What Sensitive Content Settings Do on X
X (formerly Twitter) lets you control what kinds of content you see in your feed and search results. The sensitive content setting is a toggle that hides posts marked as containing graphic violence, adult material, or other potentially disturbing images and videos until you choose to view them. When this setting is on, X blurs those posts by default. When it is off, you see them without the blur.
This setting affects only what you see — it does not prevent other users from posting sensitive content or from seeing your posts. It is a personal preference tool, not a content moderation system for the entire platform.
Key Takeaways
- The sensitive content setting is found in your account settings under Privacy and Safety, and takes effect immediately once you change it.
- Turning the setting on blurs posts with graphic violence, adult material, and other sensitive images; turning it off shows them without blur.
- This setting applies to your feed, search results, and notifications, but does not affect what other users can post or see.
- You can change this setting at any time from any device where you are logged into your X account.
How to Find the Sensitive Content Setting
On X's web version, click your profile icon in the top left corner, then select Settings and privacy. From there, go to Privacy and safety. Scroll down until you see the section labeled Safety. The sensitive content toggle appears in that section.
On the X mobile app (iOS or Android), tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, then tap Settings and privacy. Choose Privacy and safety, scroll to Safety, and you will see the same toggle.
The toggle itself is a simple on/off switch. When it is blue and switched to the right, the setting is on and sensitive content will be blurred. When it is gray and switched to the left, the setting is off and sensitive content will display normally.
What Changes When You Turn the Setting On or Off
With the setting on, X automatically blurs images and videos in posts that the platform or the post author has marked as sensitive. You will see a warning label on the post saying "Sensitive content" or similar language. You can tap or click the blurred area to view the full image or video if you choose to. This applies to posts in your home feed, search results, and notifications.
With the setting off, those same posts display without blur. You see the full image or video immediately. The post author's choice to mark content as sensitive is overridden by your account setting. Posts that are not marked as sensitive look the same either way.
The setting does not affect content that X has removed entirely for violating its rules. It also does not hide posts based on topic alone — for example, turning the setting on will not hide all posts about politics or news, only posts with images or videos marked as sensitive.
When Your Changes Take Effect
Changes to the sensitive content setting take effect immediately. You do not need to log out, refresh your browser, or restart the app. If you turn the setting on, the next time you scroll through your feed or perform a search, blurred posts will appear with the blur in place. If you turn it off, blurred posts will show without blur on your next refresh.
If you switch between devices — for example, using both a phone and a computer — the setting you change on one device syncs to your account across all devices within a few minutes. You do not have to change the setting separately on each device.
Sensitive Content Marking by Post Authors
When someone posts an image or video on X, they have the option to mark it as sensitive before posting. This is a choice the author makes, not something X does automatically in most cases. If an author marks their post as sensitive, your account setting determines whether you see it blurred or not.
Some content is marked as sensitive by X's automated systems — for example, images that appear to contain graphic violence or adult material. Other content is marked by human reviewers if it is reported. In both cases, your setting controls whether the blur appears on your screen.
If you see a post you believe should be marked as sensitive but is not, you can report it to X. Reporting does not change what you see on your own account; it flags the post for X's review team to decide whether to add the sensitive label.
Changing the Setting Back
You can turn the sensitive content setting on or off as many times as you want. There is no limit to how often you can change it, and changing it does not affect your account history or any other settings. Simply return to Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Safety and toggle the switch back to where you want it.
If you have forgotten whether the setting is currently on or off, you can check by going to the same location. The position of the toggle shows you the current state of your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off sensitive content affect what other people see on my posts?
No. Your account setting only controls what you see. If you mark one of your own posts as sensitive, other users will see it blurred or not blurred based on their own account settings, not yours.
Will changing this setting hide posts about certain topics?
No. The sensitive content setting only affects posts with images or videos marked as sensitive. It does not hide posts based on the topic they discuss — for example, news posts, political posts, or posts about difficult subjects will still appear in your feed regardless of this setting.
What if I want to hide sensitive content only from certain people or in certain situations?
X does not offer a way to apply the sensitive content setting selectively. The setting is account-wide and applies to everything you see. If you want to avoid sensitive content in specific contexts, you would need to change the setting each time, or use a separate account with different settings.
Can I see who marked a post as sensitive?
No. X does not show you whether the post author or X's systems marked the content as sensitive. You only see that the post is marked, not who did the marking.
Does this setting affect direct messages?
No. The sensitive content setting applies only to posts in your feed, search results, and notifications. Images and videos in direct messages are not affected by this setting.