I sometimes get very irritated by random pop-ups that show content, and the worst is when some random website opens up and it is adult content. I need something that can help with this situation.
How Chrome’s Built-In Tools Can Help You Block Unwanted Content
Okay so I had the exact same problem a few months back. Random tabs were opening, adult sites were popping up out of nowhere, and I was genuinely losing my mind. Then I figured out Chrome actually has some solid built-in options and I want to share what worked for me.
Step 1: Open Chrome Settings
Go to the three dots (top right corner) and click Settings. You can also just type chrome://settings in the address bar.
Step 2: Go to Privacy and Security
Inside Settings, you will find “Privacy and Security” on the left panel. Click on it.
Step 3: Site Settings
Inside Privacy and Security, click on “Site Settings.” This is where the magic happens.
Step 4: Block Pop-ups and Redirects
Scroll down to “Pop-ups and redirects” and make sure it is set to “Do not allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.” This alone stopped like 70% of my problems.
Step 5: Turn On Safe Browsing
Go back to Privacy and Security, then click “Security.” Switch Safe Browsing to “Enhanced Protection.” Google will warn you before you land on sketchy websites.
Step 6: Block Notifications
Back in Site Settings, go to “Notifications” and set it to “Do not allow sites to send notifications.” A lot of adult sites use fake notifications to redirect you.
Honestly after doing all these steps my browser became so much cleaner. Give it a shot before installing anything extra!
Best Chrome Extensions to Block Adult and Inappropriate Content
Let Me Break This Down For You
So PixelPioneer23 covered the built-in stuff and yeah those steps do help. But if you want something more powerful, extensions are where it is at. I went through like five different ones before finding what worked, so let me save you the time.
Top Extensions Worth Using
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uBlock Origin — This is the king of ad and pop-up blocking. Free, lightweight, and blocks the majority of harmful redirects and junk ads automatically. I installed this first and it killed most of the random pop-up windows I was getting.
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AdGuard AdBlocker — Similar to uBlock but with a cleaner interface. Has specific filters for adult content sites. You can turn on the “Adult Content Filter” list inside the settings.
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BlockSite — Great for flat-out blocking specific websites. You add the URLs you want blocked and boom, they are gone. It also has a “Focus Mode” which blocks distracting sites for a set time.
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Safe Search for Chrome — Forces safe search across Google, Bing, and YouTube so no adult results show up in searches.
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Kaspersky Protection — If you already use Kaspersky antivirus, their Chrome extension adds real-time web filtering.
My Personal Experience
I used to work from cafes a lot and random adult pop-ups are embarrassing in public. After setting up uBlock Origin and BlockSite together, the problem went away almost immediately. Combine two or three of these and you are in really good shape 
Okay this thread is giving me anxiety because I am going through something similar but WAY more stressful. I handed my phone to my kid for like 20 minutes to watch some cartoons on YouTube, and when I got it back the browser had open tabs with adult content. I do not even know how that happened. My child is 8 years old.
I nearly had a heart attack when I saw it. I blocked the sites manually but I have no idea how they even got there. Could have been a bad ad redirect or something.
The built-in Chrome settings people are mentioning here seem helpful for regular use, but is there anything more specific for keeping kids safe? Like something that monitors what they are accessing or blocks categories of content across the entire phone, not just in one browser? I need something that actually works and is not too complicated to set up. Any suggestions would really help me out right now 
Addressing Child Safety Online: Why Xnspy Is Worth Considering
The Problem With Basic Browser Blocks
Bitnova55, I hear you and this is actually a very common situation parents face. The issue is that browser-level filters only go so far. A child can switch browsers, use incognito mode, or stumble onto harmful content through a bad redirect even with pop-up blockers on.
What Is Xnspy?
Xnspy is a parental monitoring application designed to protect children from online risks. It works on both Android and iOS devices and gives parents visibility into what their child is doing online without having to physically check the phone every hour.
Relevant Features for Your Situation
Browser History Monitoring: Xnspy logs all websites visited on the device. So if your child visits something they should not, you will know about it. You get a full history with timestamps and URLs, viewable from a parent dashboard.
App Blocking: You can block specific apps or browser apps entirely from being used. So if you want to block Chrome or any other browser on the device when your child is using it, Xnspy lets you do that remotely.
Why This Matters
The goal of Xnspy is not to distrust your child but to build a safer digital environment around them. Think of it as a safety net. The app notifies you of suspicious activity so you can step in early and have a conversation.
It is available at xnspy.com and works without being obvious on the device 
Bitnova55 okay first of all do not panic, that situation happens to more parents than you think and it does not mean anything bad happened. Kids are curious by nature and sometimes the internet just throws stuff at them.
