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How to set parental controls on a Google Chrome browser

Written by Steven John
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You may want to set parental controls on Google Chrome if your child often uses the browser. MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images
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The internet can be a largely unfiltered place, and it's certainly risky for a child to be browsing around without any restrictions. 

From adult content to violence and foul language, it may be unnerving to think what awaits your child. The good news is that you're a responsible caregiver and there are plenty of ways to tend to a youngster's online wanderings. 

Google Chrome offers several ways to create a safe online experience for kids with its parental controls. Here's what you need to know to use them. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

HP Chromebook (From $249 at Best Buy)

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

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How to set parental controls on Google Chrome

The easiest way to quickly set up a safe online experience is by turning on SafeSearch. 

While signed into your own Google account, you can do this by going to google.com/preferences.

There, click the box beside "Turn on SafeSearch" and then scroll to the bottom of the page and save. Most explicit results will now be filtered out of Google searches. 

How_to_set_parental_controls_on_Google_Chrome_ _1
SafeSearch only applies to Google search, and will not protect against typing in websites or clicking on links from other sources.  Steven John/Business Insider

The most comprehensive way to keep your kid safe when using Chrome is to set up Google Family Link and create an account (or link an existing Gmail account) to the managed plan.

You can download Family Link onto an iPhone or an Android device, and then go through the setup that will be shared with you step-by-step once you launch the app. 

Once in place, Google Family Link will let you manage the apps your child can use, limit screen time (and even lock the device as needed), limit and view web activity, and track the physical location of their phone or a Chromebook.

How to block specific websites on Google Chrome

You used to be able to set up a supervised Google account to control and supervise what your kids could access through a Chrome browser, but Google has since done away with the feature in favor of Google Family Link. 

However, if you're just looking to block your kids from accessing certain websites, you can do so easily with a Chrome extension. For more information, read our article "How to block websites on Google Chrome using a simple extension."

 

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Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.