Google has a hidden “safe search” filter which you can’t turn off (normally).

Google has a hidden “safe search” filter which you can’t turn off (normally).

Please read the highest comment if you’re new here. There is a solution already! Google-god left a back door there which you can turn it off yey 🙂

I discovered this thing when I’m doing reverse image search recently.

My friends and me were trying to find about the source of an image. We both used Google image research but have very different result (I only find 2, while he can find 100+).

After some investigation, we found that there is a hidden parameter which will filter out your search result: please notice, this one is not the “SafeSearch” in the option. We both have it off.

Now, you can try it yourself.

Open this reverse image search link [nsfw].

If you only see 2 or 3 results, it means for you this hidden filter is ON. Now try to add &safe=off at the end of your url (or just click here).

You can see now, it retruns 108 results.

If you can get 108 results by first link already (I can’t repeat this on my computer but some people indeed have this filter off without doing anything), try in the incognito mode.

I have no idea why Google has this kind of implementation. It actually wasted me lots of time when I was doing reverse image search (I do it frequently). And there seems no way to disable it permanently (if there is, please let me know!).

I tried to search this on the Internet but seems none mentioned &safe=off explicitly, even though lots of people talk about hidden filter too. So I think it’s worth a thread.

[EDIT] I did more research on this one.

So apparently it’s not a new thing: Google enables mandatory filtering for image search (and image search only, you can still turn off safe search entirely for text search without any workaround) in about 2013 due to PR, gov. or whatnot. Now image safe search actually has three levels: on, moderate and off. You can use the option to switch between “on” and “moderate”, but can never turn it “off” besides using “safe=off” trick.

See Also

How to do a Reverse Image search from Android or iPhone Simply in Google, Bing and Yandex !!

How to avoid scams when looking for something to buy online!

PSA: Do a Reverse Image search of your all your pictures!