Instagram's Explore tab is filled with all kinds of content, some of which you might not feel comfortable seeing. To help remedy this, Instagram has introduced a Sensitive Content Control feature to help you filter out certain types of content.
Instagram Gives You More Control Over the Explore Tab
In a post on About Facebook, Instagram announced that it's launching an option called Sensitive Content Control. Instagram defines sensitive content as posts that don't exactly break the platform's rules, but "could potentially be upsetting to some people—such as posts that may be sexually suggestive or violent."
Instagram already prevents you from seeing sensitive content from users you don't follow in your Explore tab, but its Sensitive Content Control feature takes this a step further.
You can now determine how much sensitive content you want to see on your Explore page—whether you decide to make no adjustments at all, or want to decrease the amount of sensitive content.
Keep in mind that sensitive content doesn't include hate speech, bullying, or posts that pose a direct threat to users. Instagram has strict rules about these types of posts and doesn't allow them on the platform, period. On the other hand, people may react differently to sensitive content, which is probably why Instagram has rolled out a feature to offer more control to users.
How to Adjust the Sensitive Content Control Option
To access the Sensitive Content Control option, open Instagram, and tap the Settings button in the top-right corner of the screen. From here, tap Account > Sensitive Content Control.
You're presented with three options: Allow, Limit (Default), and Limit Even More. Choosing Allow lets all sensitive content fly through the filter, which means that you might see more of it on the Explore page. Only users age 18 and above can toggle on this option.
Limit (Default) is the option that's automatically turned on by Instagram, and will restrict some of the sensitive content that you see. Lastly, selecting Limit Even More makes it even more unlikely for you to encounter offensive or upsetting content.
Customize Your Explore Feed
Instagram automatically personalizes your Explore page to suit your predicted taste. The platform guesses what types of posts you'll like based on your activity on Instagram, and then uses that information to put together your Explore feed.
The only way to adjust what appears on your Explore feed is by changing your Instagram habits, so it's not exactly straightforward. But if you're stuck with sensitive content you don't want to see, at least the Sensitive Content Control feature may help you get rid of some of these unwanted posts.