Simple Steps on How to Turn Off Safe Search Settings.
Safe search is that ability that most search engines give to their users to filter out certain content from the results thus providing a family-friendly environment. However, at times, one might want to turn this off.
Whether you want to research some topic for your project, look for some piece of content that’s difficult to find, or just feel like surfing the web minus all restrictions, you might sometime feel the need to learn how to turn off Safe Search.
Here in this guide, we shall discuss with ease how one can disable the facility called Safe Search on various search engines and portals.
What is Safe Search?
We should start with the steps, then know what Safe Search is. Safe Search is that filter which search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, apply to their results to prevent explicit content from appearing in the returned list.
It is of great use to parents and educators in blocking their children from viewing inappropriate content on the internet.
But at times, the filter is too tight, and you want to read something that the filter is blocking. That is when you probably ask yourself how to disable Safe Search.
Why Disable Safe Search?
You might disable Safe Search for one or more of the following reasons:
- Academic Research: You are researching into a subject that includes content of adults or sensitive areas. Here, Safe Search will prevent the search engines from returning the relevant information needed.
- Personal Usage: You just want to surf freely
- Sorting Results: It cannot work very well with searches being narrow and highly explicit so you may never reach what you really need.
Now, it’s time to move on to how to remove Safe Search on other devices.
How to disable SafeSearch on Google
Google is the most popular search engine used globally, and you can easily disable Safe Search on Google by following these steps:
Step 1: Open Google Search
Open your favorite web browser and navigate to the [Google homepage] (https://www.google.com).
Step 2: Access Settings
- Go to the bottom-right corner of Google Homepage and click “Settings.”
- Now the drop-down menu will appear. Just select “Search settings.”
Step 3: Turn Off Safe Search
- Within your Search Settings menu, you should locate the section “Safe Search filters.”
- Don’t forget to unselect the box next to the button “Turn on Safe Search.”
- Scroll down, then click on “Save.”
Step 4: You must validate the changes
Then, you will receive a message indicating that your settings are updated. From there, you can now search for anything you wish, and the filter of Safe Search is no longer applicable.
How to Disable Safe Search on Bing
It’s not much of a difference if you use Bing. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Open Bing Search
Open your browser and go to the [Bing homepage] (https://www.bing.com).
Step 2: Access Settings
- Click the three horizontal lines in the top right-hand of the page.
- From the list provided in the dropdown, select “Settings.”
Step 3: Disable Safe Search
- For “Safe Search,” scroll down for filter options
- Toggle to “Off.”
- And don’t forget to save your new setting at the bottom by clicking on “Save”.
The software will then show that you have successfully upgraded your preferences. Then you can perform a search on Bing unfiltered by Safe Search.
How to Disable Safe Search on Yahoo
Another strongly searched portal is Yahoo. Its settings to disable Safe Search can be easily followed stepwise:
Step 1: Access Yahoo Search
To activate the Yahoo homepage https://www.yahoo.com,
Step 2: Access Settings
- Click the “Search” box at the top.
- Next, click the gear icon located to the right of the “Search” box and titled “settings.”
Step 3: Disable Safe Search
- Locate the menu section named “Safe Search” in Settings.
- Select the setting titled “Off” to disable Safe Search.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Save”
Step 4: Test
You should get a pop-up notification that says that Safe Search is indeed off.
Turning Off Safe Search on Mobile Devices
If you are on a mobile device-it’s a phone or tablet-you do things a bit differently depending on your device and app. Here is how to do it on some of the most popular platforms:
On Google Mobile App
- Open the Google app on your mobile device.
- Tap on your profile picture or the initial in the top right corner.
- Go to “Settings.”
- Tap on “General.”
- Toggle off “Safe Search.”
On Bing Mobile App
- Open the Bing app
- At the bottom right, press the three dots
- Press “Settings”
- Scroll down. Under this list, tap and enable “Safe Search.”
- Tap it back so it’s set as “Off”
On Yahoo Mobile App
- Open the Yahoo app
- Then click at the top, at the left corner -profile icon
- Tap to scroll down-“Settings”
- See the Safe Search. By clicking, enable it- change the switch so as it reads “Off.”
How to Turn Off Safe Search in Web Browser
Other than search engines, some web browsers also have Safe Search settings. Here’s how to turn it off in popular browsers:
Chrome
- On Chrome, go to Google.
- Click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner to open settings
- Click “Settings.”
- Scroll to “Privacy and Security”
- Click “Site Settings.”
- Select “Content” then, under “Additional content settings, look for Safe Search”
- Change accordingly if needed.
Firefox
- Open Firefox and then go to Google.
- Click the three horizontal lines on the upper right.
- You will see a selection entitled “Options.
- Scroll down to the “Privacy & Security” area.
- Look through any settings associated with Safe Search and adjust as needed.
Safari
- Open Safari and navigate to Google.
- Click on the top left hand corner of the page on “Safari.”
- Choose “Preferences.”
- Click the “Search” tab.
- Toggle Safe Search off when needed.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
In other cases, you may still have issues even after doing all of the above but Safe Search just won’t turn off. Here are some common problems and their solutions:
1. Changes Won’t Save
If you’re doing everything but it appears that your settings simply won’t save:
- You must be logged into your account on the search engine. Otherwise, changes will not take effect.
- Clear browser cache and cookies and then retry.
- Safe Search Automatically Turning Back On
2. If Safe Search just won’t stay turned off:
- Check if you or someone else set up parental controls on your device or network. Some systems have a default to keep Safe Search enabled.
- Check for other third-party apps that apply filters on your internet.
- Use an appropriate browser and device.
- Remove extensions or add-ons, which might interfere with the settings.
Wrapping Up!
You now know how to turn off Safe Search, and you can surf the internet freely without any restrictions that may come with Safe Search settings.
When you want to research something, pursue your hobbies, or just browse freely, the above simple steps will get you started on customizing your search.
Remember, though that when you disable safe search, you’re releasing the floodgates to a wide range of material, so browse responsibly. Have safe browsing habits; be aware of what you’re getting yourself into.
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