Family safety blocks sites I've approved

Question

Family safety blocks sites I've approved

shirley shani 50

My teens needed to access websites at school, I approved them, it stays blocked.

I added it to the "approved" list - stayed blocked.
I added the parent website to the "approved" list - stayed blocked.
Eventually, they could only access it when I removed all filters, which makes the whole idea of the app redundant.

Ian M 5 Reputation points

2025-12-18T05:10:34.3766667+00:00
Having the same issue. @Microsoft.com Team (No idea if that tag is legit) this needs to be addressed.

The issue is as follows. The user (child) navigates to the URL and requests access. The request prompts on the Organizers mobile device. The Organizer approved the request. The web site is stuck in a state of non approval. The request button no longer works and continuously loops/remains blocked.

Per recommendations via Microsoft and Co-Pilot, the following steps have been taken to no avail:

Delete and clear all browser data on Edge and restart the browser/Childs Endpoint device.

Run updates for system/MS Edge.

Turn off Web Content Filtering/inappropriate web sites restrictions.

Kill WPC service on Childs device.

Remove child from family and readd (Note, attempting to access sites while child is in a removed state resulted with the same error.)

Device wipe and reload.

I am beyond frustrated with this bug as the issue is persisting with only one user in my family group. My other child is able to request and access without issue.

This does not appear to be a sync issue, I do not recommend following any steps provided by Microsoft to remove/add the child or clear any data to attempt a force sync. This appears to be a dead stop, as if it is being misrouted.
TK 0 Reputation points

2025-12-21T16:30:24.37+00:00
I am having the same issue. Without rhyme or reason, I tried many different things to resolve this problem, including deleting my child from my Family and the websites requests are still blocked.

I was hoping to delete my child from Family Safety and sign up with a different parental control service, but found that I was still stuck in that microsoft bermuda triangle, unable to be removed and websites still being blocked.

By pure luck, I found that this semi workable round about way of being able to process requests

I set the "web and search filter" on for some safety and set the "Only use allowed websites" to off.

Have my child make a request via his device.

Approve the link

CLOSE my child's edge browser

Reopen my child's edge browser

Open the link that was just approved

and this allowed for the permission to be processec

Again, this is a round about way of doing it that I found worked for now. Be mindful that setting the permission "web and search filters" on without the "Only use allowed websites" on makes many more websites accessible without permission requests or your surveillance. But you can always look at the history and block whatever you deem inappropriate or unsafe for your child retroactively.

I hope Microsoft will solve this soon and in the meantime, I hope that all of you who are such caring and supportive parents much peace for you and your family.

Answer accepted by question author

AI answer

It seems that you are experiencing issues with the web filtering functionality in Microsoft Family Safety, where approved sites remain blocked. This can happen due to a few reasons:

Browser Compatibility: Currently, Microsoft Edge is the only supported browser that provides web filtering functionality within Microsoft Family Safety. If your teens are using unsupported browsers, the filtering settings may not apply as expected.
Approval Process: After adding a site to the approved list, it may take some time for the changes to propagate. Make sure to check if the sites are still listed as approved in the Family Safety settings.
Updates to Unsupported Browsers: If an unsupported browser updates to a new version, it may not be blocked until Microsoft adds it to the block list. This could lead to temporary access issues for sites that should be blocked.
Custom Indicators: If you are still facing issues, consider creating a custom indicator to allow or block specific sites, as this can provide more control over access.

If the problem persists, it may be beneficial to reach out to Microsoft support for further assistance with the Family Safety app and its web filtering capabilities.

References:

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

5 additional answers

Your answer

Ian M 5 Reputation points

2025-12-18T05:10:34.3766667+00:00

Having the same issue. @Microsoft.com Team (No idea if that tag is legit) this needs to be addressed.

The issue is as follows. The user (child) navigates to the URL and requests access. The request prompts on the Organizers mobile device. The Organizer approved the request. The web site is stuck in a state of non approval. The request button no longer works and continuously loops/remains blocked.

Per recommendations via Microsoft and Co-Pilot, the following steps have been taken to no avail:

Delete and clear all browser data on Edge and restart the browser/Childs Endpoint device.

Run updates for system/MS Edge.

Turn off Web Content Filtering/inappropriate web sites restrictions.

Kill WPC service on Childs device.

Remove child from family and readd (Note, attempting to access sites while child is in a removed state resulted with the same error.)

Device wipe and reload.

I am beyond frustrated with this bug as the issue is persisting with only one user in my family group. My other child is able to request and access without issue.

This does not appear to be a sync issue, I do not recommend following any steps provided by Microsoft to remove/add the child or clear any data to attempt a force sync. This appears to be a dead stop, as if it is being misrouted.
TK 0 Reputation points

2025-12-21T16:30:24.37+00:00

I am having the same issue. Without rhyme or reason, I tried many different things to resolve this problem, including deleting my child from my Family and the websites requests are still blocked.

I was hoping to delete my child from Family Safety and sign up with a different parental control service, but found that I was still stuck in that microsoft bermuda triangle, unable to be removed and websites still being blocked.

By pure luck, I found that this semi workable round about way of being able to process requests

I set the "web and search filter" on for some safety and set the "Only use allowed websites" to off.

Have my child make a request via his device.

