Facebook allows users to restrict or block potentially offensive or sensitive content through its content filtering settings. Here are some quick answers about how to use these settings to hide adult content on Facebook:
Quick Answers
Can I completely block adult content on Facebook? – Not completely, but you can restrict it.
How do I restrict adult content on Facebook? – Use the content filtering settings.
Where are the content filtering settings? – In Settings & Privacy > Content Preferences.
What options are there for restricting adult content? – Restricted Page Viewing and Custom Blocking.
Does Restricted Page Viewing block all adult content? – No, it only limits some sensitive content.
What does Custom Blocking do? – Allows you to block specific words, pages, groups, and profiles.
Restricting Adult Content on Facebook
Facebook allows you to restrict or limit exposure to some adult content through its Restricted Page Viewing setting. This prevents any content that Facebook has identified as sensitive, such as nudity or violence, from automatically appearing in your feed or search results.
To enable Restricted Page Viewing:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Content Preferences
- Under the Restricted Page Viewing section, toggle it on
With this setting enabled, you will not see sensitive content in your feed or search results. However, it does not block this content completely. You can still access restricted pages and posts by explicitly navigating to them or following a direct link.
Limitations of Restricted Page Viewing
Restricted Page Viewing has some limitations:
- It does not block all adult or pornographic content on Facebook. It only limits some content identified as sensitive.
- It only applies to the Facebook feed and search results. It does not restrict content in Groups, Messenger, or other areas of Facebook.
- Users can still access restricted content through direct links or by explicitly navigating to a page.
- The setting does not apply retroactively. Any restricted content you’ve viewed previously will still be visible.
So while Restricted Page Viewing can filter some mature content, it does not completely block adult content on Facebook.
Custom Blocking for More Control
For more control over blocking specific adult content, you can use Facebook’s Custom Blocking settings.
With Custom Blocking you can:
- Block specific words or phrases from appearing in your feed
- Block individual profiles or pages
- Block entire groups
To access Custom Blocking:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Content Preferences
- Under the Custom Blocking section, click Manage Custom Blocking
From here you can enter words, phrases, groups, and profiles that you want to block from your feed and search results.
Blocking Specific Words and Phrases
To block specific words or phrases:
- Go to the Words section
- Enter the words or phrases you want to block, separated by commas
- Click Block Words
This will prevent posts containing those words or phrases from appearing in your feed or search results.
Blocking Specific Profiles and Pages
To block particular profiles or pages:
- Go to the Profiles section
- Enter the name of the profile or page you want to block
- Click Block
This will remove posts from that profile or page from your feed and search results.
Blocking Groups
To block entire groups:
- Go to the Groups section
- Enter the name of the group you want to block
- Click Block Group
This will remove all posts from that group from appearing in your feed or search results.
Other Ways to Limit Adult Content
In addition to Restricted Page Viewing and Custom Blocking, there are some other ways you can limit adult content you see on Facebook:
- Unfollow Pages – If your feed contains posts from specific pages with mature content, you can unfollow those pages.
- Leave Groups – Exit any groups that regularly share adult content.
- Adjust Ad Preferences – Limit ads for dating sites, alcohol, gambling and other adult-related topics.
- Use Parental Supervision Tools – Parents can limit what their teens see on Facebook.
What About Instagram and Messenger?
The content filtering settings only apply to the Facebook feed and search results. They do not restrict content in other Facebook-owned services:
- Instagram – You would need to update settings directly in the Instagram app to limit sensitive content there.
- Messenger – There are no filtering options for Messenger. You would need to block users individually.
Conclusion
While Facebook does not allow completely blocking all adult content, you have some options to restrict it:
- Use Restricted Page Viewing to limit some sensitive content.
- Leverage Custom Blocking to block specific words, profiles, pages and groups.
- Unfollow, leave or block problematic profiles, pages and groups.
- Adjust ad preferences and parental supervision settings.
Combining these options allows you to significantly reduce the amount of mature content you see on Facebook, although it does require some manual effort to identify and block specific sources of adult content on an ongoing basis.
These settings do not restrict content on Instagram, Messenger, or other Facebook apps, which would need to be managed separately.
Overall, Facebook provides decent options for limiting adult content in your main news feed, but does not allow completely blocking all 18+ material across its entire platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Facebook have a porn blocker?
No, Facebook does not have a built-in porn blocker. The Restricted Page Viewing setting only limits some mature content, but does not block all adult or pornographic material.