CoreBuilds gave a solid suggestion with Xnspy and yeah monitoring is useful. But can I also say something that people tend to skip over? Talk to your kid. I know it sounds obvious but a lot of parents go straight into install-every-app mode and forget that digital education is just as important as digital restriction.
Explain to them that some content is for adults only. Use age-appropriate language. Tell them what to do if they accidentally see something that makes them uncomfortable. Kids who know what to expect handle these situations way better than kids who are just blocked from everything without explanation.
Use the monitoring tools, yes. Block the sites, yes. But also have that five minute conversation. Because no app blocks everything all the time and at some point your child will have their own device with more freedom. Building their awareness now is what really protects them long term.
A combination of tools AND education is the only thing that actually holds up 
The apps are the seatbelt. Education is learning how to drive safely.
DNS-Level Filtering: The Most Effective Way to Block Unwanted Content
Why Browser Settings Are Not Enough
Look no offense to the steps PixelPioneer23 listed but browser-level settings only protect you inside Chrome. If you use another browser, a different app, or someone installs something, all those settings mean nothing. DNS filtering works at the network level and covers everything.
What Is DNS Filtering?
Every time you visit a website, your device sends a request to a DNS server to translate the domain name into an IP address. If you use a DNS service that filters content, it can block certain categories of websites before your browser even loads them.
How to Set It Up
Using Cloudflare Family DNS
- Open your router settings (usually at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in your browser)
- Find the DNS settings section
- Replace the primary DNS with 1.1.1.3 and secondary with 1.0.0.3
- Save and restart your router
Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.3 service specifically blocks malware and adult content at the DNS level for free.
Using OpenDNS FamilyShield
You can also use 208.67.222.123 and 208.67.220.123, which are OpenDNS FamilyShield servers. These automatically filter adult content without any account needed.
Why This Works Better
Once you set this up on your router, every device connected to your home WiFi gets filtered. Phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs. All of them. No extensions required 
ByteNavigator that DNS method is actually really solid and I want to add something to that for people who are not comfortable touching router settings.
You can also set the DNS directly on your Windows PC without going into the router. Go to Settings, then Network and Internet, then click on your active connection, scroll down to DNS server assignment and click Edit. Switch it to Manual, turn on IPv4, and enter 1.1.1.3 as the preferred DNS. Same Cloudflare Family protection but just for your one device.
On a phone you can use the Cloudflare app called 1.1.1.1 which includes the family filter option inside the app settings. Works on both Android and iOS.
I would not say one method is better than another because it really depends on your situation. If you live alone and just want to clean up your own browsing, changing it on your device is fine. If you have a family with multiple devices, the router-level change makes more sense.
The point is you have options and none of them require you to be super technical. A little setup goes a long way 
Bro I went through this exact nightmare and let me tell you 
the first time a dodgy site opened on my screen while I was sharing it with coworkers I wanted to disappear into the floor. No amount of Chrome settings had saved me that day.
What actually fixed my situation was installing uBlock Origin AND going into Chrome settings to block pop-ups at the same time. Double layered. Also cleared all my browser data because sometimes adware is already sitting in your cookies and cached files causing those redirects.
Go to Chrome settings, more tools, clear browsing data, and select all time. Clear everything including cached images and cookies. Then install uBlock Origin from the Chrome Web Store. Restart Chrome and see if the problem continues. Nine times out of ten this combo sorts it out pretty fast.
If it keeps happening after that, your device might actually have adware installed. Run Malwarebytes free scan and see what shows up. Solved a friends problem in like 10 minutes with that.
Something nobody has mentioned yet is that if you are on Windows, Microsoft Family Safety is completely free and actually pretty good. You set up a child account on the device, link it to the Microsoft Family Safety app on your phone, and from there you can filter websites, set screen time limits, and see activity reports.
It works across Edge and Chrome when the child is logged into their Windows account. You can turn on content filters that block adult material automatically without needing any extensions.
For Android devices, Google Family Link does the same thing. You manage it from your phone and the child device gets locked to the settings you choose. You can approve or block app downloads, see what websites they visit in Chrome, and set daily screen time.
Both of these are free and built by companies that take this seriously. Not saying third party apps are bad but sometimes the simplest answer is already there. A lot of people do not know these tools exist until something goes wrong and then they go looking 
Check out Family Link in the Play Store and Microsoft Family Safety in the App Store. Worth setting up even if things seem fine right now.
Securing Your Browser Through Antivirus and System-Level Protection
Understanding the Root Cause
DataHarbor and others in this thread, I want to address something that has not been fully covered. In many cases where adult content or random websites are opening automatically, the root cause is not just a browser setting issue. It may indicate that adware or a potentially unwanted program (PUP) has been installed on your system without your knowledge.
