The Search experience inside Windows 11/10 is truly advanced and gets enhanced with every new version or update. Many of you are using Windows 11/10 which is integrated with a web search as well. Say, if you’re searching for a file in Windows 11, you are also able to get web results for your search query – although there is a way to disable this search if you don’t want it. Now since the system is synchronized to display web results also, it becomes a matter of concern and we may want to filter the web results. Typically, if you’re using the system in your family, you should set which kind of results to display and which should not.
Filter web search results in Windows using SafeSearch
Windows 11/10 allows you to filter search results under three heads, Strict, Moderate and No filter. This article will show you the ways to configure your priority. You can do this via Windows Settings, REgistry or Group Policy Editor.
How to Disable or Enable SafeSearch setting or filter in Windows 11
While introducing Windows 11, Microsoft made sure to make it more convenient for users in comparison to its predecessors. A lot of features that were not available in earlier versions of Windows could be used through registry editor tweaks. Many of them have been introduced in Windows 11 as a part of its settings. One of these settings is the option to Enable or Disable SafeSearch or Filter in Windows 11. The procedure is as follows:
- Right-click on the Start button and select Settings from the menu.
- In the Settings window, go to the Privacy & Security tab on the list on the left-hand side.
- In the right pane, select Search permissions.
- In the SafeSearch section, you can choose from the options Strict, Moderate, and OFF. The results will be as follows.
- Strict: It filters adult text, images, and videos from web search results.
- Moderate: It filters adult images, and videos from web search results but not text.
- OFF: It doesn’t filter anything from web search results.
- The default setting is selected at Moderate.
Set The Safe Search Setting Using Local Group Policy Editor
1. In Windows 11/10 Pro & Enterprise Editions, press Windows Key + R combination, type put gpedit.msc in Run dialog box and hit Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
2. Navigate here:
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Search
3. In the right pane of this location, look for the setting named Set the Safesearch setting for Search which must be showing Not Configured status by default. Double click on the same to get this:
4. In the above-shown window, click Enabled and then for the Default Safe Search Setting drop-down menu, pick your choice for filtering the search results among Strict, Moderate and Off. Following is the explanation for different filters:
- Strict: Filter out adult text, images, and videos from search results.
- Moderate: Filter adult images and videos but not text from search results.
- Off: Don’t filter adult content from search results.
Click OK. You may now close the Local Group Policy Editor and reboot to see changes effective.
TIP: You can also configure SafeSearch and other Search settings via Settings.
Set The SafeSearch Setting Using Registry Editor
If your edition of Windows 11/10 does not have the Group Policy Editor, do the following:
1. Press Windows Key + R combination, type put regedit in Run dialog box and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
3. In the right pane of this location, create a new registry DWORD named as ConnectedSearchSafeSearch by doing a right-click in blank space and navigating through New -> DWORD Value. Double click on the DWORD to modify its Value data:
4. In the above-shown box, put the following Value data corresponding to the filter you’d like to have:
- Strict : 1
- Moderate : 2
- Off : 3
Click OK when you’re done with inputting your choice. You may now close Registry Editor and reboot to observe the changes you’ve made so far.
I hope you find the tip useful!
Why am I unable to disable SafeSearch on my Windows computer?
SafeSearch could be locked with the router, security device, Registry Editor, or a third-party software. If that is the case, then disabling SafeSearch from Windows settings might not help. To resolve this, you will have to disable SafeSearch from everywhere else.
Can I add exceptions for Windows SafeSearch?
There is no option to add exceptions for Windows SafeSearch, however, you can use third-party software products which readily allow you to create exceptions for Windows SafeSearch. Other than this, you can add SafeSearch to browsers directly.
Why should I use SafeSearch on Windows instead of search engines or browsers?
SafeSearch when used on a search engine only prevents primary search results. It doesn’t filter secondary search results. Also, if you use the SafeSearch filter on a browser, it will prevent results for that browser only.
