Microsoft’s Family Safety Feature Is Blocking Chrome: Here’s the Workaround

Microsoft’s Family Safety feature is designed to block certain types of websites from children. Apparently, it’s also been blocking Google’s Chrome browser — but there is a workaround.

Chrome, a web browser launched by Google in 2008 — is not working when users have the Family Safety Feature enabled. The first report of the bug seems to date to June 3, when a user posted on Google’s online support board.

The user noted that Chrome constantly closed when the person tried to use it. Restarting their computer and reinstalling Chrome didn’t work. 

“It just keeps saying the same thing, ‘no update available,'” the user wrote.

The problem should only occur on Windows computers that have been set up to use the Microsoft Family Safety feature, which filters content and lets parents manage screen time and track online activity. (There’s also a Family Safety app.)

A representative for Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What to do if your Chrome is crashing because of  this bug

There appear to be two ways around this issue. Probably the easiest way is to follow these steps:

1. Go to https://familysafety.microsoft.com or open the Family Safety mobile app.
2. Select the name of your child.
3.  Go to the Windows tab, then to Apps & Games, and unblock Chrome. A variant on this step would be to disable “filter inappropriate websites” under the Edge tab — but that defeats the purpose of having the Family Safety feature at all, and allows your child to surf to any website, including adult content sites.

The Verge also pointed out another way to skirt the problem. Some users reported that slightly altering the .exe (renaming it “Chrome1,” for example) allowed Chrome to work with the Family Safety feature enabled.