How To Adjust Instagram’s Sensitive Content Controls To Not Miss Videos
You have to make a change to keep the content coming.
Instagram users are adjusting their settings after the tech giant quietly rolled out a feature that limits how much “sensitive content” you see on the app. Because the rollout was automatic, you might be wondering where to find Instagram’s new Sensitive Content Controls to turn them off. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to make the switch.
On July 20, Instagram announced the rollout of a new feature called “Sensitive Content Control,” which aims to restrict how much sensitive content shows up in your Explore page. Instagram always prohibits (and promptly removes) posts that violate their Community Guidelines, such as photos or videos that depict nudity or hate speech. However, Instagram is going one step further with a feature that limits content that potentially violates the company’s recommended guidelines. These posts don’t break any of Instagram’s community guidelines, per se, but they may be “potentially upsetting to some people — such as posts that may be sexually suggestive or violent,” per the IG post announcing the move. Instagram didn’t provide specifics on what content is classified as “upsetting or offensive.” In a statement shared with Elite Daily, a Facebook company spokesperson elaborated on the decision.
“We released Sensitive Content Control to give people more say over what they see on Explore,” the spokesperson said, adding that “this control will let people decide if they want to see more or less sensitive content.”
Since this rollout was automatic, all users have this sensitivity control turned on as a default. Luckily, there’s any easy way to get around it. Here’s how to turn Instagram’s sensitive content controls off in your Settings.
- Open your Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Tap the three black lines that are located in the top right hand corner
- From there, select "Settings,” then scroll down until you see “Account.” Tap on it.
- From there, tap the option that says "Sensitive Content Control.” You’ll see three choices you can toggle between. The default is Limit, which states you may see some photos and videos that could be upsetting or offensive. There’s also a “Limit Even More”option and an “Allow” option, with which you may see more photos or videos that could be upsetting or offensive.
- Toggle the “Allow” option to on, then tap “OK” to save it.
Unsurprisingly, many Instagram users might not want the app deciding what kinds of content appear on their Explore page by filtering out material on a subjective basis. For example, political or social justice posts could be restricted due to concerns about the material depicting violence. To keep your options open, you can adjust your “Sensitive Content Control” to allow in as much content as you want.
A Facebook company spokesperson confirmed the new control is only for the Explore page, and your other browsing will remain the same: “This will have no impact on what [users] see in places like Feed or Stories, where we will continue showing them posts from people they follow.”
As you adjust your settings, keep in mind that Instagram users under 18 don’t have the option to turn off this feature. For users 18 and older, you can control how much potentially sensitive content you’re seeing by heading to Settings and toggling the option that most appeals to you.
