How to Change SafeSearch Settings in Windows 11

How to Change SafeSearch Settings in 🪟 Windows 11

The Settings ⚙️ app is the supported way to change SafeSearch. The path is Settings › Privacy & security › Search permissions From that page you choose Strict, Moderate or Off.

The Search 🔍 permissions page with a SafeSearch section is part of Windows 11, but its availability depends on your build and region. On some builds, or where web results in Windows Search are limited, the page looks different or has no SafeSearch section. On a PC managed by a work or school account, an administrator can hide the section or lock it.

Where the section is present, it works the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro. The change applies to the account you are signed in with and does not need a restart.

1. Open Windows Settings ⚙️. Click the Start button ⊞ and then the gear icon, or press Windows + I on your keyboard. The Settings ⚙️ window opens with the System page showing. More about opening Settings
2. On the left side, click Privacy & security. The privacy options appear on the right.
3. On the right side, find and click Search permissions. It sits in the Windows permissions group, so you may need to scroll down to reach it. The Search 🔍 permissions page opens.

   💡If you can't find Search permissions

   Microsoft has removed SafeSearch from Windows, so Search permissions and its Strict, Moderate, and Off options no longer appear in Settings. There is no direct replacement in Windows, so this step and the steps after it won't work on your PC. To filter explicit results, change SafeSearch in your web browser: open its settings and search for SafeSearch. You can also manage it online through your Microsoft account. These settings only apply to search in those places, not to Windows Search from the taskbar 🖥️.

4. 

5. Scroll down until you see the SafeSearch section. It lists the three filter levels as options you can select. If you cannot find this section, your build or region may not include it, as noted above.

   💡If you can't find the SafeSearch section in Windows

   Microsoft has removed SafeSearch from Windows Settings ⚙️, so the Strict, Moderate, and Off options no longer appear under Search permissions. There is no direct replacement in Windows. To filter explicit results, set SafeSearch in your browser: in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, open Settings and search for SafeSearch. You can also manage it online through your Microsoft account. These browser and account settings apply only to search in those places, not to Windows Search from the taskbar 🖥️.

6. Choose your SafeSearch setting. Click the option you want and the selection moves to it right away:

   • Strict: Blocks most adult content. Pick this on a shared or family PC.
   • Moderate: Blocks some adult content (this is the default setting).
   • Off: No filtering. You see all results.

7. 

8. Close the Settings ⚙️ app when you are done. Windows saves your change automatically, and you do not need to restart. To undo it, come back to the same page and select your previous level. If the options are greyed out or the page will not let you change them, the PC is probably managed by a work or school account, and your administrator controls the setting.

Another Way: Change SafeSearch Using the Registry Editor (For Advanced Users)

You can also set SafeSearch through the Registry Editor, the Windows tool that stores system and app settings. This suits you if you want to script the change or check the value directly. Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the tool.

Then go to 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettingscopy to update the SafeSearch value manually. Registry Editor is available on both Home and Pro. Because the key sits under 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USERcopy, it applies to the account you are signed in with, not to every user on the PC.

⚠️ Registry Editor asks for administrator approval (UAC prompt); the 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USERcopy change itself applies only to your account.

Before you start, export the Search 🔍 key (File › Export in Registry Editor). This gives you a backup file you can double-click to restore.

If the Settings ⚙️ app already does what you need, use that instead. The registry method also depends on the same availability as the Settings page: on builds without a SafeSearch section, the value may have no visible effect.

1. Open the Registry Editor. Press Windows + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. The Registry Editor window opens. Learn how to open Registry Editor
2. Navigate to this folder path: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettings. You can expand the keys in the left pane one at a time, or paste the path into the address bar at the top of the window. The keys under SearchSettings appear in the left pane and its values in the right pane.
3. Look for an entry named SafeSearchMode in the right pane. Check the Name column carefully, since the spelling has to match exactly.
4. If the entry is there, double-click it. If not, right-click in the empty space and choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it SafeSearchMode. A new entry appears in the list. Double-click it to open the edit window.
5. Set the value for the SafeSearch level you want. Type the number in the Value data box:

   • 0 = SafeSearch Off (no filter)
   • 1 = Moderate filter
   • 2 = Strict filter

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7. Click OK and close the Registry Editor. The new number now shows in the Data column.
8. Restart your 🔄 computer to apply the change. After you sign back in, open Settings › Privacy & security › Search permissions and confirm the SafeSearch level matches what you set. To undo the change, set the value back to its previous number or import the backup you exported.

Summary

SafeSearch in Windows 11 helps keep web searches cleaner by blocking inappropriate content. It offers levels from Strict to Off, and the Settings app is the better choice for most users. Use the registry method only if you need to script the change, and back up the key first.

The Windows setting does not control your browser. To get the same filtering in the places where you search, set each one yourself:

• Bing: Open Bing in your browser, select the menu icon at the top right, choose Settings, and then pick a level under SafeSearch. Choose Strict, Moderate or Off, and save if Bing asks you to.
• Microsoft Edge: Edge searches with Bing by default, so Bing's SafeSearch setting applies. Edge also has search and privacy options under Settings › Privacy, search, and services. The exact wording changes between Edge versions.
• Google: Open Google Search settings from the Settings link on the Google results page and find the SafeSearch option. Google offers filter levels such as Filter, Blur and Off. Your choice is saved with your Google account or in the browser.

For children, consider Microsoft Family Safety. It lets a parent manage content filters for a child's Microsoft account, including web and search filtering in Edge. Those rules can override a level a child sets on their own, so you do not need to check each browser by hand.