Twitter is rife with adult content you don’t want your child, or maybe even yourself, to see.
Thankfully, you can learn how to block adult content on twitter without blocking total access to the site. But only with the right tools—tools I’ve taken the time to find and test for you.
Here’s the three best methods I’ve found that block adult content on Twitter:
- Best Method Overall: Canopy (a Parental Control App and Porn Blocker)
- Method 2: Twitter’s Privacy Settings (free!)
- Method 3: Browser Extensions
Read on for step-by-step instructions and details of each so that you can apply these methods to your own Twitter account.
Best Method: Block Adult Content on Twitter in Real-Time (Using a Parental Control App and Porn Blocker)
Here’s the method, the benefits and step-by-steps for how to block adult content on Twitter with Canopy.
Method:
Canopy is a parental control app and porn blocker for adults that filters out and blocks inappropriate content on the web including Twitter (and any other social media site, browser, or website).
Find out more by watching the video below:
Benefits:
Canopy’s ability to filter out inappropriate content in real-time keeps you (or your child) from ever seeing it. That means you can use Twitter and enjoy it while knowing you won’t come across explicit material.
Canopy comes with other features too such as location alerts, sexting prevention, screen time limits, and removal prevention.
Sexting prevention is one that can really come in handy if you’re parenting a teen or want to be sure your child isn’t being sent inappropriate photos from predators.
Why Canopy is number one:
With Canopy, you can block sites and filter out inappropriate content before it appears on the page. This applies to ads as well as posts that contain different levels of nudity.
And Canopy’s protection works across device types and browsers.
Watch the video below to hear why parents use and trust Canopy to protect their family.
Click to Watch: Why the Canopy Parental App? A Parent and Tech Analyst Explains in this Video
How to Block Inappropriate Content on Twitter Using Canopy
Here’s how I blocked inappropriate content on Twitter using Canopy.
1. Set Up Your Canopy account: Sign up for a free trial of Canopy.
2. Download the Canopy for Kids app: You need to install the app on any device you want to restrict content for. It can be used for kids and adults, as needed.
3. Head to Advanced Filtering, click Applications and find Twitter. Use these instructions for extra clarity here.
This step-by-step will block the Twitter app altogether, which is the safest way.
From there, we recommend only allowing access to Twitter via a browser (see our guides on blocking adult content in Safari or Google Chrome) where you can filter 100% of adult content safely and securely while allowing access to Twitter.
There are additional steps you can follow to block specific websites if you want to completely get rid of Twitter access.
→ Start using Canopy now and protect your family from inappropriate content online. ←
Method 2: How to Block Adult Content on Twitter Using Twitter’s Built-In Settings
Here’s the method, its benefits, and step-by-step instructions to help you block adult content on Twitter using its built-in features.
Method:
Twitter offers a few safety and privacy settings that can help block or limit the display of adult content. They call it ‘sensitive content’.
Benefits:
Twitter’s settings are free and don’t require any 3rd party installations to work. It will also work when using Twitter in a browser or in the app on your phone.
Why it’s second best:
While Twitter’s built-in privacy and safety settings offer some level of control, they rely heavily on self-curation and user reports to block or limit adult content.
For example, pornography can freely be posted on Twitter as long as the individual has tagged it as ‘Sensitive content’. But even if they don’t tag it that way, the material can remain up until Twitter removes it.
Twitter’s settings might not be as effective as using a dedicated tool like Canopy that uses sophisticated AI to detect and block harmful content.
How to Block Inappropriate Things on Twitter Using Built-In Settings
Here are the exact steps I took to block adult content on Twitter using its own settings:
1. Sign in to Twitter: Begin by logging into your Twitter account either on your desktop or mobile device.
2. Access your settings: Navigate to the “More” menu on the left-hand side and click on “Settings and privacy”.
3. Choose “Privacy and safety”: This section includes a variety of settings to help you manage your Twitter experience.
4. Manage sensitive content: If you prefer not to see media that may contain sensitive content, you can adjust this setting. Go to “Content you see” > and toggle off “Display media that may contain sensitive content”.
5. Mute accounts, words, or conversations: You can mute certain accounts, specific words, or even entire conversations that you don’t want to engage with. To do this, go to “Privacy and safety” > “Mute and block” > “Muted words”. Then click ‘Add’ and type in one by one the words you want to block.
Remember, even with these settings, it is possible for some adult content to slip through.
For a more comprehensive solution, consider using Canopy which uses advanced AI to filter content more effectively.
Muting Keywords on Twitter: A Band-Aid Solution
Muting specific keywords can provide a layer of content filtering on Twitter. For example, you might want to mute explicit terms, slang associated with adult content, or names of websites known for their explicit content. This approach works to some degree in reducing the visibility of adult content.
