Activate SafeSearch
One of the simplest methods for set parental controls on Chrome, thus limiting the sites that can be visited through the browser, consists in activating the SafeSearch mode browser: this, in practice, allows you to hide from Google the search results deemed inappropriate and / or offensive for an audience of minors, such as sites expressly dedicated to an adult audience, for example.
PC
Enable SafeSearch on Google Chrome for PC it's really very simple: first, connect to the Google search preferences page, then put the check mark next to the item Enable SafeSearch, which you find at the top of the page that opens and click on the button Save, located at the bottom of the page, to save the changes made.
If you have a Google account, you can also ensure that this option cannot be deactivated, unless you enter the password of the profile in use: to obtain this result, click on the button Block SafeSearch, log in with your Gmail credentials and, finally, click on the button Block SafeSearch placed on the page that is shown immediately after.
Smartphones and tablets
As for Chrome for smartphones and tablets, you can enable SafeSearch in various ways: using the Android settings, via the Google app for iOS or by acting from the Google search settings, in a rather similar way to what is seen on a PC. Below I will explain how to proceed, depending on the case.
- Android settings - after opening the appropriate screen (you have to tap on the icon of thegear located in the system drawer), touch the item Google, access the section Search, assistant and voice functions, fai tap sull'opzione Generali and finally move up ON the levetta relative alla voce SafeSearch.
- Google app for iOS - tap on the d-shaped buttongear located at the top left, touch the item Search settings placed in the box Privacy, then put the check mark next to the option Filter the explicit results and tap on the item Save, At the bottom of the page.
- Google search settings - linked to this web page, locate the section SafeSearch Filters and apponi il segno di spunta accanto alla voce Filter the explicit results, then tap the button Save located at the bottom of the page
Block inappropriate websites
If the SafeSearch filter is not enough, you can use some useful tools to block certain Internet sites from being displayed in Google Chrome. Below I am going to explain how to proceed in the three most common cases: up PC, using a Chrome extension; up Android, leveraging an app fit for purpose and on iOS, using the "Screen Time" feature built into the system.
PC
To inhibit the display of unwanted websites on Chrome for PC, I recommend that you rely on the extension Block Site, which allows, among other things, to block adult sites and those containing certain keywords in the address.
So, the first thing you need to do is connect to the page dedicated to the extension on the Chrome Web Store, click on the button Add (top right) and finalize the download and installation of the add-on by clicking the buttons again Add extension e I agree.
Next, right-click on the extension icon that you see appearing at the top, next to the Chrome address bar (lo red shield), select the voice options from the proposed menu and, once in the extension configuration window, activate the lever Block Adult Sites placed in the left part of the same.
As already mentioned, you can also set blocks on websites that contain certain words within their respective addresses: to do this, click on the item Block by Words and indicate the "forbidden" words, one at a time, by typing them in the text field Add a word you’d like to block and pressing the key Submit keypad for confirmation.
If necessary, you can block the display of other personalized Internet sites: to do this, move to the section Block Sites, indicates, one at a time, the Web addresses of the pages to be blocked within the field Enter a web address and press the small button capacitor positive (+) lead located to the right of it, to confirm.
To prevent the add-on from being bypassed, I also recommend that you apply a password to change the extension options and make it operational during incognito browsing sessions. How? I'll explain it to you right away.
- Set a password - access the Block Site configuration window, as seen above, click on the section Password protection and apponi il segno di spunta accanto alla voce Require a password to access Block Site Options, then type the password in the box that is shown to you and click on the button Enter Password.
- Activate the extension for incognito browsing - right click on the Block Site icon, choose the item Manage extensions from the menu that appears and moves up ON the lever corresponding to the frame Allow incognito mode And that's it.
Smartphone e tablet Android
To block websites that you think are inappropriate in Chrome for Android, I recommend you rely on the app BlockSite, "companion" of the extension for Chrome that I recommended earlier, in the chapter on the PC. It allows, in a very simple way, to block adult sites and custom sites within a couple of taps.
After downloading the app from the Play Store, start it, tap the button Get Started and, to grant it the necessary permissions for its operation, touch the buttons Go to Settings e Got It, fai tap sull 'icona of BlockSite placed on the next screen and move to ON the levetta Use service. To conclude and return to the main application interface, touch the button OK.
At this point, tap the icon Adult Block (Quella a forma di prohibition) located in the lower right corner of the app and activate the lever located in the central part of the page. If you want to block custom sites, tap the shield located at the bottom left, tap the button capacitor positive (+) lead located at the bottom, access the tab Web and enter, in the appropriate text field, the website you want to block, then tap on checkmark green located at the top right. Repeat this for all Internet pages you intend to block.
As an additional security measure, I recommend that you protect the app and its settings with a password, so that the restrictions you have set cannot be circumvented: to do this, tap the button (⋮) placed at the top right, then the item Settings attached to the menu that appears on the screen, presses the option Password protection and indicates whether to protect the app with a code or with a pattern. After selecting the item you prefer, follow the on-screen procedure to save the unlock code or pattern and, once back in the password setting screen, move to ON the three levers that appear in the window.
If you have an Android device that has previously been rooted, you can instead apply the blocking of websites using the free app Hosts Editor, which allows you to act by modifying the hosts file of the operating system, as I explained to you in my guide on how to block a site on Android.
iPhone and iPad
Apply restrictions on websites in Chrome for iPhone and iPad is extremely simple: in this case, you can take advantage of the restrictions available in the section Usage time included in iOS 12 and later. You must know, in fact, that the limitations applied to web browsing do not apply only to Safari, but also to the Google browser.
Using it is really simple: first, tap on the icon Settings attached to the iOS Home screen, access the sections Usage time e Use "Usage Time" code, then specify a PIN to protect the modification of settings by unauthorized users.
In Seguito, fai tap sulla voce Content and privacy, re-enter the previously specified PIN, move to ON the relative levetta all'opzione Content and Privacy, touches the voices Content restrictions e Web content, then select the option Limit adult websites: by doing so, all visits to adult sites will be blocked, both in Google Chrome and Safari. To specify additional sites to block, tap on the field Never allow and enter the addresses of your interest.
If you have an iOS version below 12, the procedure changes slightly: go to Settings> General> Restrictions, play the voice Enable restriction and specify a code to be entered to change or cancel the restrictions. Once on the next screen, tap on the item Web Sites, and put the check mark next to the wording Limit and content per adult to activate the restriction with respect to the aforementioned category.
To specify additional sites to block, tap the item Add a website ... at the section Never allow, type, in the next text field, theaddress of the site you want to block and tap the button end.
Other methods to set parental controls on Chrome
If you have made it this far, it means that you have acquired all the necessary skills for set parental controls on Chrome, regardless of the platform you are using, however are you looking for an even more effective solution that, in addition to blocking navigation on the browser, is able to apply similar restrictions to the entire operating system? Then you can try to follow one of the paths that I propose below.
- Block sites from the router - in this way, anyone who connects to the Wi-Fi network (or to the network with cable) generated by the router on which the block is set, will not be able to access the inhibited sites. For more information on this procedure, I invite you to take a look at this guide.
- Use specific programs or apps - parental control software, for example like Qustodio o Mobile Fence, allow you to apply restrictions that go far beyond just blocking navigation in Google Chrome: in fact, it is often possible to completely disable Internet browsing or activate it only at certain times, block the device after a certain period of use, receive notifications when specific events occur, and so on. I told you about it in detail in my guides on how to spy on a cellphone remotely and how to spy on an Android cellphone.
