• Protect a Windows 11 device with Safe Surfer

  It’s easy with Safe Surfer to block harmful online content on a Windows 11 device. On your first protection installation, it will take around 20 minutes for the full installation, or 30 minutes for the entire guide. Step 1: Visit the Safe Surfer dashboard On the device to be protected, click the Microsoft Edge app (or any other web browser app, such as Google Chrome) on the tasFeatured

• Why does Safe Surfer for Windows not work after installing or replacing a Wi-Fi or Ethernet adaptor?

  If you installed the Safe Surfer for Windows app on a device before January 2025 (version 1.2.2, which features our new Protection enforcement feature), the protection installation won't be automatically applied to new Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapters installed or replaced for the device. If this is the case, you can resolve this by uninstalling protection, and then installing the latest version of the Windows aFew readers

• Why is the Safe Surfer for Windows app getting stuck on a spinning progress ring?

  Safe Surfer for Windows relies on a Windows technology called Edge WebView2. We use this to serve some Safe Surfer dashboard content within the Windows app. This can fail in rare situations, causing the app to get stuck. If the app is loading with a progress ring, this process shouldn't take any more than a minute to load. If it's still spinning after a minute, close the app and try the following steps: Install Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime Download and install the Edge WebView2 installerFew readers

• Windows full installation guides

  You can find out how to install Safe Surfer for Windows step by step with the following guides. To learn how to protect a Windows 11 device, click this link. To learn how to protect a Windows 10 device, click this link. If you're not sure what version of Windows that the device you're protFew readers

• Why does the Safe Surfer for Windows installer report that "App Installer failed to install package dependencies"?

  The Safe Surfer for Windows app uses a Microsoft technology for Windows called App Installer, which is designed to retrieve what's called a "runtime". This special software provides a framework that the Windows app needs to run. The runtime is automatically download through the Microsoft Store app in the background. If the Safe Surfer for Windows installer reports that "App Installer failed to install package dependencies", try the following steps.Few readers

• Unsupported apps on Windows

  Due to various technical reasons, Safe Surfer for Windows does not support running alongside some apps. There are two categories of apps: incompatible apps, and unsupported apps. As of app version 1.3.1, Safe Surfer will attempt to detect these apps, and if it finds any, it will warn you during installation. Incompatible appsFew readers

• Why does the Safe Surfer Windows app installer say, "This app package's publisher certificate could not be verified"?

  The Safe Surfer for Windows app installer might mention, "This app package's publisher certificate could not be verified", if you have an old version of the installer. You can resolve this by downloading the latest version of the Safe Surfer for Windows installer on the Safe Surfer dashboard. The installer is downloaded as part of the protection setup process, which you can find out how to perform by clicking this link (https://helpdesk.safesurfer.io/en-nz/article/protect-a-windows-11-device-wFew readers

• Why does the Safe Surfer for Windows installer get stuck on "Installing required frameworks"?

  The Safe Surfer for Windows app installer might need to automatically download what's called a "runtime" package through the Microsoft Store app in the background. In specific situations, this can take a little while to download and might look like it's stuck when it's actually busy in the background doing work. This is normal, and might take anywhere between 1–3 minutes to download.Few readers

• Why does Safe Surfer for Windows not work when using a SIM card (mobile broadband) connection on my laptop?

  Some laptops (especially in the business market) feature a 4G/5G mobile broadband modem. This is very similar to the technology used to provide a cellular connection for smartphones, along with some tablets. Due to how Windows works, Safe Surfer unfortunately does not support filtering when connecting to the Internet over a mobile broadband modem. In app version 1.2.0Few readers

• Why does the Windows Settings app say that "Some of these settings are managed by your organisation"?

  The Safe Surfer for Windows app blocks a small amount of Windows settings by default, so that we can provide the protected device user with a safer online experience. If you see a message in the Windows Settings app that "Some of these settings are managed by your organisation", it's possible that the Safe Surfer app is controlling these settings. For example, Safe Surfer blocks the Widgets feature by default. If you want to reenable a Windows feature that the Safe Surfer app is blocking, you cFew readers

• Why can't I find my company VPN connection after installing Safe Surfer for Windows?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app supports disabling Windows VPN features to stop some consumer VPN apps from evading Safe Surfer filtering. If you need these features (for example, in a company situation) for a device that you're protecting, you can turn this setting off. Re-enable built-in Windows VPN features Open the Safe Surfer app (and enter the PIN if asked), then click the Settings cog icon at the upper-right corner. (https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/websiFew readers

• Why does the Windows VPN menu say that "some of these settings are managed by your organisation"?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app supports disabling Windows VPN features to stop some consumer VPN apps from evading Safe Surfer filtering. If you need these features (for example, in a company situation) for a device that you're protecting, you can turn this setting off. Re-enable built-in Windows VPN features Open the Safe Surfer app (and enter the PIN if asked), then click the Settings cog icon at the upper-right corner. (https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/websiFew readers

• Why are there two (or more) versions of Safe Surfer installed on a Windows device?

