SafeGuard

Keep harmful content out of your child's browser.

A free Chrome extension with age presets and a parent PIN. Takes 5 minutes to install.

๐Ÿ“– Step-by-step guides

New: one page per task, written in plain English. See all guides โ†’

Step-by-step guides

One short page per task. Plain English. Tap any card.

Start here

Lock the phone

App by app

Search & browser

Your home

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1Download the file above and unzip it.
  2. 2Open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, click Load unpacked, and pick the unzipped folder.
  3. 3Click the SafeGuard icon, pick your child's age group, and set a parent PIN.
๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง Share with other parents

Pass this on to a parent who needs it

The more parents in your kid's class who set this up, the safer the whole group becomes. One tap to send it.

๐Ÿ’ฌ WhatsApp๐Ÿ“ฑ Text messageโœ‰๏ธ Email๐Ÿ“˜ Facebook

Preview of what they'll receive:

I found SafeGuard โ€” a free parental keyword blocker for Chrome with age presets, real-time DM scanning, and a step-by-step setup guide for every kids' app (Roblox, Minecraft, Instagram, Snapchat, Discordโ€ฆ). Worth a look:

https://wholesome-web-shield.lovable.app

Scan to share

Print it. Post it. Pass it on.

Pin this QR code on the school noticeboard, your fridge, the PTA newsletter, or your group chat. Any phone camera will open the SafeGuard guide โ€” no app needed.

https://wholesome-web-shield.lovable.app

๐ŸŒ€ New in 1.2 โ€” Rabbit-hole blocker

Kill the endless scroll

Algorithmic feeds are designed to keep kids watching for hours and quietly push them toward extreme content. SafeGuard now blocks the worst offenders by default โ€” direct profiles, videos and searches still work.

Toggle off any time from the SafeGuard popup (parent PIN required). Re-download the extension above to get the update.

More setup (optional)

Open any section if you want to go further.

๏ผ‹

Lock down every app on the phone (iPhone & Android)

iPhone โ€” Screen Time

  1. 1. Settings โ†’ Screen Time โ†’ Turn On.
  2. 2. Content & Privacy Restrictions โ†’ On.
  3. 3. Web Content โ†’ Limit Adult Websites.
  4. 4. Set a Screen Time passcode only you know.

Android โ€” Family Link

  1. 1. Install Family Link on both phones.
  2. 2. Link your child's Google account.
  3. 3. Controls โ†’ Content restrictions โ†’ enable SafeSearch.
  4. 4. Set app limits as needed.
๏ผ‹

App-by-app parental controls (Roblox, Instagram, Snapchat, Discordโ€ฆ)

Roblox

0/3

Instagram

0/3

Snapchat

0/2

Discord

0/3
๏ผ‹

Lock down Google Search & Safari

  1. 1. Go to google.com/safesearch โ†’ choose Filter.
  2. 2. For under-13s, lock it via Google Family Link โ†’ Filters on Google Search.
  3. 3. On Mac/iPhone: Screen Time โ†’ Content & Privacy โ†’ Web Content โ†’ Limit Adult Websites.
  4. 4. Add a 1-minute App Limit on Safari so kids are pushed to Chrome (where SafeGuard works).
๏ผ‹

Full MacBook walkthrough (20 min, step by step)

Set up a separate locked child account, turn on Screen Time, install Chrome, then SafeGuard. Best for parents who want belt-and-braces protection.

  1. 1. Apple menu โ†’ System Settings โ†’ Users & Groups โ†’ create a Parent admin account and a Standard child account.
  2. 2. Log in as the child โ†’ System Settings โ†’ Screen Time โ†’ Turn On โ†’ set a passcode only you know.
  3. 3. Content & Privacy โ†’ Web Content โ†’ Limit Adult Websites.
  4. 4. Log back in as Parent โ†’ install Chrome from google.com/chrome.
  5. 5. Install SafeGuard via the 3 steps above, set a parent PIN.
  6. 6. Log back in as the child and test โ€” searching a blocked word should show the shield page.
๏ผ‹

Block harmful sites on every device on your home Wi-Fi

๐Ÿ  Cover every device on the home Wi-Fi

Block harmful sites at your home internet, not just in Chrome

SafeGuard protects Chrome on the device it's installed on. To cover phones, tablets, PlayStation, Xbox, smart TVs, school tablets and any friend's device that joins your Wi-Fi, change a single setting on your router. This uses a "family DNS" โ€” a free filtered version of the internet โ€” and applies the same kind of rules to every device at once.

What this does and doesn't do

  • Does: Block adult, gambling, hate, drugs, weapons and known harmful sites for every device that connects to your Wi-Fi.
  • Does: Work on iPhone/iPad, Android, Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, smart TVs โ€” no install per device.
  • Doesn't: Read messages inside apps. SafeGuard in Chrome still does that.
  • Doesn't: Cover phones using mobile data (4G/5G) when away from home. Use parental controls on the phone for that.

