iPhone (iOS) · Privacy & Security
Blur nude images and videos before they're viewed
Sensitive Content Warning automatically detects and blurs nudity in photos and videos received in Messages, AirDrop, contact posters, and FaceTime messages before they're shown, on-device and without Apple seeing the content.
How to open Sensitive Content Warning
- Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Sensitive Content Warning.
- Toggle it on for the relevant account.
- Test by reviewing how flagged content appears in Messages.
What you should know
- Found in Settings > Privacy & Security > Sensitive Content Warning.
- Detection happens entirely on-device using machine learning, not by uploading content to Apple.
- When enabled for a child's account, a warning appears with links to resources before the content can be viewed.
- Adults can enable it for themselves as a personal filter, separate from any parental control.
Why it matters
Unsolicited explicit images are a common and distressing experience, especially for younger users, and this feature interrupts that experience with a warning before the image is even displayed rather than after the fact. Because the detection happens entirely on the device, no image data or analysis result is ever sent to Apple or any third party, preserving privacy while still providing protection. It represents a deliberate design choice to filter harmful content without the invasive tradeoff of cloud-based scanning of private messages.
Best practices
- Enable this for a teen's account in addition to Content & Privacy Restrictions for layered protection.
- Consider turning it on for personal accounts too, since it works as a general unwanted-content filter for anyone.
- Talk with a child about why the warning exists rather than relying on the feature alone.
Common problems and fixes
- An image is blurred unnecessarily.
- The warning screen allows viewing anyway after an extra tap, since it's a warning rather than a hard block for adult accounts.
- The setting doesn't appear to be doing anything.
- Confirm it's enabled separately for each relevant account, since it isn't on by default for adults.
Tips and tricks
- Pair this with Communication Safety features for a more complete protective setup on a child's device.
Frequently asked questions
Does Apple see the images that get flagged?
No, all detection and blurring happens on-device; nothing is uploaded or reported to Apple.
Does this scan photos already stored in the Photos app?
It applies to content received through communication apps like Messages, not to browsing your existing photo library.
Related settings
- Content & Privacy RestrictionsContent & Privacy Restrictions, part of Screen Time, lets a parent or guardian block specific apps, websites, content ratings, and purchase types, and lock down further changes to privacy settings.
- Privacy & PermissionsThe Privacy & Security hub lets you review and control exactly which apps can access your Camera, Microphone, Location Services, Contacts, Photos, and more.
More Privacy & Security guides for iPhone (iOS)
- Face ID & PasscodeFace ID (or Touch ID) and Passcode settings control how you unlock your iPhone, authorize purchases, and protect sensitive data with biometric or code-based security.
- Location ServicesLocation Services is the master switch and per-app control center for GPS-based location sharing on iPhone, letting you decide exactly which apps can see your precise or general location, and when.
- Find MyFind My helps you locate a lost or stolen iPhone on a map, remotely play a sound, mark it as lost, or erase it, and it can also share your location with family members or locate AirTags and other Apple accessories.
- Emergency SOSEmergency SOS lets you quickly call for help by pressing the side button rapidly or holding it with a volume button, automatically alerting emergency services and, if configured, notifying your chosen emergency contacts with your location.
- App Tracking TransparencyApp Tracking Transparency requires apps to ask permission before tracking activity across other companies' apps and websites for advertising or data-sharing purposes.
- Safety CheckSafety Check lets users see and instantly stop sharing location, passwords, and app access with specific people, useful in situations like leaving a relationship where trust has broken down.