Forum Discussion
Microsoft Edge on Android shows blocked sites on my son's phone
I've set up my son's laptop with Edge and have blocked sites such as Youtube via Family Safety. I can verify that on the laptop.
On his Android phone, I have:
* Installed Family Safety and logged his account into it.
* Turned off batter optimisation for the app.
* Installed Edge, and logged him in with his account, the same account as on the laptop.
However, it allows him to see Youtube.
When I check Family Safety online, I can see under Mobile that it sees the phone and is tracking the amount of screen time he is using. However, the Edge settings are not being applied to Edge on the phone.
P.
4 Replies
The phone appearing in Family Safety confirms that activity reporting is working, but it does not prove Edge’s web filtering is working. Turning off battery optimization will not necessarily fix that part.
Try checking the actual browser session and blocked address:
- In Edge on the phone, open the profile menu and confirm your son’s Microsoft account is the active browsing account, not just an account listed on the device.
- In Family Safety, select his profile and open the Edge / Web and search settings. Confirm Filter inappropriate websites and searches is enabled and YouTube is in the blocked-sites list.
- Type https://www.youtube.com directly into Edge’s address bar. Check that it stays in Edge rather than opening the YouTube app. Also test https://m.youtube.com; if only that address works, add it explicitly to the blocked list.
- Update Edge through Google Play, fully close it, and reopen it while connected to the internet.
Website blocks do not block the separate YouTube app or other browsers. Those need separate app restrictions.
Nothing wrong with your setup, it's just where android enforces things. Web filtering lives inside Edge and only while he's signed in, there's no OS-level policy like on Windows. Screen time comes from the Family Safety app and filtering has to be picked up by Edge. two separate paths which is why half of it works.
Quick test, open InPrivate in Edge and try youtube
- Blocked there but not in normal mode: the policy just hasn't reached his profile. Force-stop Edge + Family Safety, reopen, and add m.youtube.com alongside youtube.com (mobile resolves that host separately)
- Allowed in both: filtering isn't active at all. Check the Family Safety permissions on Android (Accessibility / Usage access / Device admin) a missing one fails silently https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/family-safety/troubleshooting-microsoft-family-safety
Heads up either way cuz on Android he can sign out of Edge or grab another browser and Family Safety won't stop him, it can't block other browsers there. If you want device-wide enforcement, Family Link is the layer that does it
keep Family Safety for the laptop and the reporting.The phone appearing under Mobile confirms activity reporting, but it does not by itself confirm that Edge is enforcing the web filter. You have already signed into both apps, so check the filtering path next. In Family Safety, open your son's overview, select the Edge or Web safety section, and confirm that web filtering is enabled and the exact address being tested is in Blocked sites rather than Allowed sites. On the phone, test that address directly in Edge and confirm it remains in the browser instead of opening the YouTube app. Microsoft's web filters apply to supported browsers, not automatically to content inside another app. Check Edge's profile for the family-managed browsing banner. If the signed-in browser still opens the blocked address, report the Edge and Android versions, exact test address, and screenshots to Microsoft support. Mobile screen-time data alone cannot explain this discrepancy.
Hi Paul,
You will also need to make some configuration settings on the Android device itself. Go to Settings on the Android Device, navigate to Accessibility > Installed Apps, look for "Microsoft Family Safety" and turn it "ON". Let me know if this works. Thank you
