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Family Safety Web and Search Content Filter

Jessica Larrison 25 Reputation points
2025-12-16T14:02:18.5266667+00:00

Family Safety Web and Search Content Filter does not work at all. I have it set to only allow, allowed sites and it is not blocking a single site including inappropriate sites. I have made sure he is signed into edge, cleared cache, restarted, cleared DNS, removed and readded him the family group. The time limits for windows are working but not anything web related.

Microsoft Edge | Other | Windows 11
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  1. Aiden Kongas Home 5 Reputation points
    2025-12-17T11:33:11.5966667+00:00

    Hi Microsoft. I have set up a new computer for my son, and set up the family filters however, just like the others, nothing is being blocked on Edge. Can you please advise us of the issue and why it isnt working, is there a fix?

    Thanks

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  2. Carlo Luna 6,895 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-17T15:15:13.25+00:00

    Hi Jessica,

    In that case, I recommend to contact a live support agent, go to https://support.microsoft.com/contactus/ Sign in to your Microsoft account, type “Chat with an agent” in the search bar, then click “Contact support” at the bottom. Choose the product you need help with and follow the prompts to start a live chat.

    Regards,
    Carlo

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  3. Carlo Luna 6,895 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-17T14:20:05.4033333+00:00

    Hi Jessica,

    Thank you for clarifying the issue. I understand that despite having Microsoft Edge installed and Family Safety enabled, all websites including those on the approved list are being blocked, and the “Ask an adult” message appears for every site. Let's try to fix it.

    I recommend signing in to family.microsoft.com and checking your child’s account settings to ensure web filtering is set correctly “Filter inappropriate websites” should be on, and “Only allow approved websites” off unless you want a strict allow list. After saving changes, wait a few minutes and restart the device.

    If the issue persists, try refreshing Family Safety manually by opening Command Prompt as Administrator and running this command:
    schtasks /run /tn "Microsoft\Windows\Shell\FamilySafetyRefreshTask"

    Restart the device afterward. It’s also a good idea to clear the DNS and browser cache. You can flush DNS by running:
    ipconfig /flushdns

    Finally, test on a different network, like a mobile hotspot, to rule out network restrictions.

    Regards,
    Carlo

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  4. Carlo Luna 6,895 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-16T14:38:35.7533333+00:00

    Hi Jessica,

    Thanks for reaching out. I know it’s frustrating when Family Safety web filters don’t work as expected, especially after you’ve already tried steps like clearing the cache, restarting, and re-adding the account. I'm here to help!

    First, confirm that your child is using Microsoft Edge and signed in with their child account. Family Safety’s web and search filters only work in Edge, so other browsers won’t be filtered unless blocked.

    Second, double-check that the web and search filter settings are enabled under your child’s profile at family.microsoft.com. After saving changes, allow a few minutes for them to sync, then restart the device and Edge to refresh the settings.

    Third, if approved sites still show “Ask an adult,” run this in Command Prompt as Admin:

    schtasks /run /tn "Microsoft\Windows\Shell\FamilySafetyRefreshTask"

    Restart afterward.

    Last, clear Edge’s browsing cache and flush the DNS to remove any stale data. If you need Chrome or another browser to work alongside Edge, you can unblock it in the Family Safety app settings or rename its executable as a workaround.

    I hope you find this information helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer".

    Regards,

    Carlo

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  5. AI answer

    2025-12-16T14:02:35.8133333+00:00

    It sounds like you're experiencing issues with the Family Safety Web and Search Content Filter in Microsoft Edge. Here are a few things to consider:

    1. Supported Browser: Ensure that Microsoft Edge is the only supported browser for web filtering within Microsoft Family Safety. If your child is using any unsupported browsers, those will not be filtered.
    2. Web Filtering Settings: Double-check that web filtering is properly enabled and configured to block inappropriate sites. You should ensure that the allowed sites list is correctly set up.
    3. Browser Updates: If the unsupported browsers have recently updated, the latest versions may not be blocked until they are added to the block list. This could cause some sites to appear unblocked temporarily.
    4. Activity Reporting: Make sure that the activity reporting feature is turned on, as this could affect how web filtering behaves. If it's turned off, it may not function as intended.
    5. Parental Approval: When using unsupported browsers, the standard workflow should prompt for parental approval. If this isn't happening, it may indicate a configuration issue.

    If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to reach out to Microsoft support for further assistance.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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