Turn Off Google Safesearch

In many countries, it is not currently possible to turn off Google SafeSearch completely. However, with the right search terms, explicit material will still show up. If you find this method too tedious or irritating, there are several alternative search engines to consider.

Steps

Using Google

Lowering SafeSearch's Setting

  1. Turn SafeSearch to the lowest possible setting. Unfortunately, Google sites in many countries no longer allow you to turn off SafeSearch completely.[1] However, it is still possible to get explicit results. Start by entering any term into Google image search, then clicking SafeSearch → uncheck Filter Explicit Results. This will not fully remove SafeSearch, but it will make finding explicit results possible with the step below.
    • Check out the next step if you can't find the option or if the option is greyed out.
  2. Bypass locked SafeSearch settings if needed. If you can't change your SafeSearch settings, they are probably locked by the owner of the Google account. Bypass this using any one of the following methods, then turn SafeSearch to the lowest setting as described above:
    • Activate-Incognito-Mode. This might not turn off SafeSearch in all browsers, but it usually works. This will allow you to bypass SafeSearch if it has been locked by someone's Google account, but will not work if SafeSearch is enabled on the router.[2]
    • Open a new browser, or download a new, trustworthy, free browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
    • Create a new google account, or sign out and log into your own existing account.
  3. Add explicit terms to your searches. Explicit results will show up only if you make your search extremely clear. For example, if you are trying to find nude images, add the word "nude," "sex," or "porn" to the end of your search. The results you see should change dramatically.
  4. Suggest a change to Google. If you enter a search term that you think is clearly explicit, but you only get "safe" results, you can report the experience to Google. If they receive enough similar feedback on that search term, it may be changed to an "explicit" one that will automatically return explicit results without the need for additional terms.
    • You can use the same form to report the reverse: non-explicit searches that returned explicit results.

Turning Off SafeSearch Completely

  1. Open any web browser on your computer. Google SafeSearch isn’t tied to any web browser as it’s linked to your Google account.
  2. Check to see if SafeSearch is enabled. Visit Google’s search page and make a search. On the results page, if you see a picture of colored balloons on the top right corner, SafeSearch is enabled.
  3. Enter “www.google.com/preferences” on the address bar. You will be brought to the Search Settings page.
  4. Unlock SafeSearch. Look for the “SafeSearch filters” section. The option for “Filter explicit results” should be checked and grayed out, meaning not editable. Click the “Unlock SafeSearch” link beside it, and you will be asked to sign into your Google account. If you’re already in, you will be asked to re-enter your password. This is for added security for SafeSearch so anyone can’t just turn it off.
  5. Confirm Unlock SafeSearch. You will be brought to another page to confirm unlocking SafeSearch. Click the “Unlock SafeSearch” button, and Google will release the SafeSearch lock across all Google domains for your account.
  6. Search without SafeSearch. Go to Google’s search page, and the picture of colored balloons should be gone. You can now use Google Search and all its other domains freely.

Google App

  1. Launch Google. Look for the Google app on your mobile device. It’s the one with the app icon with the Google, or “g,” logo. Tap on it to launch it.
  2. Go to the Search settings. Tap your profile picture or menu icon on the upper left corner of the home screen to open the Settings window. Tap on “Search settings” from here.
  3. Switch off SafeSearch. Look for the SafeSearch Filters section, and tap the option for “Show most relevant results” to disable SafeSearch. The other option here is “Filter explicit results,” which would essentially enable SafeSearch.
  4. Save. Tap the “Save” button at the bottom of the window, then tap the “Done” button on the upper right corner of the next window. You will be taken back to Google Search with SafeSearch off.

Using Alternatives

  1. Search on Bing instead. Ever since the change to Google SafeSearch, many people have switched to Bing to find explicit content.[3] You'll first need to click the gear image in the top right of the Bing website, then select Off under the SafeSearch settings.[4]
    • Switch between text, image, and video search using the links at the top of the page.
  2. Try a search engine focused on privacy. Most mainstream search engines save your search history, which can cause people to find embarrassing searches that pop up as suggestions on your computer. Try these alternatives:
    • When you search for an explicit term using Duck Duck Go, a prompt will appear asking whether you want to turn off Safe search.
    • To search for explicit terms on IxQuick, click Settings in the top right, then scroll down and click the circle next to "Do not filter my results."
  3. Join DeviantArt to find nude images for figure drawing. DeviantArt may be a good option if you're looking for images of naked people in non-erotic poses, or of naked people with a variety of body types.[5] However, you will have to sign up using an email address before you can turn off the Mature Content setting (near the top right of the page).

Tips

  • Google users in many countries can no longer disable SafeSearch entirely for all searches. While it used to be possible to circumvent this by searching on another country's Google page, Google now appears to detect this and turn on SafeSearch.

Warnings

  • If there are multi-colored circles displayed in the top right of the search page, SafeSearch has been locked in. You must enter the username and password of the active Google account before you can disable SafeSearch.[6]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/websearch/WIPzdBq6E4Y/P6x4kc0pth8J
  2. ↑ http://www.cnet.com/news/google-lets-parents-lock-in-safesearch/
  3. ↑ http://www.dailydot.com/technology/bing-porn-search-engine/
  4. ↑ http://www.bing.com/account/general?ru=http%3a%2f%2fwww.bing.com%3a80%2f&FORM=SEFD
  5. ↑ http://ask.metafilter.com/218483/Dont-google-image-search-nude-model
  6. ↑ http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=144686
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