Approve the link

CLOSE my child's edge browser

Reopen my child's edge browser

Open the link that was just approved

and this allowed for the permission to be processec

Again, this is a round about way of doing it that I found worked for now. Be mindful that setting the permission "web and search filters" on without the "Only use allowed websites" on makes many more websites accessible without permission requests or your surveillance. But you can always look at the history and block whatever you deem inappropriate or unsafe for your child retroactively.

I hope Microsoft will solve this soon and in the meantime, I hope that all of you who are such caring and supportive parents much peace for you and your family.

Answer 1

shirley shani 50

Hi, Carlo,

Thank you for replying.

When my teens are physically at school, in class, and their teacher gives them a link - “wait for it” is just not a good answer. By the time it’s approved - the activity is over.

(1) The filters should be more accurate to begin with.

(2) The approval should be a s quick and as easy as approving a new app on the phone: once I approve it’s downloaded.

friendlies 0 Reputation points

2025-12-12T05:20:32.1666667+00:00

We are facing the same issue its pretty frustrating. My son uses Edge only and no other browser.
Scott Phuong 0 Reputation points

2025-12-17T06:25:11.7566667+00:00

Yes, I agree. This needs to happen faster. It's been days since I added it to the allowed list. But the request still comes in. I approved and the approval has happened at least for 10 minutes and it's still not allowed. This should not take this long. It should happen really fast as in matters of seconds. Everytime my kid needs something approved they are in class. I paid for their classes and the teachers will charge me regardless. So this has to happen within seconds.

Answer 2

shirley shani 50

Is there a way to make it happen as soon as I approve?

0 comments

Answer 3

TS 0

What’s the fix for this issue?? As of December 17th, 2025, I’m experiencing the same issue with my kids. Approved websites are not accessible on my kid’s end, no matter what I do to approve it or how many times I reapprove it. Temporarily remove website restrictions doesnt work either. Nothing works. Very frustrating.

Ian M 5 Reputation points

2025-12-18T05:00:17.5266667+00:00

Running into the same issue. I'm setting up Xmas laptops for my kids. My daughters works fine, my sons all the sudden stopped accepting exceptions. What is really maddening is by profession I am an Intune and Entra ID engineer and manage a multitude of endpoints via Microsoft cloud management systems. Initially I was impressed with the family safety toolset for home use, but this bug is proving otherwise. Been at it all day and after removing/readding, service killing, wiping and reloading, multiple forced updates the issue is persisting. Pretty terrible timing Microsoft....

Answer 4

Anonymous

Hi Shirley,

Thanks for reaching out. I understand how frustrating it can be when approved sites remain blocked especially when your teens need them for school. The goal of Family Safety is to provide control without unnecessary disruption, so let’s work through this together.

First, make sure your teens are using Microsoft Edge. Family Safety web filters only apply reliably in Edge, and other browsers can cause inconsistencies. After approving a site, give it a few minutes to sync and restart the browser or device to ensure the changes take effect.

Second, if the site is still blocked, try adding it through the Custom indicators option instead of the standard allow list. This method often provides better control and resolves stubborn blocks.

Third, if those steps don’t help, some parents in the community have found workarounds such as temporarily disabling web filtering in Edge or renaming the browser executable to bypass filter checks. These are not ideal long-term solutions, but they can help in urgent situations. Another option is restarting the Family Safety service and reloading the site offline before re-enabling it.

Last, if none of these approaches work, I recommend reaching out to Microsoft Support at https://support.microsoft.com/contactus/Sometimes, persistent issues are tied to sync delays or account-specific settings that need deeper troubleshooting.

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

Matt Rosloniec 5 Reputation points

2025-12-10T18:52:09.23+00:00

I am experiencing the same issue today with my son. I approved a site and it remains blocked. I also removed all content filters to test, and edge is still blocking the site. It seems there might be a service issue?
Anthony Chen 0 Reputation points

2025-12-10T23:37:27.28+00:00

same thing happened to me
Melanie K 0 Reputation points

2025-12-11T18:13:32.71+00:00

Same issue. Also blocking school work. This needs a fix asap.
Melanie K 0 Reputation points

2025-12-11T18:16:23.97+00:00

Carlo,
What is a custom indicator? Where do we find that? Is there a help file?
JL 0 Reputation points

2025-12-11T21:50:33.07+00:00

I am also having this problem. I can't even get it to work by removing all the filters. I had to sign my son into my account so he could take a class. It worked fine last week. There is obviously a problem with the app that needs to be fixed.
Anonymous

2025-12-15T09:05:34+00:00

I am also having this same issue despite following all of the recommended steps and checking all of the settings in Family Safety to troubleshoot the problem. Please resolve this problem for all of us.
TS 0 Reputation points

2025-12-17T23:25:43.2233333+00:00

experiencing the same issue here! When is the fix??
TS 0 Reputation points

2025-12-17T23:27:24.5533333+00:00

What is a Custom Indicator? Is it available in the Family Safety app? This is also effecting my kid’s school work.
Ian M 5 Reputation points

2025-12-18T05:02:07.6566667+00:00

Custom indicators are for use in enterprise specifically MDE. This is a home use family app issue. CI's will not assist with this problem...
Vanessa Lopez 0 Reputation points

2025-12-19T18:27:53.91+00:00

This isn’t an individual user or account issue. I’ve spent upwards of 4 hours on the phone and chat with support and they cannot help. This must be a back end issue and needs resolving asap by Microsoft. Stop with all the nonsense troubleshooting advice to delete and reinstall the app, the child’s account etc…NOTHING IS WORKING.