Microsoft Family Safety Is Blocking Chrome And It's A Feature Not A Bug

Earlier this month, Microsoft children's account users complained that non-Microsoft browsers (including Google Chrome) were either crashing or unable to launch. Microsoft has clarified the situation and is actively working to resolve the issue.

To help protect children from harmful content online, Microsoft Family Safety uses web filtering to set Edge as the default browser for children using Windows PCs. Once turned on, the PC can only open other browsers if a parent or guardian approves.

But here is the challenge. While the blocking feature still works, the latest versions of Chrome and other browsers have been bypassing it and launching easily. In response, Microsoft is working on updating its blocklist to ensure that newer versions of Chrome and other browsers are prevented from opening on your child's PC unless you, as a parent, approve it through Microsoft Family Safety.


While Microsoft works on its blocklist, many children are not getting the expected prompts. Instead of getting the usual "you will need to ask to use this app” message, they experience a sudden shutdown when they try to launch Chrome or other browsers. According to Microsoft, this issue, which affects Windows 10 22H2, 11 22H2, 11 23H2, and 11 24H2, is usually observed when the Activity Reporting feature is turned off.

For now, you can prevent this issue by enabling Activity Reporting. You can do this in your Microsoft account under Family Safety > (select family member) > Overview > Turn On Activity Reporting.

Microsoft's continued efforts to help parents and guardians regulate their children's online activity mirror similar efforts seen with Google's parental feature. These measures indicate that big tech companies are stepping up to their responsibilities to create a safer online environment for kids.