Safe Surfer makes it easy to block porn and other harmful online content on a Mac. This guide will show you how to install Safe Surfer protection. We demonstrate this with a Mac running macOS 26 Tahoe (released in late 2025), although the steps will be similar if you are installing on a different kind of Mac.

Getting started

Before we begin to install protection, it's a good idea to check if your child has any VPN apps installed, as this will help make sure that Safe Surfer can work uninterrupted. (We'll show you how to prevent VPN apps from being downloaded later on.) You can find out how to do this as follows:

• If the Mac to be protected is running macOS 13 Ventura or later, open the System Settings app. If there are any VPNs installed, there will be a VPN menu listed on the left-hand sidebar (below the Network menu). If you can see the VPN menu, click it to show the list of VPN apps. (If you can't find the VPN menu, skip ahead to step 1.)
• If the Mac to be protected is running macOS 11 Big Sur, navigate to the System Preferences app > Network. If there are any VPNs installed, they will be listed on the left-hand sidebar. (If you can't find any VPN listings, skip ahead to step 1.)

If you found any VPNs, you can remove them by opening the Finder app > click the Applications menu on the left-hand sidebar. Drag each VPN app to the Bin on the dock. Delete each VPN app inside the Bin folder, then restart the Mac.

Step 1: Visit the Safe Surfer dashboard

On the Mac to be protected, visit the Safe Surfer dashboard (https://my.safesurfer.io) and log in to your account. Click the Devices menu on the left-hand sidebar. On the right-hand side, select the user that you would like to assign this Mac to, then click the "Create device" option.

Click the Mac option.

Click the "Install protection profile" option.

Enter a name for this Mac, then click the Accept button.

Step 2: Install protection

Once you're ready, click the Download button.

On the prompt that appears, click the OK button.

Minimise the web browser app, then open the System Settings app. Click the Profile Downloaded menu on the left-hand sidebar.

Double-click the pending Safe Surfer profile installation.

Click the Install button.

On the prompt that appears, click the Install button. When asked, you'll need to enter the password for the current user account.

The Safe Surfer profile has now been successfully installed.

Back in the browser app, click the Done button.

Click the account drop-down box at the upper-right corner, then click the "Log out" option.

Step 3: Prevent uninstallation

In the System Settings app, click the Users & Groups menu on the left-hand sidebar, then click the Add User button. When asked, you'll need to enter the password for the user account.

Create a new administrator account using the following options:

• New User: Administrator
• Full Name: Admin
• Account Name: admin

Set a password and verify it, then click the Create User button.

We've now created a new administrator user account. Next, we'll change each applicable user account to have Standard-level permissions, where this stops Safe Surfer protection from being uninstalled or disabled.

Click the Apple icon at the upper-left corner, then click the Log Out option. On the prompt that appears, click the Log Out button.

Log in to the Admin account, and skip through the setup options. When you're asked about signing in with an Apple account, click Other Sign-In Options > Sign In Later in Settings > Skip. If you're asked about Age Range, click the Adult option, as this account is for administrative purposes. Once you've reached the desktop, open the System Settings app, then click the Users & Groups menu on the left-hand sidebar. Click the "i" icon found next to your child's user account. (We'll repeat this for any other applicable user accounts later on.)

Turn off the switch for "Allow this user to administer this computer". When asked, you'll need to enter the password for the Admin user account.

On the prompt that appears, click the OK button.

Click the OK button.

Once you're done, all applicable user accounts should be set to Standard permissions.

Once you're ready, click the Apple icon at the upper-left corner, then click the Log Out option. On the prompt that appears, click the Log Out button.

Step 4: Additional protection settings

There are some additional settings that we recommend changing for the best protection experience. (We'll repeat this for any other applicable user accounts.)

Communication safety

Log in to your child's user account, then open the System Settings app. Click the Screen Time menu on the left-hand side, then click the Communication Safety menu.

Turn on the Communication Safety feature.

Content & Privacy

Back on the Screen Time main menu, click the Content & Privacy menu.

Turn on the Content & Privacy feature.

Click the App Store, Media, Web & Games menu.

Set the Access to Web Content option to Limit Adult Websites (where this will disable Private Browsing mode in Safari). We also suggest turning off the Allow Music Profiles option. Once you're ready, click the Done button.

Back on the Content & Privacy menu, click the Store Restrictions menu.

We recommend using the following options:

• Movies: Don't Allow, or M (that is, PG-13 or the equivalent for your region)
• TV Shows: Don't Allow, or M (that is, PG-13 or the equivalent for your region)
• Apps: Don't Allow (Strongly recommended to stop VPN evasion apps from being available in the App Store.)
• Allow Explicit Books: Off
• Allow Explicit Music, Podcasts and News: Off
• Allow Music Videos: Off

Once you're ready, click the Done button.

Back on the Screen Time main menu, turn on the Lock Screen Time Settings option and set a passcode.

Protection complete

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

If you have any other Mac 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: 09/09/2026