  We rebuilt and published the new Safe Surfer for Windows app in September 2023. The new app features the latest Windows technology to provide an easy protection experience. If you're seeing more than one Safe Surfer app listing on your computer, it could be due to the following reasons: Reason 1: You have an old version of the 2023 app installed alongside the latest (most likely cause) Due to how modern-day computer security works (along with us providing new features and bug fixes to the SaFew readers

• Why does a VPN web browser extension say that "your admin has blocked this item"?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app disables VPN web browser extensions by default to prevent protection evasion. If you need to use these, you can re-enable them. Re-enable VPN web browser extensions Open the Safe Surfer app (and enter the PIN if asked), then click the Settings cog icon at the upper-right corner. Click the switch found next to Block VPN web browsFew readers

• How to block Tor Browser on Windows

  Based in New Zealand, Safe Surfer develops special technology to help parents protect their loved ones from porn and other harmful online content. If you would like to block Tor Browser on a Windows computer, you can do this with the Safe Surfer for Windows app. Block Tor Browser on Windows After installing Safe Surfer for Windows, we automatically block Tor networking systems for you. ThisFew readers

• How can I update the Safe Surfer for Windows app?

  It's easy to update the Safe Surfer for Windows app. You can find out how to do so by going through the following steps. Update the Safe Surfer for Windows appFew readers

• Why can't I use the built-in Windows proxy features after installing Safe Surfer?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app supports disabling Windows proxy features to stop proxies from evading Safe Surfer filtering. If you need these features (for example, in a company situation) for a device that you're protecting, you can turn this setting off. Re-enable built-in Windows proxy features Open the Safe Surfer app (and enter the PIN if asked), then click the Settings cog icon at the upper-right corner. (https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/f8920d47Few readers

• Why can't I use the built-in Windows VPN features after installing Safe Surfer?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app supports disabling Windows VPN features to stop some consumer VPN apps from evading Safe Surfer filtering. If you need to use these features (for example, to connect to a company network off-site), you can re-enable them. Re-enable built-in Windows VPN features Open the Safe Surfer app (and enter the PIN if asked), then click the Settings cog icon at the upper-right corner. (https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/f8920d476a21b00Few readers

• Why can't I find my proxy settings after installing Safe Surfer for Windows?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app supports disabling Windows proxy features to stop proxies from evading Safe Surfer filtering. If you need these features (for example, in a company situation) for a device that you're protecting, you can turn this setting off. Re-enable built-in Windows proxy features Open the Safe Surfer app (and enter the PIN if asked), then click the Settings cog icon at the upper-right corner. (https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/f8920d47Few readers

• Why does the Windows proxy menu say that "some of these settings are managed by your organisation"?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app supports disabling Windows proxy features to stop proxies from evading Safe Surfer filtering. If you need these features (for example, in a company situation) for a device that you're protecting, you can turn this setting off. Re-enable built-in Windows proxy features Open the Safe Surfer app (and enter the PIN if asked), then click the Settings cog icon at the upper-right corner. (https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/f8920d47Few readers

• Windows system requirements and notes

  In certain situations, some things could interfere with your Windows protection experience. You can find out more about this as follows: Safe Surfer doesn't support Windows devices in S mode (being a very small range of devices). If you find that the the app installer doesn't work for some reason, you can find out how to check if the device is in S mode by clicking this link (https://helpdesk.safesurfer.io/en-nz/article/why-doesnt-safe-surfer-for-windows-support-windows-devices-in-s-mode-d71Few readers

• Why doesn't Safe Surfer for Windows support Windows devices in S mode?

