Featured - how to turn off safesearch
SafeSearch is a feature in Google, Bing, and Yahoo! that helps you exclude explicit content from your search results. Explicit content includes images or videos that show nudity, sexual activity, violence, graphic medical conditions, or other potentially offensive material. You can turn SafeSearch on or off depending on your preferences.

Reasons to Use SafeSearch

SafeSearch can help you avoid unwanted exposure to inappropriate content that may be harmful, disturbing, or misleading for yourself or others. In that way it can help you protect children from accessing adult-oriented websites or images that may be unsuitable for their age or development.
 
Google SafeSearch can also help you reduce spam, malware, phishing, or other malicious sites that may try to trick you into clicking on them by using deceptive thumbnails or titles.
 
As Google SafeSearch is filtering out some irrelevant or distracting content that may tempt you to waste time or lose track of your goal, it can help you improve your productivity and focus.

Why you might want to turn off Safe Search

Google SafeSearch may not be 100% accurate or reliable in detecting and blocking explicit content. Some sites may still slip through the cracks, while some legitimate sites may be mistakenly filtered out. It may also limit your access to useful information that can be relevant to your needs but contain some explicit terms or images. For example, if you are looking for health-related topics, educational resources, artistic expressions, or historical facts that involve nudity, sexuality, violence, etc.
 

Google SafeSearch might interfere with your privacy and autonomy by allowing Google to monitor and control what you see online. Some users may feel uncomfortable with giving Google such power over their browsing experience. Another reason to turn off Google Safe Search may be that it could affect your critical thinking and awareness by creating a false sense of security and filtering out diverse perspectives that may challenge your views or beliefs.

How to Turn Google Safe Search Off

To disable Google SafeSearch, you need to turn the feature off in “Search Settings” as shown below.

  1. Navigate to google.com/preferences and uncheck the option “Turn on Safe Search”
     
    Windows 11 - Google Preferences - Turn Off SafeSearch
  2. Optional: Check Region Settings
     
    If Google predominantly shows you search results related to another region, you might want to check if the correct region is selected. When you are done, click “Save” and you are ready to go.
     
    Windows 11 - Google Preferences - Turn Off SafeSearch - Save

How to Turn Bing SafeSearch Off

To disable Bing SafeSearch, you need to turn the feature off in “Search Settings” as shown below.

  1. Click on the hamburger menu on the top and then on “SafeSearch”
     
    This will open the Bing SafeSearch settings directly.
     
    Windows 11 - Bing - Menu - SafeSearch
  2. Select “Off” and click on “Save”
     
    Bing SafeSearch offers the option “Moderate” as an alternative. The difference between “Strict” and “Moderate” in Bing SafeSearch is that “Strict” filters out both adult text and images from your search results, while Moderate filters out only adult images. If you choose “Off”, you will see all kinds of web content without any filtering.
     
    Windows 11 - Bing - Menu - SafeSearch - Off - Save

How to Turn Yahoo! SafeSearch Off

To turn Yahoo! SafeSearch off, you need a few more steps than on Google or Bing, as you can see below.

  1. Run a search on Yahoo! to show the options menu button
     
    Windows 11 - Bing - Search
  2. Click on the Yahoo! options menu button on the top right and choose “Settings”
     
    Windows 11 - Bing - Search Menu - Settings
  3. Turn off Yahoo! SafeSearch in “Search Preferences” and click “Save”
     
    Yahoo! SafeSearch offers the option “Moderate” as an alternative to just turning it off completely. The difference between “Strict” and “Moderate” in Yahoo! SafeSearch is that “Strict” filters out both adult text and images from your search results, while Moderate filters out only adult images. If you choose “Off”, you will see all kinds of web content without any filtering.
     
    Windows 11 - Bing - Search Menu - Settings - Safe Search - Not Filter Results

How to Turn Google SafeSearch Off on Mobile Devices

To disable Google SafeSearch on your phone, you need to turn the feature off in “Search Settings” using the Google App.

  1. Open the Google app
     
    Android - Google App
  2. Tap on your profile picture/account logo on the top right
     
    Android - Google App - Account Icon
  3. Select “Settings”
     
    Android - Google App - Account Icon - Settings
  4. Choose “General”
     
    Android - Google App - Account Icon - Settings - General
  5. Disable the “SafeSearch” option to turn Google SafeSearch off
     
    Android - Google App - Account Icon - Settings - General - Turn Off SafeSearch

How to Turn Bing SafeSearch Off on Mobile Devices

To turn Bing SafeSearch off on your mobile device, you need to use your web browser, just like on your PC.

  1. Navigate to Bing.com and tap on the hamburger menu button
     
    Android - Bing.com - Menu
  2. Select “SafeSearch”
     
    Android - Bing.com - Menu - SafeSearch
  3. Select “Off” to disable Bing SafeSearch completely
     
    Bing SafeSearch offers the option “Moderate” as an alternative. The difference between “Strict” and “Moderate” in Bing SafeSearch is that “Strict” filters out both adult text and images from your search results, while Moderate filters out only adult images. If you choose “Off”, you will see all kinds of web content without any filtering.
     
    Android - Bing.com - Menu - SafeSearch - Off

How to Turn Yahoo! SafeSearch Off on Mobile Devices

To turn Yahoo! SafeSearch off on your mobile device, you need to use your web browser, just like on your PC.

  1. Navigate to search.yahoo.com and tap on “Settings” at the bottom
     
    Android - Yahoo - Settings
  2. Open the SafeSearch options menu
     
    Android - Yahoo - Settings - SafeSearch
  3. Turn Yahoo! SafeSearch off
     
    Yahoo! SafeSearch offers the option “Moderate” as an alternative to just turning it off completely. The difference between “Strict” and “Moderate” in Yahoo! SafeSearch is that “Strict” filters out both adult text and images from your search results, while Moderate filters out only adult images. If you choose “Off”, you will see all kinds of web content without any filtering.

    Android - Yahoo - Settings - SafeSearch - Off

Extra: How to Clear Browser History on Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera

If you share a computer, there are instances where you may not want another person to see the websites you’ve been visiting. In our other guide, we show you how to delete your browsing history in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera so you can hide your previous activity.

Featured - How to delete history on Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera

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