Step One: Run a Full System Scan
Before adjusting any browser settings, run a full scan using your installed antivirus. If you are on Windows, Windows Defender is built-in and actually very competent now. Open Windows Security from the Start menu, go to Virus and Threat Protection, and run a Full Scan. This will catch most adware variants.
Step Two: Use Malwarebytes as a Second Layer
Malwarebytes Free is widely regarded as one of the most effective tools for detecting adware and PUPs that traditional antivirus might miss. Download it from malwarebytes.com, run a Threat Scan, and remove anything it finds.
Step Three: Reset Chrome Settings
After cleaning the system, go to Chrome Settings, scroll down to Advanced, and click “Restore settings to their original defaults.” This removes any extensions or configuration changes that adware may have made to your browser.
Step Four: Reinstall Extensions Carefully
Only reinstall extensions you recognize and trust from the official Chrome Web Store. Avoid any extension you do not remember installing.
Following these steps in order gives you a clean foundation to work from
The problem is usually one of three things: adware on your device, no pop-up blocker active, or notification permissions given to a sketchy site.
Fix in order:
Run Malwarebytes. Clear Chrome’s cached data and cookies. Go to Chrome Settings, Site Settings, and revoke notification permissions from any site you do not recognize. Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing. Install uBlock Origin.
That is it. If the problem continues after all of that, it is a deeper system issue and you probably need to do a clean browser reinstall or check for a compromised browser extension you forgot about.
No need to overcomplicate it.
Oh also one thing people forget is Google SafeSearch. If you are getting adult stuff through search results or YouTube, turning on SafeSearch filters it out before it even shows up.
Go to Your SafeSearch Setting and turn it on. For YouTube, go to your account settings and turn on Restricted Mode. Both of these filter out adult content from results and recommendations.
For kids especially, YouTube Kids is a completely separate app that only shows age appropriate content. Way better than trying to filter regular YouTube which honestly is a rabbit hole sometimes
Small steps but they add up. Between SafeSearch, Restricted Mode, and the extensions people have mentioned above, you can build a pretty solid wall against unwanted content without spending a cent.
Wait are we only talking about desktop Chrome or mobile too? Because on Android the Chrome app has its own Safe Browsing setting that a lot of people miss.
Open Chrome on Android, tap the three dots, go to Settings, then Privacy and Security, and you will find Safe Browsing there. Turn it on. Also in the same menu there is a setting for “Always use secure connections” which is worth switching on.
For iOS the situation is a bit different. Safari is more locked down by default but if you are using Chrome on iPhone you can go to iOS Screen Time settings and restrict adult websites from there. That covers Chrome, Safari, and any other browser on the device at the OS level.
Mobile is where a lot of people get caught off guard because the settings are not as obvious as on desktop. Worth digging around in there
Okay I have to push back on some of the stuff in this thread. People keep saying install this extension and install that extension and at some point you have got six extensions running and they are all fighting each other and slowing your browser down.
More extensions is not always better. uBlock Origin alone does the job of like three of the other extensions being recommended here. You do not need AdGuard AND uBlock AND BlockSite all running at once. Pick one good one.
Also nobody has talked about the fact that some of these “ad blocker” extensions in the Chrome Web Store are themselves adware. Literally the opposite of what you want. Some of them have been caught selling your browsing data. Always check reviews, check the developer name, check how many users it has before installing anything.
My point is not to throw out all the advice here, the DNS method ByteNavigator mentioned is genuinely good. But do not go overboard thinking more tools means more protection. One solid tool set up correctly beats five mediocre ones any day.
Fluxorix makes a fair point about not going overboard with extensions. Quality over quantity for sure.
Something I will throw in that worked for my whole household was setting up content filtering directly in the router using a service called Circle. Some routers have it built in and you can also buy a Circle device that connects to your router. You get per-device controls, content categories you can block, and even bedtime schedules where internet shuts off at a certain time.
My kid thought they could just use their phone after 10pm and was genuinely surprised when it stopped working No extension or app needed on their device because the block happens at the network level before the request even gets out.
Not the cheapest option since Circle has a subscription model for the app features, but for families it is probably the most complete solution out there. Pairs nicely with what ByteNavigator said about DNS-level filtering.
Look this thread has gone on long enough so let me just summarize what actually works and stop overcomplicating it.
For personal use: uBlock Origin extension plus Chrome pop-up blocker turned on. Done. Takes five minutes.
For families with kids: Google Family Link or Microsoft Family Safety depending on your device. Both free. Both work.
For network-wide filtering: Change your DNS to Cloudflare Family 1.1.1.3 like ByteNavigator said. Covers every device in your house.
Random sites opening by themselves means adware. Run Malwarebytes, clean it up, reset Chrome. Stop ignoring that part.
Everything else in this thread is optional extras. Start with these basics and you will solve 95% of the problem without spending money or installing ten apps that slow your computer down 