Safe Search filters out adult content and graphic material from your search results

Safe Search is a filter that removes explicit images, videos, and websites from your search results. It runs on Google, Bing, YouTube, and some other search engines. When Safe Search is on, you will not see adult content, graphic violence, or other material marked as explicit — even if you search for it directly.

Turning off Safe Search means you will see all results that match your search terms, including adult content. This is a personal setting that only affects your own account or device. Turning it off does not change what anyone else sees, and it does not break any rules.

The steps to turn off Safe Search depend on which search engine you use and whether you are on a computer or phone. Each one takes less than a minute.

Key Takeaways

  • Safe Search is a filter you control yourself — turning it off only changes what you see, not what other people see.
  • On Google, you turn off Safe Search in Settings on the search results page or in your account settings if you are signed in.
  • On Bing, the toggle is in the Settings menu at the bottom right of the search page.
  • On YouTube, Safe Search is in Settings under Restricted Mode, which you can turn off in one click.
  • If you share a device with others, turning off Safe Search affects only your account, not theirs.

How to turn off Safe Search on Google

On Google's search results page, look for the word "Settings" at the bottom right. Click it, then click "Search settings" from the menu that appears. Scroll down until you see the "SafeSearch filters" section. You will see three radio buttons: "Strict", "Moderate", and "Off". Click the "Off" button, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Save".

If you are signed into a Google account, you can also change this in your account settings instead. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Data & privacy" on the left side, scroll down to "Search settings", and click it. Then follow the same steps: find SafeSearch filters and click "Off".

On a phone or tablet, the process is the same. Open Google Search, tap the profile icon or "Settings" (usually at the bottom of the screen), tap "Search settings", scroll to SafeSearch filters, and tap "Off". Then tap "Save".

How to turn off Safe Search on Bing

Go to bing.com and search for anything. At the bottom right of the page, you will see a link that says "Settings". Click it and select "Search settings" from the dropdown menu. Look for the section labeled "SafeSearch" — it will show three options: "Strict", "Moderate", and "Off". Click "Off".

Bing will ask you to confirm. Click the confirmation button, and the change takes effect immediately. You do not need to save or refresh the page. On a phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom, then tap "Settings", then "Search settings", then turn off SafeSearch.

How to turn off Safe Search on YouTube

YouTube calls its version "Restricted Mode". To turn it off, scroll to the bottom of any YouTube page and click "Restricted Mode: On" (or "Off" if it is already off). A popup will appear asking you to confirm. Click "Turn off" to disable it.

If you are signed into a YouTube account, you can also change this in your account settings. Click your profile picture in the top right corner, select "Settings", then click "General" on the left side. Scroll down to "Restricted Mode" and toggle it off. The change takes effect immediately.

On a phone, open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, tap "Settings", tap "General", and toggle off "Restricted Mode".

What happens when you turn off Safe Search

Once Safe Search is off, your search results will include all content that matches your search terms. This means adult websites, explicit images, and graphic content will appear if they are relevant to what you searched for. You will not see a warning before these results load.

Turning off Safe Search does not change anything about your privacy or security. Search engines do not flag your account or report you to anyone for disabling the filter. It is a standard user setting, the same as changing your language or your search history preferences.

Safe Search settings are separate for each device and account

If you share a computer with family members or coworkers, each person's Safe Search setting is independent. If you are signed into your own Google, Bing, or YouTube account, your Safe Search setting follows you across devices — turning it off on your phone also turns it off on your computer. But if someone else uses the same device with their own account, their Safe Search setting is separate from yours.

If you use a shared device without signing in, Safe Search settings are stored on that device only. If you turn off Safe Search on a shared computer while not signed in, the next person who uses that computer will also see Safe Search turned off — unless they sign into their own account, which overrides the device setting.

Turning Safe Search back on

You can turn Safe Search back on at any time using the same steps you used to turn it off. On Google, go to Search settings and click "Moderate" or "Strict". On Bing, go to Search settings and click "Moderate" or "Strict". On YouTube, scroll to the bottom and click "Restricted Mode: Off", then click "Turn on".

If you want Safe Search on for some searches but off for others, you cannot do that with a single setting. You would need to turn it off, do your search, then turn it back on. Most people either leave it on or off all the time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Safe Search affect other people using my device?

Only if they are not signed into their own account. If they sign into their own Google, Bing, or YouTube account, their Safe Search setting is separate from yours. If they use the device without signing in, they will see your Safe Search setting until they change it themselves.

Can my internet provider see that I turned off Safe Search?

Your internet provider can see that you visited a website, but they cannot see your Safe Search setting. Safe Search is a filter that runs on the search engine's side, not on your internet connection. Turning it off or on does not change what your provider can see.

Will turning off Safe Search slow down my searches?

No. Safe Search is a filter that runs on the search engine's servers, not on your device. Turning it off or on does not affect your internet speed or how fast results load.

What if I want Safe Search off for some searches but on for others?

Search engines do not have a per-search toggle. You would need to turn Safe Search off, do your search, then turn it back on. Some people use a private or incognito window instead, though Safe Search settings still apply in those windows unless you change them separately.

Does Safe Search block websites or just filter search results?

Safe Search only filters search results. It does not block you from visiting a website directly. If you type a URL into your address bar, you can visit it regardless of your Safe Search setting. Safe Search only affects what appears when you search.