Easiest: change the DNS on your router (15 min, free)

Pick ONE of these free filtered DNS providers. You'll type two numbers into your router.

โ˜๏ธ Cloudflare for Families (recommended โ€” fastest, free, no signup)

Blocks adult content + malware. Used by millions of homes.

  • Primary: 1.1.1.3
  • Secondary: 1.0.0.3
  • IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1113 / ::1003

๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ OpenDNS Family Shield (free, no signup)

Run by Cisco. Blocks adult content by default.

  • Primary: 208.67.222.123
  • Secondary: 208.67.220.123

๐ŸŸข AdGuard DNS Family (free, also blocks ads)

  • Primary: 94.140.14.15
  • Secondary: 94.140.15.16

โญ NextDNS (best for power-parents โ€” free up to 300k queries/mo)

Custom block lists, per-device profiles, time schedules, full activity log. You can paste in our SafeGuard keyword list as a denylist.

  • Sign up at nextdns.io โ†’ it gives you two unique DNS addresses to use.
  • Turn on Parental Control โ†’ Block Adult Content, Dating, Piracy, Gambling, Social Networks per child profile.
  • Add a Recreation Time schedule (e.g. no social media Monโ€“Fri 8amโ€“4pm).

Step-by-step: set the DNS on your router

Tick each step as you go. Your progress is saved on this device.

๐Ÿ›œ Universal router DNS setup

0/10

Or use your router/mesh's built-in parental controls

Pick the box that matches what's in your house. Each one is a tickable checklist.

๐Ÿ“ก Eero (Eero Secure)

0/7

๐ŸŸข Google Nest Wifi / Google Wifi

0/7

๐Ÿ”ต TP-Link Deco / Archer (HomeShield)

0/7

๐ŸŸฃ ASUS (AiProtection โ€” free)

0/7

๐ŸŸ  Netgear Orbi / Nighthawk

0/7

๐Ÿ“ถ ISP-supplied router (BT, Sky, Virgin, Xfinity, Verizon, Telstraโ€ฆ)

0/6

Close the bypass loopholes

Kids quickly learn to dodge router DNS. Tick these off too.

๐Ÿšจ Lock the back doors

0/8

๐Ÿ’ช The full stack (recommended)

  1. SafeGuard extension in Chrome โ€” words, DMs and image uploads.
  2. Family DNS on the home router โ€” blocks adult sites for every device.
  3. Apple Screen Time / Google Family Link โ€” covers mobile data, app installs, and the bypass loopholes above.
  4. Each app's own parental controls (the checklists earlier on this page).
๏ผ‹

Block image uploads (selfies & nudes)

๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿ“ธ Blocking self-images

Stop nude or underwear pictures from ever being sent

โœ… What SafeGuard does automatically in Chrome

Whenever your child opens Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Messenger, WhatsApp Web, Roblox, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, Telegram Web, X, Tinder/Bumble or similar in Chrome, SafeGuard blocks every image and video upload โ€” picker, drag-and-drop, and paste. They literally cannot attach a photo of themselves (or anyone) from the browser.

  • Tapping the camera/attach button does nothing โ€” a red banner explains why.
  • Dragging a photo from Finder/Explorer is rejected.
  • Pasting a screenshot is rejected.
  • Works for nudes, underwear shots, and any other image โ€” we don't try to "judge" the picture, we just don't let it leave the browser.

โš ๏ธ The honest limit

A browser extension can't reach inside the native Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, WhatsApp or iMessage apps. To inspect actual photo content on a phone you need Apple's or Google's built-in scanner โ€” they run on-device, look at the pixels, and blur nudity before it's sent or opened. Turn them on with the steps below.

๐ŸŽ iPhone / iPad โ€” Communication Safety

Apple scans photos on-device and blurs nudity in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Poster, FaceTime messages, Photos picker and supported third-party apps.

  1. 1. On your child's iPhone: Settings โ†’ Screen Time โ†’ Communication Safety.
  2. 2. Turn Communication Safety ON.
  3. 3. Make sure their device is in your Family Sharing group and they're under 18 โ€” otherwise Apple doesn't expose the setting to be parent-locked.
  4. 4. Set a Screen Time passcode the child doesn't know so they can't switch it off.
  5. 5. Optional: Settings โ†’ Screen Time โ†’ Content & Privacy Restrictions โ†’ Web Content โ†’ Limit Adult Websites.

๐Ÿค– Android โ€” Sensitive Content Warnings

Google's on-device classifier blurs nude images received or sent in Google Messages, and a similar control exists in Family Link for Chrome and other apps.

