group Policy or Windows Registry settings to enable SafeSearch for the whole company. If you want to modify these settings using the Group Policy editor, follow these instructions:

1.In the Run Command box, type gpedit.msc to launch the Group Policy editor.

2. Go to the following in the left pane now:

Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Search

3. Double-click “Set the SafeSearch setting for Search” in the right pane.

4. Select Enabled from the popup menu, then adjust the intensity using the drop-down menu in the Options area. Once finished, press Apply and Ok.

5. Run the following cmdlet on an elevated Command Prompt to put the changes into effect:

gpupdate /force

5. Disable Any Third-Party Antivirus Programs

Even if SafeSearch has been off, a third-party antivirus that has been installed on your machine may still affect the search results. Turn off your antivirus program for a while to test it, then see whether the search results are still limited. You should check your antivirus’ manual or help website for instructions on how to accomplish this since every antivirus application is different.

Now You Can Search With No Restrictions

Except for Bing and Microsoft Edge, your browsers and search engines will not be affected by SafeSearch, even if you were able to disable it. In this situation, you will need to modify the settings for each app separately.

Having distinct search options for each internet browser you use might be helpful. And that’s just one benefit among many.