A website won't open in Chrome, and there's no single unblock button to fix it. The right setting depends on what's stopping you: a security warning, a blocked feature, or a restriction on your device or network. Start with the message on your screen, then use the matching fix below.
Start with the warning Chrome shows
Chrome's Safe Browsing warnings and lookalike-address warnings need different responses. Check which one you're seeing before changing any settings.
For a Safe Browsing warning on desktop or Android, select Details.
Select Visit this unsafe site to proceed. This option exists only on warnings that offer an override, and administrator restrictions take precedence. Google discourages proceeding because of the risk of visiting a harmful website.
For a mistaken Did you mean, Is this the right site?, or Fake site ahead warning on desktop, check the address carefully.
Select Yes, continue if the address is correct.
Keep Safe Browsing enabled. Turning it off removes broader protection, including download warnings; it doesn't create an exception for one website.
For an HTTP-upgrade warning on desktop, open More > Settings > Privacy and security > Security > Secure connections > Always use secure connections.
Select Warns you for insecure public sites to exclude private intranet sites from these warnings, or turn off Always use secure connections. These controls address HTTP-upgrade warnings, not invalid certificates or network blocklists. Account protection and administrator policy constrain which changes are available.
If the warning still blocks access on a managed device, ask its administrator to check the restriction. If the page opens but a feature doesn't work, try its permissions next.
Restore a blocked site permission
On desktop, give the affected feature access through the website's own settings.
- 1.Open the affected website.
- 2.Select View site information beside its address.
- 3.Open Site settings.
- 4.Change the relevant permission to allow the feature. For a website connecting to a local device or service, grant Local network access when that control is available.
- 5.Select Reload this page to test the feature again.
Bring back missing windows and page features
Use these controls when the page opens but a login window, embedded feature, or interactive element doesn't work. Match the setting to the missing feature.
For a blocked desktop pop-up, click Pop-up blocked in the address bar.
Select the link for the window you need.
For an ongoing exception, choose Always allow pop-ups and redirects from [site].
Select Done to save it.
On Android, tap Always show when Chrome reports a blocked pop-up. On iPhone or iPad, tap Always show under Pop-ups blocked.
If required scripts are blocked on desktop, open More > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > JavaScript.
Select Sites can use JavaScript. For a site-specific change, adjust JavaScript through that website's Site settings instead.
Select Reload this page.
For a desktop sign-in or embedded feature that needs third-party cookies, click Third-party cookies blocked in the address bar.
Turn on Third-party cookies.
Close the dialog to reload. This exception lasts 90 days in regular browsing unless revoked, or for the current Incognito session.
On Android, open Page info > Cookies and site data.
Turn on Third-party cookies for temporary access.
For blocked Android camera, microphone, or location access, open the affected website.
Tap View site information > Permissions.
Select the permission to change. To discard the site's saved permission choices instead, tap Reset permissions.
Rule out a blocking extension
A desktop blocker, filter, or security extension is another place to check. An Incognito test helps isolate existing cookies and extensions, but it doesn't remove network or administrator restrictions.
Open More > New Incognito window.
Visit the affected website in that window.
To test a suspected extension directly, open More > Extensions > Manage extensions.
Turn off that extension.
Retry the website in your usual window.
If Adblock Plus is responsible, open its toolbar icon.
Select the gear icon.
Open Allowlisted websites.
Enter the website's URL.
Select Add website.
If disabling the extension doesn't help, clear the affected site's stored data next. Broken sessions and cookies also explain failures that disappear in Incognito.
Clear the affected site's saved data
For a desktop redirect loop or broken session, open Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies > See all site data and permissions.
Search for the website.
Select Delete beside its entry.
Confirm with Delete.
On Android, open the affected website.
Go to Page info > Cookies and site data.
Tap Delete beside the stored data.
Tip: have your sign-in details ready, since deleting saved cookies removes session data.
Get approval for a family restriction
A Family Link block needs parental approval. On its blocked page, choose Ask in a message to send a request the parent approves in Family Link.
On Android or Chromebook, choose Ask in person for approval with the parent's Google Account password.
To approve a website as a parent, open Family Link.
Select your child.
Go to Controls > Google Chrome and Web > Manage sites > Approved sites > Add a website.
Enter the website or domain.
For a Screen Time web restriction affecting Chrome on iPhone or iPad, open the device's Settings > Screen Time.
Select the child's name under Family when managing their settings.
Open Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Enter the Screen Time passcode when prompted.
Go to App Store, Media, Web, & Games > Web Content.
Edit the website choices under the selected filtering mode to approve the site. Choosing Unrestricted removes that web-content filtering more broadly.
If approval doesn't restore access, review Blocked sites in Family Link: even Allow all sites leaves explicitly blocked addresses blocked. Then check for a separate restriction on the connection.
Look beyond Chrome when the connection is blocking access
Network filtering is a cause of blocked access even when Chrome's own settings allow the website.
On public Wi-Fi, select Connect when Chrome shows Connect to network. Alternatively, visit a plain HTTP page to trigger the network's sign-in portal.
Complete the portal's login.
To test a different connection through an iPhone hotspot, open the phone's Settings > Personal Hotspot. A carrier plan supporting Personal Hotspot is required.
Turn on Allow Others to Join.
Join that Wi-Fi network on the device running Chrome using the displayed password. The hotspot changes the connection; Chrome's own restrictions still apply.
For a failing custom DNS resolver on Windows, Mac, or Linux, open Chrome's More > Settings > Privacy and security > Security > Advanced > Use secure DNS.
Select another provider or turn off Use secure DNS to troubleshoot the resolver. DNS changes address only DNS-related restrictions or failures. Network-enforced filtering still applies, and Google disables this feature on managed devices and devices with parental controls.
A VPN provides another route for network or geographic restrictions, with access depending on the restriction. To use Proton VPN's desktop Chrome extension, follow the installation link on its official Chrome product page.
Select Add to Chrome.
Open the toolbar extension.
Select Sign in. The extension supports Free and paid accounts, with choices depending on the plan.
Select Quick Connect.
If the destination rejects VPN traffic and you're using the Proton VPN Windows app, select Disconnect on its home screen.
Retry the website. VPNs don't remove Chrome policies, parental supervision, or Safe Browsing warnings.
Reset Chrome as a last browser fix
A desktop reset restores content settings and affects extensions, cookies, and preferences while keeping bookmarks and passwords.
- 1.Open More > Settings.
- 2.Select Reset settings.
- 3.Choose Restore settings to their original defaults.
- 4.Select Reset settings to confirm.
Ask IT to remove a work or school restriction
An enforced website restriction needs an administrator to change it. Ask your IT team to approve the address; local Chrome settings cannot override an enforced policy.
If your organization's HTTPS-inspecting connection produces NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID, ask its administrator to repair the required certificate trust configuration. Google advises against installing an unknown certificate yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do when Chrome says my clock is ahead or behind?
Open your device's clock settings and correct its date and time. This also addresses NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID caused by an incorrect device clock.
Can I unblock a website showing Cloudflare Error 1020?
Contact the website owner with an error screenshot, the Ray ID, and the time it happened. Error 1020 comes from the site's access rules, which visitors cannot change.
Will turning off SafeSearch unblock a website?
No. SafeSearch filters Google Search results; it doesn't block direct access to other websites. To change result filtering, open google.com/safesearch and select Off. A lock means someone else controls the setting.
Can I enable Flash to make an old website work?
No. Flash content no longer plays in any Chrome version. The website must provide a supported replacement.