How to Turn on Safe Search

The video below this article demonstrates how to turn on safe search when using Google.com. It also shows you how to lock the safe search feature. Without doing anything, The default setting for most computers is the mid level security setting which only filters out inappropriate images from search term results.

For parents who want to engage a stricter filtering system, you simply need to go to the Google preferences page and select the highest level of security. This setting filters out both illicit text, as well as images.

Using the search box above overrides all computer settings to ensure that any search done on this page utilizes Google's highest level of security: Strict Filtering (Filtering both explicit text and explicit images). However, when you do not use this site to conduct your Google searches, you will need to increase the level of search filtering to activate the highest level of "strict filtering"

Problems with the SafeSearch filtering

The main problem with the safe search setting has been that it can be turned off easily by anyone. However, there is now a way to LOCK your safe search settings using your free Google account. If you have gmail or are signed up with any other Google program, such as Blogger or iGoogle, then you already have an account. If not, go to Google.com and look in the top right corner of their main site. Click "Sign In"... at which point you will see a link to create a new account.

For step by step instructions on how to LOCK Google SafeSearch using your account, watch the video below. Once you have locked safe search to the highest level of security, simply sign out of your account and no one can deactivate it unless they also log into your account. Remember not to allow your browser to 'remember' your password, otherwise anyone will be able to log into your account and turn the safe search settings off.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Using this website ensures that Google Safe Search is set on the highest level of security to filter both inappropriate text results and images. Locking SafeSearch as shown below is needed if members of your family conduct searches on Google main website.