  1. 1. Open Google Messages โ†’ tap profile โ†’ Messages settings โ†’ Protection & Safety โ†’ Manage sensitive content warnings. Turn ON.
  2. 2. Open Family Link on your phone โ†’ tap your child โ†’ Controls โ†’ Content restrictions โ†’ Google Search โ†’ SafeSearch โ†’ ON.
  3. 3. In Family Link: Controls โ†’ App limits โ†’ block or time-limit Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Discord.
  4. 4. Controls โ†’ Chrome โ†’ "Only allow approved sites" for under-13s, or "Try to block explicit sites".
  5. 5. Set a Family Link parent PIN so settings can't be reversed.

๐Ÿ’ก The strongest setup for under-13s

  1. 1. Delete native Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Discord, Roblox from the phone.
  2. 2. Block re-installing them with Screen Time โ†’ App Limits โ†’ Don't Allow (iOS) or Family Link App limits (Android).
  3. 3. Force web-only access through Chrome with SafeGuard installed โ€” image uploads are blocked across the board.
  4. 4. Turn on Communication Safety / Sensitive Content Warnings as a safety net for any remaining channel (iMessage, Google Messages, AirDrop).
  5. 5. Disable the phone's camera-roll auto-attach in Messages if you want maximum protection (iOS: Settings โ†’ Messages โ†’ iMessage Apps โ†’ disable Photos).
๏ผ‹

Show your kids: what online harm actually looks like

โš ๏ธ

Show this to your kid

"It won't happen to me."

It happened to them. Real kids. Real names. Real police reports, hospital records, and obituaries โ€” all from official sources, not parent panic.

Teenager alone in dark room lit by phone screenSextortion

A 17-year-old took his own life 6 hours after one DM.

Jordan DeMay sent one photo to someone he thought was a girl his age. It was a scammer. Within hours they demanded $1,000 or they'd send it to his friends and family. He paid. They demanded more. He died by suicide before sunrise. The FBI now records 20+ teen suicides a year tied to this exact scam โ€” and over 12,800 reports in a single year.

Source: FBI public advisory โ†’
Hospital emergency hallway with empty gurneyFentanyl

One pill from Snapchat killed him in his own bedroom.

Teens are dying from pills they bought on Snapchat and Instagram thinking they were Xanax, Percocet or Adderall. They were pressed fentanyl. The DEA says 6 out of every 10 fake pills now contain a lethal dose. Over 1,500 U.S. teens died from fentanyl in a single year โ€” most in their own bedrooms, parents asleep down the hall.

Source: DEA โ€” One Pill Can Kill โ†’
Police car lights at night with figure walking awayViral 'challenges'

Arrested at 14 for a TikTok trend.

The Kia Boys trend, the 'Devious Lick' school vandalism trend, the 'slap a teacher' trend โ€” every one ended in arrests, expulsions, and criminal records before age 16. A felony at 14 follows you into college applications, jobs, and the military. One 30-second video. Years of consequences.

Source: NBC News coverage โ†’
Hooded teenager sitting alone on dark stairsWhat it does to your head

Teens on social media 3+ hours/day double their risk of depression.

This isn't a parent's opinion โ€” it's the U.S. Surgeon General's official advisory. Heavy social media use doubles the risk of depression and anxiety in teens, and 46% of 13โ€“17-year-olds say social media makes them feel worse about their body. The platforms know. They designed it that way.

Source: U.S. Surgeon General Advisory โ†’

How to use this with a skeptical teen:

  • โ€ข Don't lecture. Open this page, hand them the phone, and let them read silently.
  • โ€ข Click each source link with them โ€” FBI, DEA, Surgeon General. Not "Mom's opinion."
  • โ€ข Then ask one question: "What would you do if a stranger DM'd you tonight asking for a photo?" โ€” and just listen.
  • โ€ข Don't say "this is why I'm blocking it." Say "this is why I'm blocking it with you. You pick the apps that stay."

Names and details are taken from public reporting and official advisories. Images are illustrative, not photos of the individuals referenced.

๏ผ‹

Test SafeGuard (for developers)

Try it ยท Test image-upload block

Try to attach a photo and see SafeGuard reject it

Pick a real photo, drag one in, or use a sample below. This runs the exact same rule the extension uses on every social/messaging site โ€” if it would block on Instagram, it blocks here.

๐Ÿ“ŽClick to pick a photo or drag one hereNothing leaves your device โ€” this is a local simulation.
Or try a sample:

Reminder: this only proves the rule. Install the extension and open instagram.com / web.snapchat.com / discord.com in Chrome to see it intercept real upload buttons.

Try it ยท Test your settings

Send yourself a sample DM and see if SafeGuard blocks it

This runs the exact same matcher the extension uses. Pick an age, type or paste a message, and you'll see instantly whether it would be blocked on your child's browser.

Quick samples:

Tip: this simulator only checks the text. The installed extension also blocks the whole page from loading and warns in real time as your child types.