How to stop Microsoft Family Safety from blocking Chrome

Question

Microsoft Family Safety keeps resetting my son's safety settings so that Web Safety is turned on, which automatically blocks his use of Chrome. All his schoolwork is through Google Classroom - it's so painful. I have to reset it multiple times a day. It's so incredibly frustrating, why does it block Chrome in the first place! This system is so stupid. Weirdly I have another child the same age and she has none of the same issues? I've only just set it up so we can have multiple sign ins on our new computer and I'm regretting it more than anything I've regretted it my computing life. Even worse, it also blocks the State Education Department website. I get an NXDOMAIN error, but again only on my son's login, it's nothing to do with the computer or the site itself. Everything is brand new, there are no bugs or errors and nothing in the cache, it's 100% Microsoft Family Safety causing the problem. How do I fix this?

Answer 1

Microsoft Family Safety is working as designed: when web filtering is enabled for a child, Edge is the only fully supported browser and other browsers such as Chrome are treated as “unsupported” and blocked unless explicitly allowed. The NXDOMAIN‑type behavior and Chrome closing or being unusable on only one child’s profile is consistent with Family Safety web filtering and app blocking being applied differently to that account.

To stop Family Safety from blocking Chrome and the education sites for the affected child, adjust that child’s Family Safety settings rather than the device itself:

1. Open the Family Safety management UI
   • Go to https://account.microsoft.com/family and sign in with the organizer account.
   • Select the affected child, then Go to overview.
2. Check web and search filters for that child
   • Under Edge (web platform), look at Filter inappropriate websites and searches.
   • To remove web filtering entirely for that child, turn Filter inappropriate websites and searches off.
   • If filtering must remain on, make sure the State Education Department site and any school domains are added under Allowed sites.
3. Check app and game filters for that child
   • In the same child profile, open App and game filters.
   • Ensure Google Chrome is not blocked. If it appears as blocked, change it to allowed.
   • If “Only use allowed websites” is turned on under Content filters, Chrome and some sites will be blocked unless explicitly allowed; turn this off if broad access is needed.
4. Confirm the child is using the correct browser and account
   • Web and search filters only apply when the child is signed into Microsoft Edge with their Microsoft account and Family Safety is active. If Edge filtering is on but Chrome must be used, the organizer must explicitly allow Chrome and the required sites as above.

If the other child does not see the same blocking, that child’s Family Safety configuration (web filters and app/game filters) is less restrictive. Matching the affected child’s settings to the sibling’s working configuration (especially disabling “Only use allowed websites” and ensuring Chrome is allowed) will align behavior.

If the affected account is being treated as a child account and restrictions are required by policy (for example, due to age), only the organizer can change or relax those settings; the child cannot override them.

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References:

• Filter websites and searches using Microsoft Family Safety
• Resolved issues in Windows 10, version 22H2
• Troubleshooting Microsoft Family Safety
• Family Safety settings enforced on adults