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Family safety blocks sites I've approved

shirley shani 25 Reputation points
2025-12-10T15:08:21.3666667+00:00

My teens needed to access websites at school, I approved them, it stays blocked.

I added it to the "approved" list - stayed blocked.
I added the parent website to the "approved" list - stayed blocked.
Eventually, they could only access it when I removed all filters, which makes the whole idea of the app redundant.

Microsoft Edge | Other | Windows 11
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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-10T15:08:32.99+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    It seems that you are experiencing issues with the web filtering functionality in Microsoft Family Safety, where approved sites remain blocked. This can happen due to a few reasons:

    1. Browser Compatibility: Currently, Microsoft Edge is the only supported browser that provides web filtering functionality within Microsoft Family Safety. If your teens are using unsupported browsers, the filtering settings may not apply as expected.
    2. Approval Process: After adding a site to the approved list, it may take some time for the changes to propagate. Make sure to check if the sites are still listed as approved in the Family Safety settings.
    3. Updates to Unsupported Browsers: If an unsupported browser updates to a new version, it may not be blocked until Microsoft adds it to the block list. This could lead to temporary access issues for sites that should be blocked.
    4. Custom Indicators: If you are still facing issues, consider creating a custom indicator to allow or block specific sites, as this can provide more control over access.

    If the problem persists, it may be beneficial to reach out to Microsoft support for further assistance with the Family Safety app and its web filtering capabilities.

    References:

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  1. shirley shani 25 Reputation points
    2025-12-10T15:09:22.5133333+00:00

    Is there a way to make it happen as soon as I approve?

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  2. Carlo Luna 5,155 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-10T15:43:44.2466667+00:00

    Hi Shirley,

    Thanks for reaching out. I understand how frustrating it can be when approved sites remain blocked especially when your teens need them for school. The goal of Family Safety is to provide control without unnecessary disruption, so let’s work through this together.

    First, make sure your teens are using Microsoft Edge. Family Safety web filters only apply reliably in Edge, and other browsers can cause inconsistencies. After approving a site, give it a few minutes to sync and restart the browser or device to ensure the changes take effect.

    Second, if the site is still blocked, try adding it through the Custom indicators option instead of the standard allow list. This method often provides better control and resolves stubborn blocks.

    Third, if those steps don’t help, some parents in the community have found workarounds such as temporarily disabling web filtering in Edge or renaming the browser executable to bypass filter checks. These are not ideal long-term solutions, but they can help in urgent situations. Another option is restarting the Family Safety service and reloading the site offline before re-enabling it.

    Last, if none of these approaches work, I recommend reaching out to Microsoft Support at https://support.microsoft.com/contactus/Sometimes, persistent issues are tied to sync delays or account-specific settings that need deeper troubleshooting.

    I hope you find this information helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer".

    Regards,

    Carlo

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