How to Hide or Block Sensitive Content on X

X (formerly Twitter) is used by everyday users, creators, celebrities, and even governments. But the platform hosts a lot of sensitive content, from pornography to violence and misinformation.

If you'd like to avoid seeing such material, this guide shows four ways to block or hide it using X's built-in tools, plus why the platform has so much of it in the first place. Let's get right into it!

How to Hide or Block Sensitive Content on X

1Hide Sensitive Content in Search Results

The first method will help you hide sensitive content whenever you're searching for something on X. This method works just like Google SafeSearch.

However, from our testing, we've found that this setting is not available on the mobile app. Since the filter works on all your devices, you may need to change it from a computer.

Here's how to hide sensitive content on X:

2Turn Off Display Sensitive Media Setting

This next method will help users blur any content marked as "sensitive" from appearing on their feeds. When there is a tweet containing sensitive content, there should be a warning message, prompting you that the content contains sensitive material, which you can tap to view.

Note that again, this does not help with hiding content from creators who have opted not to label their content as sensitive. Before that, similar to the previous method, this setting is only accessible on the desktop PC version of X. Here's how:

3Mute Sensitive Content by Words

X offers a "mute" feature that can help you filter any tweet containing specific keywords, emojis, or hashtags when you browse the Home timeline.

You can set up muted keyword lists on either the mobile app or the desktop platform. Here's how to block adult content on X by words:

4Block & Report NSFW Accounts

Your last resort is to simply report and block any NSFW accounts when they are not labelled as "sensitive" for their NSFW posts or if the muted words don't work well.

After this, their tweets won't appear on your feed. To report and block X NSFW accounts:

Limitations of Hiding Sensitive Content

Even with these measures in place, there are still clear limitations to getting rid of sensitive content on X, for example:

Relies on Creator's Self-Label

Arguably, the biggest limitation of X's safety features is that many of these features are reliant on the account's self-labelling of sensitive content. Unless the content they post is tagged as "sensitive," the NSFW material may show up even if you don't allow X to display sensitive media.

No 100% Guarantee of Blocking

Even with all safety features enabled, some sensitive posts may slip through. X's moderation team cannot monitor every feed in real time, so nudity, profanity, and violence may still appear.

Cannot Filter Out NSFW Accounts

Though you are allowed to block individual accounts on X, the platform does not have any features that automatically filter out all NSFW creators, even if they have been labeled as "sensitive content."

Why Is There So Much Sensitive Content on X?

There are multiple reasons it's so popular to post and engage with sensitive content on X, but here are some of the most prominent:

X's Official Policy Allows Adult Content

According to X's Adult Content policy, users are allowed to "create, distribute and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed."

While tweets containing adult content must be "properly labeled and not prominently displayed," this rule is often ignored by creators. And accounts that fail to label content may just have settings "adjusted," without further penalties or bans.

As a result, adult content is not only tolerated but indirectly encouraged, especially since it drives engagement.

The Algorithm Learns Fast

Another major reason sensitive content is widespread is X's recommendation system. The algorithm tracks the type of content you engage with – likes, replies, follows, and even brief pauses while scrolling.

Based on this engagement data, X begins recommending similar or increasingly explicit content. Over time, this increases the visibility of sensitive content in your feed and the search results.

The platform doesn't distinguish between whether the content is appropriate or not; it only cares if you stop to interact with it.

Monetization Drives & Rewards Adult Content

Monetization is perhaps the biggest driver of sensitive content on X. The platform rewards engagement regardless of content type, making attention a valuable commodity.

Creators can earn real money based on impressions and interactions, so many deliberately post NSFW content, and even redirect you to unlock the full version on the external site. That's why you may notice many OnlyFans creators on the platform.

Fortunately, X offers a few built-in tools to hide or block sensitive content, which we'll explore in the next section.

Bonus: Get Alerts When Encountering Sensitive Content on X

Even after adjusting every privacy and safety setting, even when using an account specifically created as a "minor," it occasionally showed glimpses of porn or other NSFW material during our testing.

For parents, this can make monitoring a child's online activity challenging. Fortunately, one effective solution is AirDroid Parental Control, which adds a proactive layer of protection:

• Keywords Scan: Monitors social apps, including X, and sends alerts when a message or post contains blocked keywords.
• Inappropriate Image Detect: Notify parents when an inappropriate image is saved to your child's phone, allowing parents to intervene promptly.
• Downtime Schedule: Set specific hours when X can't be used, especially during high-risk periods for sensitive content.

By using a tool like AirDroid Parental Control, parents can help ensure their children's digital experiences are safer, supplementing X's limited native filters.

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