How to upgrade to the new version of the Safe Surfer for Windows app
In 2023, Safe Surfer released a new version of the Windows app. We started from scratch, and we're really excited about the various improvements underneath! The following guide will show you how to upgrade.
This guide is designed to be used on the device to be upgraded, but you might also find it helpful to follow along on your phone.
On the device that you would like to perform the app upgrade for, open the Safe Surfer app. If you can't see the icon on the desktop, you can simply click the Start menu button on the taskbar and search for "safe surfer".
Click the Stop Protection button.
Once the protection has been disabled, click the close button at the upper-right corner of the window.
Open the Settings app (which can be found in the Start menu). Navigate to Apps > Installed apps > Safe Surfer app listing > three-dot button > Uninstall. Click the Uninstall button that appears in the confirmation box.
Open a web browser app (such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome) and sign in to the Safe Surfer dashboard. On the Devices menu, click the "+ New Device" button.
Click "This device".
Click "Get the app".
From this page, you can download the correct installer for this computer. In most cases, you will be downloading the installer that has been pre-selected for you (64-bit, x64). If you know that this computer is running a 32-bit or ARM64 copy of Windows, you can click the arrow button to download the correct installer instead.
Once the app has downloaded, you can click the folder icon at the upper-right corner to open the Downloads folder.
Double-click the installer file.
When Windows asks you if you would like to install Safe Surfer, click the Install button.
Once the app has installed, it will open automatically. Click the "Install protection" button.
Click the Connect button.
The app will retrieve the model name of this computer. Alternatively, you could use a friendly name to later identify this device on the Safe Surfer dashboard.
Click the "Sign in" option, then enter your account details. Click the "Sign in" button.
Click the Finish button. When you are asked to authorise system changes through the Windows Command Prompt app, click the Yes button.
Due to the new technology that that Safe Surfer for Windows app uses, the app can be uninstalled by the device user. No problem—we've designed the app so that this will not affect the protection installation (and any set PIN) whatsoever. If the app is ever uninstalled, it can simply be reinstalled if you need to manage the protection at a later time.
Great work! This device is now protected. Next we will set a PIN for the app. Click the Settings icon at the upper-right corner.
Under the PIN section, click the "Set up" button.
Set a PIN, then click the OK button.
Once you have set a PIN, from now on the app will ask for the PIN for sensitive app settings. The Screentime menu can still be accessed without a PIN by design.
Back in the web browser app, you will now have a new device listing created for this device. Click the "Block sites" option.
Click the switches to either block or unblock categories—grey means not blocked, and red means blocked. Once you’re done, click the Save button at the upper-right corner. You might need to scroll to the top of the list for the Save button to appear.
At the upper-right corner of the dashboard’s title bar, click the three dot icon, then click the Log Out button. You can now close the web browser app and restart the computer to immediately sync any changes made.
Visit the Safe Surfer website to verify the protection installation. The protection bubble should report that this device is protected.
In addition, you can visit ExampleAdultSite.com to see blocking in action. This is a safe website for testing to see if pornographic websites are being blocked. If it's not blocked, review the previous steps.
We have already installed a PIN to prevent the protection installation from being uninstalled from within the app. If the device user is tech-savvy, you might need to change the user account settings to enforce the protection installation. You can find out how to do this by clicking this link.
Great work! This device is now protected. If you have any other Windows devices you would like to upgrade the app on, simply start again from the top of the guide. If you would like to protect a different kind of device, visit our Guides page.
This guide is designed to be used on the device to be upgraded, but you might also find it helpful to follow along on your phone.
Step 1: Uninstall the old app
On the device that you would like to perform the app upgrade for, open the Safe Surfer app. If you can't see the icon on the desktop, you can simply click the Start menu button on the taskbar and search for "safe surfer".
Click the Stop Protection button.
Once the protection has been disabled, click the close button at the upper-right corner of the window.
Open the Settings app (which can be found in the Start menu). Navigate to Apps > Installed apps > Safe Surfer app listing > three-dot button > Uninstall. Click the Uninstall button that appears in the confirmation box.
Step 2: Install protection with the new app
Open a web browser app (such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome) and sign in to the Safe Surfer dashboard. On the Devices menu, click the "+ New Device" button.
Click "This device".
Click "Get the app".
From this page, you can download the correct installer for this computer. In most cases, you will be downloading the installer that has been pre-selected for you (64-bit, x64). If you know that this computer is running a 32-bit or ARM64 copy of Windows, you can click the arrow button to download the correct installer instead.
Once the app has downloaded, you can click the folder icon at the upper-right corner to open the Downloads folder.
Double-click the installer file.
When Windows asks you if you would like to install Safe Surfer, click the Install button.
Once the app has installed, it will open automatically. Click the "Install protection" button.
Click the Connect button.
The app will retrieve the model name of this computer. Alternatively, you could use a friendly name to later identify this device on the Safe Surfer dashboard.
Click the "Sign in" option, then enter your account details. Click the "Sign in" button.
Click the Finish button. When you are asked to authorise system changes through the Windows Command Prompt app, click the Yes button.
Due to the new technology that that Safe Surfer for Windows app uses, the app can be uninstalled by the device user. No problem—we've designed the app so that this will not affect the protection installation (and any set PIN) whatsoever. If the app is ever uninstalled, it can simply be reinstalled if you need to manage the protection at a later time.
Great work! This device is now protected. Next we will set a PIN for the app. Click the Settings icon at the upper-right corner.
Under the PIN section, click the "Set up" button.
Set a PIN, then click the OK button.
Once you have set a PIN, from now on the app will ask for the PIN for sensitive app settings. The Screentime menu can still be accessed without a PIN by design.
Back in the web browser app, you will now have a new device listing created for this device. Click the "Block sites" option.
Click the switches to either block or unblock categories—grey means not blocked, and red means blocked. Once you’re done, click the Save button at the upper-right corner. You might need to scroll to the top of the list for the Save button to appear.
At the upper-right corner of the dashboard’s title bar, click the three dot icon, then click the Log Out button. You can now close the web browser app and restart the computer to immediately sync any changes made.
Step 3: Verify protection
Visit the Safe Surfer website to verify the protection installation. The protection bubble should report that this device is protected.
In addition, you can visit ExampleAdultSite.com to see blocking in action. This is a safe website for testing to see if pornographic websites are being blocked. If it's not blocked, review the previous steps.
Step 4: Stop uninstallation
We have already installed a PIN to prevent the protection installation from being uninstalled from within the app. If the device user is tech-savvy, you might need to change the user account settings to enforce the protection installation. You can find out how to do this by clicking this link.
Protection complete
Great work! This device is now protected. If you have any other Windows devices you would like to upgrade the app on, simply start again from the top of the guide. If you would like to protect a different kind of device, visit our Guides page.
Updated on: 13/01/2024
Thank you!