Google SafeSearch for Images and Videos: How to Filter Both

Image and video results are where most accidental exposure to explicit content happens. A child searching for an innocent phrase can see a grid of thumbnails before they've had a chance to read anything. That's why it's worth understanding exactly how Google's SafeSearch handles images and videos, and why the default isn't enough for kids.

One setting covers all of Google Search

Google doesn't have separate SafeSearch switches for web, images and video. There's a single SafeSearch setting, and it applies to Google Search results across the All, Images and Videos tabs. Set it once, correctly, and it covers them all.

The setting has three options:

• Filter blocks explicit results, including explicit images and videos.
• Blur blurs explicit images, but explicit text and links can still appear when relevant.
• Off shows all relevant results.

Why Blur isn't enough for children

Since 2023, Google has used Blur as the default for most signed-in adults. Blurring hides the most graphic part of an explicit image, but:

• The image is still in the results, and a child can click to reveal it.
• Explicit text and links are not removed.
• Video results can still lead to explicit pages.

For kids, you want Filter, which keeps explicit images and videos out of the results in the first place. Google applies Filter by default when its systems indicate a signed-in user may be under 18, and for children with Family Link-supervised accounts. But if your child is signed out, or using an account you don't supervise, check it yourself.

How to set SafeSearch to Filter

1. Open a browser and go to google.com/safesearch.
2. Select Filter.
3. Repeat in every browser and on every device your child uses, unless they're always signed in to a supervised account.

To check from the Images tab, run any image search and select your profile picture or initial at the top right; the SafeSearch setting is available from there. If you see a lock icon, SafeSearch is being managed by a parent, school or network administrator.

How to lock it

With Family Link

If your child has a Google account supervised through Family Link, SafeSearch is set to Filter and only you can change it. This works anywhere your child is signed in, including on mobile data and away from home.

On your home network

Google lets network administrators force SafeSearch by mapping Google's search domains to forcesafesearch.google.com. Many routers and family DNS services offer this as a "force SafeSearch" option. It covers every device on your Wi-Fi, signed in or not. Our guide to filtering adult content in Google covers locking options in more detail.

Video results and YouTube

Google's Videos tab pulls results from many sites, and a large share come from YouTube. Here's where parents often get caught out: SafeSearch filters the search results, but once your child clicks through to YouTube, YouTube's own settings take over.

YouTube's options include:

• YouTube Kids, a separate app for younger children with content levels you choose.
• Supervised experiences for kids and teens, managed through Family Link, with content settings you control.
• Restricted Mode, which hides potentially mature videos. It's a per-browser or per-account setting and can be locked for supervised accounts or by network administrators.

Our YouTube safety mode guide and five YouTube safe viewing tips walk through each.

Image searches on other engines

Bing and Yahoo have their own image and video filters, controlled by their own SafeSearch settings. A child who switches to another search engine bypasses your Google settings entirely. Compare all three in our SafeSearch guide for Yahoo, Bing and Google.

When something gets through

No filter is perfect, and Google says as much. If your child sees something upsetting:

1. Stay calm. Kids who see a strong reaction may stop telling you.
2. Close the page together and clear it from recent history if needed.
3. Report it. If explicit content appeared with SafeSearch set to Filter, Google provides a report form linked from its SafeSearch help page.
4. Check the setting. Make sure SafeSearch is on Filter and locked.
5. Talk about it. Explain that it wasn't their fault and that you're glad they told you.

Extra layers for younger children

• Use a kid-focused browser or a filtered browsing mode on their device.
• Turn on device-level web filters: Apple's Screen Time web filtering and Ask to Browse, Google Family Link's Chrome controls, or Amazon Kids' filtered browsing.
• Keep devices in shared spaces when kids search for images.
• Teach them to read results before clicking images, and to come to you if something looks wrong.

A note on AI image tools

Some search results and apps now include AI-generated images, and some apps let kids create images from text prompts. SafeSearch filters search results, but it doesn't control image generators inside other apps or chatbots. If your child uses an app that creates images, check its age rating and safety settings separately, and talk about what's okay to create and share.

Quick checklist

1. Set Google SafeSearch to Filter, not Blur.
2. Lock it with Family Link or your router's force SafeSearch option.
3. Set up YouTube's own controls separately.
4. Set SafeSearch on Bing and Yahoo too.
5. Add device-level web filtering.
6. Have a plan for what your child should do when something slips through.