To do this, follow the steps listed in the section above. Here, you can add words, phrases, or hashtags to mute. The muted words will then not appear in your notifications or timeline, including the tweets you are mentioned in.
However, this method has limitations. New explicit terms and slang are constantly emerging, and it’s virtually impossible to keep up.
It also doesn’t address explicit images or videos, which are a significant part of the adult content problem on Twitter. Plus, if a muted term is misspelled in a tweet, it won’t be filtered out.
That’s where Canopy can make up the difference and be used in tandem with Twitter’s settings. While your Twitter settings combat words, Canopy can filter out adult images from Twitter in real-time.
Method 3: How to Block Adult Content on Twitter with a Browser Extension
Here’s the method, the benefits, and step-by-step instructions to help you block adult content on Twitter using a browser extension.
Method:
Browser extensions can offer another layer of protection by blocking specific websites or types of content. Many extensions allow you to set custom filters or use pre-defined ones to block adult content, and some even work on social media sites like Twitter.
Benefits:
These extensions are easy to install and can often be customized to meet your specific needs. They work directly in your browser, offering real-time content filtering.
Why it’s third best:
These extensions only work in the specific browser they are installed in. So, if you use multiple browsers or devices, you would need to install and configure the extension in each.
Also, they may not be as effective in blocking adult content within social media feeds, and their performance heavily depends on their database of flagged content.
And if you use the Twitter app on your phone or tablet, this method is useless.
How to Block Inappropriate Content on Twitter Using Browser Extensions
1. Choose a browser extension: Research browser extensions for content filtering. A popular one is “BlockSite” for Chrome and Firefox.
2. Install the extension: Go to your browser’s extension store, find the extension, and install it.
3. Set up the extension: Most extensions have an ‘Options’ or ‘Settings’ menu where you can customize the type of content you want to block.
4. Add Twitter content filters: If the extension allows, add custom filters for Twitter but this shouldn’t be necessary. The general blocking features should work when using the Twitter website (but not the app!).
If you want to block content on specific browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, you can read our ‘how to block adult content’ guides for each.
Here they are:
- How to block websites on Firefox
- How to block websites on Chrome Mobile
- How to block websites on Safari
Or you can get Canopy and be covered no matter where you’re browsing.
How Adult Content Ends Up on Twitter
Twitter is a hotbed for adult content, thanks in large part to the platform’s relaxed policies on nudity. In fact, their own help center article states:
“Pornography and other forms of consensually produced adult content are allowed on Twitter, provided that this media is marked as sensitive.”
And because of that policy, Twitter is a popular marketing channel for porn and those in the industry. There are dozens of guides online that help OnlyFans content creators use Twitter to promote their OnlyFans account.
Bots and fake accounts play a big role too. They distribute explicit content across Twitter, compounding the problem at speed.
So it’s only natural that parents and/or adults trying to build better online habits would want to take steps to make Twitter a safer space.
Why We Should Block Access to Porn
It’s expected that children will be curious, but that curiosity, especially when it comes to adult content like porn, can lead them down dangerous paths.
The effect of porn on the developing brain is especially concerning. There are studies that report men who watch violent porn are more likely to objectify women and have hardened misogynistic attitudes.
In fact, Psychology Today reports that teens who watch porn are more likely to have sex at a younger age, and state that “early exposure to pornography is a risk factor for sex addictions and other intimacy disorders.”
Blocking access to porn is not about stifling natural curiosity, it’s about protecting the mental and emotional health of both ourselves and our children.
By understanding the effects of quitting porn and taking practical steps on how to quit porn, we can create a safer digital environment for everyone.
And that’s where solutions like Canopy also come into play, making the digital world a safer space for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to Block Kids from Seeing Inappropriate Content on Twitter?
To protect your kids from inappropriate content on Twitter, you can leverage the platform’s privacy and safety settings, which include options like “Hide sensitive content” and “Protect your Tweets”.
You can also use third-party parental control apps like Canopy for a more thorough and effective approach to content blocking.
How Do I Block Sensitive Content on Twitter iPhone?
Blocking sensitive content on Twitter’s iPhone app can be done via the ‘Content preferences’ under ‘Settings and privacy’. There, you can enable the ‘Hide sensitive content’ option.
You can also download Canopy and install it on your iPhone for comprehensive protection against inappropriate content on Twitter and beyond (browsers, websites, other social media platforms, etc.).
Other step-by-step guides for blocking content on different software and devices
If you’re blocking adult content on Twitter you may also be interested in guides for blocking content across devices and softwares:
