Articles on: Chromebook and Chromebox

How to block porn on a Chromebook

Safe Surfer makes it easy to block porn and other harmful online content on a Chromebook. This guide will show you how to install Safe Surfer protection.

This guide demonstrates the normal app-based protection method. If you would like to use the alternative protection method (that is, with no app), you can find out how to do this by clicking this link.

Step 1: Install protection

IMPORTANT: Due to how Chromebook devices work, installing protection is per-user, rather than device-wide. You will need to repeat this guide for all applicable user accounts that you would like to protect.

After logging in to the Chromebook user account to be protected, open the Play Store app.

Click the Search option on the left-hand sidebar, then click the search bar at the top. Search for "safe surfer", then click the Safe Surfer listing. Click the Install button on the Safe Surfer listing. Once Safe Surfer has finished downloading, click the Open button.

Once you're inside the Safe Surfer app, scroll down to the bottom, then click the Continue button.

If the app starts in Landscape mode, click the Landscape option on the title bar and change it to Portrait mode.

On the following section, click the Continue button.

Enter a name for this device so that it can be identified later, then click the Next button.

If you're planning to assign this device to a specific person on the Safe Surfer dashboard later on, you don't have to enter the name of the person as part of the device name.

You can assign this device to a person, or click the Skip button to do this later.

Click the Finish button.

On the following section, if you're protecting a child or an individual, click the "Person to be protected" button. Otherwise, click the Admin button.

On the following section, click the Continue button.

Safe Surfer will take you to a menu called Accessibility. Click the Safe Surfer listing.

Click the switch found next to "Use Safe Surfer". (You can ignore the shortcut switch.)

Click the Allow option.

Safe Surfer will take you back to the protection setup process. Click the "Start VPN protection" button.

Click the OK option on the prompt that appears.

Click the "Set a PIN" button.

Select either four, six, or eight digits, then set a PIN and click the Continue button. You'll also need to verify the PIN afterwards.

If you would like to perform monitoring for texts & social media, tap the "Enable notification access" button.

If you're protecting your own device, tap the "Not now" button, as this feature doesn't affect the quality of filtering.

To continue the texts & social media setup process, you'll be redirected to a menu called "Device & app notifications". Click the Safe Surfer listing.

Click the switch found next to "Allow notification access".

Click the Allow option.

If you would like to perform monitoring for text and images seen on-screen, click the "Turn on screen monitoring" button.

If you're protecting your own device, tap the "Not now" button, as this feature doesn't affect the quality of filtering.

On the following section, click the "Enable lockdown" button.

Click the "Activate this device admin app" option.

Click the Finish button.

Click the Allow button on the prompt that appears.

Safe Surfer protection has now been installed.

Step 2: Change account management features

Open the Settings app. Click the "Privacy and security" menu on the left-hand sidebar, then click the "Manage other people" menu.

Turn off the "Guest browsing" feature, then turn on the "Limit who can sign in" feature.

If you see an icon mentioning, "This setting is managed by the device owner", you'll need to change these settings inside the user account that was first signed in to this Chromebook. You can do this by signing out of the current user account and clicking the arrow found next to each user account on the lock screen. If the account is the owner, it will mention this next to the email address.

Step 3: Set up Google Play Store parental controls (optional)

Setting up Google Play Store parental controls can help hide listings that contain sexually suggestive content. If the device user is older than 13 (that is, not using Google Family Link), you can find out how to set this up by clicking this link.

If you are aware of any apps that have already been installed (that is, any apps classified above the age rating you want available), they will not be removed by changing the Play Store parental control settings. If this is an issue, you can uninstall the applicable apps, and they will then be unavailable for download once you have finished this step. Apps that remain on the device will still continue to receive updates through the Play Store.

Protection complete

Great work! This device is now protected. To start monitoring protected devices, visit our easy-to-use online dashboard.

If you have any other Chromebook devices you would like to protect, simply start again from the top of the guide. If you would like to protect a different kind of device, visit our installation guides article.

Updated on: 07/09/2026

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