Can I block all adult groups and pages?
There is no single setting to block all adult groups and pages. You would need to manually identify and block each inappropriate group or page using the Custom Blocking settings.
How do I remove adult ads?
You can limit adult-related ads by going to Settings > Ad Preferences and adjusting preferences around dating, alcohol, gambling and other mature topics.
Can I block adult content on Facebook Messenger?
No, there is no content filtering available for Messenger. You would need to block users individually to limit adult content in messages.
Does Restricted Mode hide all inappropriate content?
No, Restricted Mode or Restricted Page Viewing only hides some content identified as sensitive. It does not block all adult or offensive material on Facebook.
Example Content Filtering Settings
Here is an example of what your content filtering settings could look like to restrict adult content on Facebook:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Restricted Page Viewing | On |
| Blocked Words | porn, xxx, nudity |
| Blocked Profiles | Pornhub, Brazzers |
| Blocked Groups | Hot Moms, Dirty Memes |
| Ad Topics | Dating, Gambling limited |
This would limit some sensitive content from appearing in your Facebook feeds and search results. It would also block posts from specific profiles and groups that share inappropriate content. Limiting ad topics further reduces the chances of seeing inappropriate promoted material.
Keep in mind you may need to frequently check for and block new profiles, pages and groups as they emerge. But these settings provide a good starting point for restricting adult content on Facebook.
The Challenge of Blocking All Adult Content
The main challenge with blocking all adult content on Facebook is that new inappropriate groups, pages, profiles and posts are constantly emerging. While Restricted Page Viewing and Custom Blocking provide good filtering options, they require manual efforts to continually identify and block new sources of mature content.
Facebook is unlikely to implement an automated porn blocker, as enforcing global standards for adult content across a user base of billions would be extremely difficult technically and culturally.
As a platform open to adults, Facebook is generally hesitant to impose widespread censorship or restrictions beyond limitations on illegal content. So the responsibility ultimately falls on each user to customize their preferred level of content filtering.
The Arms Race Around Inappropriate Content
There is essentially an “arms race” between Facebook trying to detect inappropriate content at scale, and individuals working to deliberately spread inappropriate content to millions of users. As Facebook improves its content matching algorithms, these actors adapt and find new ways to bypass the filters.
Some of the tactics used include:
- Using coded language and slang instead of obvious keywords.
- Sharing adult content via private channels like closed groups and messages.
- Using misleading page names and profile images to disguise inappropriate content.
- Modifying images and videos to avoid simple image matching.
These approaches force Facebook into a perpetual game of policing and closing loopholes. As fast as Facebook identifies and shuts down operations spreading adult content, new approaches emerge.
The Need for Ongoing User Vigilance
Given these challenges, truly blocking all unwanted content likely requires ongoing manual efforts by the end user.
Some tips for users looking to maximize their content filtering include:
- Frequently checking for new inappropriate hashtags, pages, groups and profiles.
- Staying aware of code words and slang used to share adult content.
- Using privacy settings to limit visibility of posts.
- Providing feedback to Facebook on offensive content that slips through filters.
Combining these steps with Facebook’s built-in content restriction tools provides the most effective approach given the current technology limitations and adversarial dynamics around inappropriate content.
The Future of Content Filtering
There are a few emerging technologies that could improve content filtering in the future:
- AI image and video analysis – Machine learning is getting better at identifying inappropriate multimedia content based on visual cues, not just keywords.
- Encrypted content analysis – Tools for analyzing encrypted content and metadata without decrypting it could help identify inappropriate material in private channels.
- Augmented reality filters – AR filters applied at the client end could potentially mask or transform inappropriate content.
However, these technologies also raise concerns around privacy, consent, and false positives that Facebook will need to carefully navigate.
In the near term, the combination of existing content restriction options and ongoing user vigilance is likely the most pragmatic approach to limiting adult content on Facebook.
Summary
- Facebook provides tools like Restricted Page Viewing and Custom Blocking to filter some adult content.
- These settings do not block all inappropriate content, and require manual blocking of specific pages, groups, etc.
- Ongoing user awareness of code words, emerging inappropriate content sources, and privacy best practices is important.
- AI and AR could potentially improve filtering in the future, but also pose new challenges around consent and accuracy.
- A layered defense of both Facebook’s built-in controls and user vigilance offers the most effective content filtering approach for now.