How to Disable Google Safe Search

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: March 27, 2024 Tested

Is Google censoring you search results? Google's SafeSearch protection prevents explicit content from appearing in search results, including porn, violence, and gore. While SafeSearch is enforced by law in some regions, most Google users ages 18 and older can easily switch off SafeSearch in Google's settings. This wikiHow article will teach you how to disable SafeSearch in Google on your Android, iPhone, iPad, and computer, and give you alternative search engine options if SafeSearch is required in your area.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

On iPhone

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Open Google. Tap the Google app icon, which resembles a colored "G" on a white background. This will open the Google search engine.
2
Tap the "Settings"
icon. It's in the top-left corner of the screen.
- If Google opens to a website, first tap the Google logo at the bottom of the screen.
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It's in the "Privacy" section.
4
Check the "Show most relevant results" box. This option is near the top of the screen.
- If this option is already checked, SafeSearch is disabled.
It's a blue button at the bottom of the page. Doing so will save your settings and exit the Settings page.
This is in the top-right corner of the screen. You will be returned to the Google search engine page.
7
Conduct a search. Search for your preferred term or phrase to determine whether or not SafeSearch has been disabled. If you see explicit (or even different) results than before, you've successfully disabled SafeSearch for Google.
- If you still aren't seeing explicit content, your ISP or region may be blocking explicit results. You can contact your ISP to inquire, or you can use a VPN or proxy to view blocked content on desktop.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

On Android

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Tap the Google app icon, which resembles a colored "G" on a white background. This will open the Google search engine.
It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen. A menu will appear.
This is in the menu. Doing so opens the Settings page.
You'll find this option in the middle of the Settings page.
5
Tap the blue "SafeSearch filter" switch
. It will turn grey
, which signifies that SafeSearch has been disabled.
- If the switch is already grey, SafeSearch is disabled.
6
Conduct a search. Tap the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the screen, then search for your preferred term or phrase to determine whether or not SafeSearch has been disabled. If you see explicit (or even different) results than before, you've successfully disabled SafeSearch for Google.
- If you still aren't seeing explicit content, your ISP or region may be blocking explicit results. You can contact your ISP to inquire, or you can use a VPN or proxy to view blocked content on desktop.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

On Desktop

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1
Open the Google Preferences page. Go to https://www.google.com/preferences in any web browser.
- Your browser must have cookies enabled in order for it to save your preferences when you exit.
2
Uncheck the "Turn on SafeSearch" box. You'll find it near the top of the page.
- If SafeSearch is locked in your browser, you will need to enter the password when prompted.
- If this box is already unchecked, SafeSearch is disabled on your computer.
3
Check the "Use private results" box. It's in the middle of the page. This setting isn't directly related to SafeSearch, but it will ensure that you see a larger variety of relevant images.
- Again, if this box is checked, it's already active.
This blue button is at the bottom of the page. Doing so will save your settings and return you to Google.
5
Conduct a search. Search for your preferred term or phrase to determine whether or not SafeSearch has been disabled. If you see explicit (or even different) results than before, you've successfully disabled SafeSearch for Google.
- If you still aren't seeing explicit content, your ISP or region may be blocking explicit results. You can contact your ISP to inquire, or you can use a VPN or proxy to view blocked content.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Alternative Browsers/Websites

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1
Search on Bing instead. Ever since the change to Google SafeSearch, many people have switched to Bing to find explicit content. You can disable SafeSearch in Bing by doing the following:^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Go to https://www.bing.com/
- Click ☰ in the upper-right.
- Click SafeSearch
- Check the "Off" box.
- Click Save
- Click Agree
2
Use DuckDuckGo to avoid trackers. DuckDuckGo is a private search engine which doesn't track your browsing history. You can disable SafeSearch in DuckDuckGo by doing the following:
- Go to https://duckduckgo.com/
- Click ☰ in the upper-right.
- Click Other Settings
- Click the "Safe Search" drop-down box.
- Click Off
- Scroll down and click Save and Exit
to find explicit images for figure drawing. DeviantArt may be a good option if you're looking for images of naked people in non-erotic poses, or of naked people with a variety of body types; however, you will have to sign up using an email address before you can turn off the Mature Content setting.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I turn off safesearch?

Community Answer

If it's on your computer, go to "images." In the right top corner, you'll see safesearch. If it has a check mark, it is enabled; click on it.

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Question

What if it says 'We've set SafeSearch to strict because your browser communicated your preference for a safe web browsing experience'?

Community Answer

Conduct a search. Search for your preferred term or phrase to determine whether or not SafeSearch has been disabled. If you see explicit (or even different) results than before, you've successfully disabled SafeSearch for Google.

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Thank you for your feedback.
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Question

Why can't I disable Safesearch on my school computer?

Community Answer

School computers have installed software like iboss in order to show only non-explicit content. Those computers are not yours to disable.

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Tips

Google users in many countries can no longer disable SafeSearch entirely for all searches. While it used to be possible to circumvent this by searching on another country's Google page, Google now appears to detect this and turn on SafeSearch.

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Some ISPs will force the filter on if you have "scam protection" enabled in their account control panel. This can be verified by using an international VPN service to connect to google.com and test if it is possible to disable SafeSearch that way. If you can disable SafeSearch using a VPN to connect to google.com, that strongly suggests your ISP is automatically redirecting your searches through Google's filtering service.

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