Microsoft's Family Safety feature is designed to help parents manage their children's digital experiences by setting boundaries on app usage, screen time, and web content. A notable aspect of this feature is its approach to web browsing: when web and search filters are enabled, Family Safety restricts access to browsers other than Microsoft Edge. This means that browsers like Google Chrome are automatically blocked to ensure that web filtering is consistently applied. (support.microsoft.com)
This design choice has led to some confusion and frustration among users. For instance, a user on the Microsoft Community forum reported that after being added to a family group, they found Google Chrome blocked and were unable to remove the restriction, even after leaving the family group. (answers.microsoft.com)
To address such issues, Microsoft provides guidance on managing app permissions within Family Safety. Parents can unblock browsers by adjusting the app and game filters. This involves signing into the Microsoft account, selecting the family member, and modifying the content filters to allow specific apps. (support.microsoft.com)
It's important to note that while Family Safety's web and search filters are effective within the Microsoft Edge browser, they do not extend to other browsers. Therefore, to maintain the intended level of content filtering, Family Safety blocks access to alternative browsers by default. Users seeking to use browsers like Google Chrome alongside Family Safety's web filtering may need to adjust their settings accordingly or consider using Edge to ensure consistent application of content restrictions.
Source: Ammon News https://en.ammonnews.net/article/82352/