  To protect Windows devices, Safe Surfer requires the person installing protection to allow something called administrative changes to the device. By design, Windows devices in S mode do not allow these changes to be made, which is why Safe Surfer cannot be installed if a device is in S mode. If you're not sure if a device is in S mode, you can check this by navigating to the Settings app System About Windows specifications. On the Edition line, this will mention if the device is in S modeFew readers

• Why is my mobile broadband SIM network adapter not working after installing Safe Surfer for Windows?

  Due to how Windows manages mobile broadband network adapters, Safe Surfer unfortunately does not work with them. Using Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or connecting to a hotspot is still fully supported. When Safe Surfer is installed on a device, we automatically disable mobile broadband adapters. If you absolutely need to use a mobile broadband adapter, you can find out how to re-enable it as follows.Few readers

• Why is the Safe Surfer app not working after installing the Windows 11 2024 Update (24H2)?

  If a device that you're protecting is running the Windows 11 2024 Update, and you try to install or uninstall protection inside the app, the process probably won't work correctly. In Windows 11 2024 Update, Microsoft disabled a core Windows tool that Safe Surfer used to install/uninstall protection. We have ported our protection code to a completely new system, which fully supports the Windows 11 2024 Update. To resolve this issue, you'll need to go through the following steps: Update to SafeFew readers

• Why can't I use Incognito windows or private windows after installing Safe Surfer for Windows?

  Since late 2024, the Safe Surfer for Windows app disables Incognito windows / private windows in web browser apps by default. This is performed for two primary reasons: Disabling Incognito mode can deter the viewing of inappropriate content. If needed, parents can manually review every website page viewed on a device, because Safe Surfer's filtering systems processes website domains (such as my.safesurfer.io) rather than full links (such as https://my.safesurfFew readers

• Protect a Windows 10 device with Safe Surfer

  It’s easy with Safe Surfer to block harmful online content on a Windows 10 device. On your first protection installation, it will take around 20 minutes for the full installation, or 30 minutes for the entire guide. Step 1: Install protection On the device to be protected, click the Microsoft Edge app (or any other web browser app, such as Google Chrome) on the taskbar. (htFew readers

• How to stop Safe Surfer protection from being uninstalled on Windows computers

  For Windows devices, once you have installed protection inside the Safe Surfer app, we have already performed the following additional protection steps for you: Disabling private browsing windows (and the deletion of browsing history wherever supported) for most web browser apps Offering to block Windows VPN and proxy features, which can stop filter evasion Blocking hundreds of web browser VPN extensions, which could be used to evade filtering Blocking Tor Browser, a filter evasion appPopular

• Reset my Safe Surfer app PIN on Windows

  Locked out of the Safe Surfer app? This guide will help you reset the PIN on Safe Surfer for Windows. Reset the PIN Open the Safe Surfer app, then click the Reset button. Enter the password for the Safe Surfer account used to install protection, then tap the Log in button.Few readers

• Safe Surfer Windows app changelog

  Find out what we've changed recently in Safe Surfer for Windows: Version 1.3.3 (release TBA) Version 1.3.3 technical changes since last version: Updated to dnscrypt-proxy 2.1.8 Version 1.3.2 (released 14 April 2025) New! After installing protection, Safe Surfer now automatically disables "Suggested" notifications (which usually contain Xbox-related ads etc.). This can be managed in the Settings menu. Marked DuckDuckGo (Microsoft Store version and standalone browser version) asFew readers

• 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.Few readers

• How to block porn on Windows 11

  It’s easy with Safe Surfer to block harmful online content on a Windows 11 device. On your first protection installation, it will take around 20 minutes for the full installation, or 30 minutes for the entire guide. Step 1: Visit the Safe Surfer dashboard On the device to be protected, click the Microsoft Edge app (or any other web browser app, such as Google Chrome) on the taskbar. (https:Popular

• How to block porn on Windows 10

  It’s easy with Safe Surfer to block harmful online content on a Windows 10 device. On your first protection installation, it will take around 20 minutes for the full installation, or 30 minutes for the entire guide. Step 1: Install protection On the device to be protected, click the Microsoft Edge app (or any other web browser app, such as Google Chrome) on the taskbar. (https://storage.criPopular

• New Windows app beta

  Few readers

• How to uninstall Safe Surfer for Windows 11

  This guide will show you how to uninstall Safe Surfer on a Windows 11 device, along with any remaining protection installation.Few readers

• How to uninstall Safe Surfer for Windows 10

  This guide will show you how to uninstall the Safe Surfer for Windows app on a Windows 10 computer, along with any protection installation remaining on the device.Few readers