Microsoft Family Safetys Parental Control Feature Disables Google Chrome After Recent Update

After updating Chrome to versions 137.0.7151.68 and 137.0.7151.69, the Google browser is automatically blocked by the Microsoft Family Safety feature. Users report that the browser either crashes unexpectedly or fails to launch at all, as reported by Neowin.

The Microsoft Family Safety feature provides parental controls and security options, allowing users to create safe browsing environments for family members by applying filters to block inappropriate content.

Issues with launching and operating Chrome primarily affect devices running Windows 11, though they can also occur on Windows 10 or macOS. Chrome’s support team has confirmed that a bug in the Family Safety parental control feature is behind the problem. On the official Microsoft Windows forum, they suggested the following steps:

To resolve this issue, users should check their Microsoft Family Safety settings by visiting account.microsoft.com/family. They should select the child’s account that is subject to restrictions and review the «Content Restrictions» section. If the «Block inappropriate content» setting is enabled, it may be preventing access to Chrome. Turning off this option should allow Chrome to function properly. Another potential solution is to reset Chrome’s permissions. If Family Safety still blocks Chrome despite the granted permission, the user may need to sign out of the child account in Chrome Sync and reset the browser settings. This can be done by opening Chrome, going to «Settings» > «Reset settings,» and selecting «Restore settings to their original defaults.»

Users have found an additional workaround: renaming chrome.exe to something else, such as chrome1.exe.

Previously, Google began rolling out an update in Chrome that would prevent the browser from operating with admin privileges in Windows.