Explicit content controls · Discord

Checked August 18, 2026

Filter sensitive media on Discord

Open User Settings, then Content & Social, and set the Mature Sexual Media Filter to Blur or Block for DMs from friends, DMs from others and server channels. Discord's automated system decides what counts, and it only checks images, not videos.

Filters classified contentSensitive content filters

A platform-side model decides what counts. Misses are common on suggestive content, and the model changes without notice.

The honest line

It only acts on images Discord's system flags. Videos are not checked, misses happen, and age-restricted channels depend on server owners labeling them.

Who can lock it: No lock for an adult account: anyone signed in can set the filter back to Show. Family Center locks it only on a teen (13 to 17) account that agrees to link. Lock an adult device from outside with Screen Time or DNS.

Availability: Content & Social settings exist on desktop, browser and the mobile apps. Age-restricted servers need an opt-in on desktop before iPhone can show them, and Discord blocks pornography-focused servers on iOS entirely. Regions with age assurance (UK, Australia, Brazil) may see different defaults.

On this page
Start hereFilters classified content

Sensitive content filters

Two image filters, Mature Sexual Media and Graphic Media, each with Show, Blur or Block for DMs from friends, DMs from others and server channels. Adult defaults: Show for friends and servers, Block for non-friends. Servers only offer Show or Blur.

A platform-side model decides what counts. Misses are common on suggestive content, and the model changes without notice.

Discord on desktop or browser

  1. Click the cogwheel at the bottom left to open User Settings.

  2. Select Content & Social.

  3. Find the sensitive content filters and open the Mature Sexual Media Filter. Official Discord destination (opens in a new tab)

  4. Set Direct messages from friends and Direct messages from others to Blur or Block.

  5. Set Messages in server channels to Blur.

    In servers you can only choose Show or Blur. Blocking there is controlled by each server's own safety settings.

  6. Repeat for the Graphic Media Filter if you want violent images blurred too.

Discord app on iPhone and Android

  1. Tap your profile icon at the bottom right, then the cogwheel at the top right to open Settings.

  2. Tap Content & Social.

  3. Set each Mature Sexual Media Filter option to Blur or Block. Server channels offer Show or Blur only.

  4. Blur applies to old and new images. Block only affects images detected from now on, per Discord.

What it covers

  • Images in DMs from friends, DMs from others and server channels that Discord's filters flag as sexually explicit or suggestive
  • Older images too, when you pick Blur

What it does not cover

  • Videos. Discord says the filters do not detect sensitive content in videos
  • Images the system does not catch. Discord says no automated system is perfect
  • Block is not available for servers; only Show or Blur
  • Anything you unblur with the eye icon or mark as not sensitive
Also usefulHides labeled media

Age-restricted channels and servers

Server owners flag channels or whole servers as age-restricted. You get a warning before a channel opens, and iPhone cannot show age-restricted servers unless you opt in on desktop. Adult content in an unflagged channel is not gated.

Depends on the poster or the platform marking the media as sensitive. Unlabeled suggestive content passes.

Discord on desktop or browser

  1. When a channel is age-restricted, Discord shows a notice that it may contain adult content before it opens. Do not click through.

  2. To keep iPhone locked out of age-restricted servers, open User Settings (cogwheel), then Content & Social. Official Discord destination (opens in a new tab)

  3. Leave Allow access to age-restricted content on iOS switched off.

Discord app on iPhone

  1. Age-restricted servers cannot be joined from iOS. Discord says adults join them on desktop or Android only.

  2. Servers you already belong to show on iPhone only if the desktop toggle Allow access to age-restricted content on iOS is on.

  3. Servers focused on explicit pornographic content are blocked on iOS entirely, per Discord.

What it covers

  • Channels a server owner marked with the Age-Restricted Channel setting
  • Servers marked 18+ by their owner or classified 18+ by Discord

What it does not cover

  • Only what owners flag or Discord classifies; adult content in an unflagged channel is not gated
  • The channel warning is one click; adults can enter
  • Desktop and Android have no equivalent of the iOS opt-in
The lockLockable by another person or a network

Family Center

For accounts aged 13 to 17 only. A linked guardian sets whether flagged media is blurred, blocked or shown, and Discord says the teen cannot change it on their own. Accounts set to 18 or older cannot be linked.

A passcode, a supervisor, or DNS keeps the setting from being switched back off in a weak moment.

Guardian's Discord app (iPhone and Android)

  1. Tap your profile icon, then Settings, then Family Center, and turn on Enable Family Center tab. Official Discord destination (opens in a new tab)

  2. Tap My Family and scan the QR code from the teen's Family Center tab. The teen must accept the connection.

  3. Under Teen Account Settings, set Sensitive content filters to blur or block.

  4. Discord says teens will not be able to adjust their safety settings unless it is through your account in Family Center.

What it covers

  • Sensitive content filter level on a linked teen account
  • Friend requests, server DMs and message requests on that account

What it does not cover

  • Adults: Discord says an account with its age set to 18 or older cannot be linked
  • Both sides must opt in; the teen can decline or disconnect
  • The link ends automatically the month the teen turns 18

Discord questions

Does the filter catch videos?

No. Discord says the filters currently detect sensitive content in image-based media and do not detect it in videos.

What are the defaults on an adult account?

DMs from friends: Show. DMs from non-friends: Block. Server channels: Show. In servers you can only pick Show or Blur; blocking there is up to each server's safety settings.

Can I lock the setting on my own account?

No. Discord has no passcode for it. Family Center can lock it only for a teen account that agrees to link. For an adult device, use Screen Time or a network or DNS filter.

Why can I not see an age-restricted server on iPhone?

Discord requires adults to opt in on desktop: User Settings, Content & Social, Allow access to age-restricted content on iOS. Servers focused on pornography stay blocked on iOS entirely.

What On Guard adds

On Guard adds the layer Discord does not have: it detects explicit content on the screen itself, on Mac, Windows, and Android, in any app, keeps every frame on the device, puts up a gate, and texts an ally a check-in with no details.

The controls above are worth setting either way. On Guard is the layer for the moment a setting is not enough. How it works, explained.