How to Block Foul Language on YouTube

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Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: September 19, 2024

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iPhone or iPad

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Android

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Desktop

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Blocking Comments

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FAQ

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Tips

Do you want to censor bad works on YouTube? Luckily, you can enable Restricted Mode by going into your account's settings. From there, toggle on Restricted Mode.

Using YouTube's Profanity Filter Mode

Navigate to the settings for your YouTube account and go to the ‘Restricted Mode’ option. Toggle this on to block mature content for your account.
If you want to block comments, go to YouTube Studio’s Settings and open the Community tab.
In the Community tab, you can block words and phrases. Comments containing these will be filtered out of your videos’ comment section.

For popular FAQs on blocking profanity in YouTube, jump to more common questions.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

iPhone or iPad

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1
Open YouTube. It's a white app with the red YouTube symbol on it. If you're signed in to YouTube, doing so will open your YouTube Home Page.
- If you aren't signed in, tap the gray profile icon at the top-right corner and select Sign in to do so now.
2
Tap your profile picture. You'll find this in the top-right corner of the screen.
- If you haven't yet assigned yourself a profile picture, you'll instead see a person-shaped icon or the first letter of your name here.
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It's toward the bottom of the menu.
It's one of the options under the "YOUTUBE" header. As long as this switch is on (green), all potentially mature content, including foul language, will be blocked for this account on your iPhone or iPad.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Android

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1
Open YouTube. It's a red app with a white "Play" icon on it. YouTube will open to your Home Page if you're already signed in.
- If you aren't signed in, tap the gray profile icon at the top-right corner and select Sign in to do so now.
2
Tap your profile photo. It's at the top-right corner of the screen. A menu will expand.
- If you haven't yet assigned yourself a profile picture, you'll instead see a person-shaped icon or the first letter of your name here.
It's near the bottom of the menu.
It's near the top of the menu.
It's toward the bottom of the general menu. As long as this switch is On (blue), all potentially mature content, including foul language, will be blocked for this account on your phone or tablet.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Desktop

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1
Go to https://www.youtube.com in a web browser. YouTube will open to the Home Page if you're already signed in.
- If you aren't already signed into YouTube, click Sign in in the top-right corner of the page, enter your email address and password, and click Sign in again.
2
Click your profile photo. It's at the top-right corner of the screen. A menu will expand.
- If you haven't yet assigned yourself a profile picture, you'll instead see a person-shaped icon or the first letter of your name here.
It's at the very bottom of the menu.
As long as this option is activated, you will not see explicit content, including foul language, while using this YouTube account in your browser.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Blocking Comments

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1
Go to https://www.youtube.com in a web browser. YouTube will open to the Home Page if you're already signed in.
- If you aren't already signed into YouTube, click Sign in in the top-right corner of the page, enter your email address and password, and click Sign in again.
2
Click your profile picture. It's in the top-right corner of the page. A menu will expand.
- If you don't have a profile picture, you'll instead click the person-shaped silhouette or the first letter of your name here.
It's near the top of the menu.
4
Click Settings. It's near the bottom of the left panel.
- If you don't see a menu running along the left side of the screen, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top-left corner of the page to open it.
It's on the left side of the window at the bottom of the menu.
6
Type the words you wish to block in the "Blocked words" area. This field is at the bottom of the page. Any words you enter here will be filtered from the comments on your videos by default.
- When adding words to this list, place a comma and a space after each word (for example: "Banana, Microsoft, Elephants").
- If you want to enter a phrase, place a comma after the last word in the phrase to separate it from the other words/phrases in this list.
7
Click Save. It's the blue button at the bottom of the window. YouTube will now hold any comments containing the blocked words for review. The comments will not appear on your video unless you approve them manually.
- You can review and approve held comments in YouTube Studio by clicking Comments and selecting the Held for review tab at the top.^{[1]
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Common Questions: Censoring Bad Language on YouTube

How do I turn on the profanity filter on YouTube?

To turn on the profanity filter, you must be logged into your YouTube account. Select your profile picture, select Settings, and then toggle on Restricted Mode.

Can you block out bad words on YouTube?

You can block out foul language by using Restricted Mode. However, similar to other filters, this doesn't guarantee that all bad words will be removed.

Is there an advanced profanity filter?

While there's no advanced profanity filter on YouTube, you can download and use extensions on your browser. If you or your child is using the mobile app, consider using parental controls such as Screen Time to limit the time spent on YouTube.

Tips

Turning on Restricted Mode only affects the computer, phone, or tablet you're currently using.

Thanks
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If you want to block all mature YouTube content, consider downloading the "YouTube Kids" app from the App Store for iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/youtube-kids/id936971630?mt=8) or the Google Play Store for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.youtube.kids&hl=en). This app shows only kid-friendly content and restricts aspects of YouTube such as foul language.

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Unfortunately, there is no 100 percent guaranteed way to prevent mature content from occasionally appearing on YouTube, even if your settings are incredibly stringent.

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