On June 23, I reported that Windows 11 users were turning to online support forums to complain that the latest versions of Google’s Chrome browser, used by billions of people, were crashing upon startup or when opening any site. The common denominator is that all these users had the Microsoft Family Safety parental control feature enabled. Despite reaching out to Microsoft for a statement, the Redmond tech giant stayed quiet, leaving myself and others to speculate as to what was happening. I found what appeared to be the answer in a parental control FAQ from Microsoft, where it stated that web and search filters employed by the Edge browser are used and “other commonly used browsers will be blocked for this to work.” Now, at last, Microsoft has confirmed that this is, indeed the case, and has explained why some versions of Chrome are working are others not. Here’s what you need to know.
A Microsoft Windows 11 Google Chrome Blocking Recap
As far as I can ascertain, the furore surrounding Google Chrome browser crashes for users of the Microsoft Family Safety feature in Windows 11 began in earnest on June 3, when complaints started flowing into online support forums, such as those on Reddit. From the time Google updated Chrome to version 137.0.7151.68/69, as best as I can tell, users began complaining that the browser would close and then not reopen when children under parental control rules tried to visit any site. Google acknowledged the problem quickly, stating that it had “investigated these reports and determined the cause of this behavior,” as being “when Microsoft Family Safety is enabled.” Microsoft, on the other hand, remained silent as far as any public announcement was concerned. Although I understand that individual users seeking support were given the same workaround that Google had suggested: disable the filter inappropriate websites setting, which is, frankly, hardly ideal given the purpose of the feature concerned, or unblock Chrome from the Windows tab → Apps & Games tab.
Now, Microsoft has finally confirmed that I was right all along, and explained why the issue impacts users of different versions of the Chrome browser, well, differently.
The Microsoft Confirmation In Full
Microsoft has made a couple of confirmations this week concerning Windows 11 being broken, and both involve updates. The first, as reported June 25, involved some Windows 11 users not being informed of system update availability as the scan for updates controls had broken. That, I would argue, is of more concern than the Family Safety Chrome block problem. Talking of which, here’s what Microsoft has finally said about the Chrome crashes.
Confirming that, as I surmised, “Microsoft is currently adding the latest versions of Chrome and other browsers to the block list,” the statement continues to describe another issue that is now happening. When web filtering is enabled, a parent has to approve other browsers before they can be used. That’s OK, as expected, in fact. But the latest versions of a browser can’t be blocked until they are added to the list. “As a result,” Microsoft said, “some browsers may temporarily appear unblocked during this update process.”
The Microsoft spokesperson said that it is “actively working to ensure all latest versions of browsers are blocked, reinforcing our commitment to parents and guardians,” but as the block list is updated, some users may experience shutdowns when trying to open Google Chrome and some other browsers.
