Twitter, now known as X, is a great platform for reading news and connecting with others, but you may stumble upon content you don’t want to engage with. Check out our tutorial on how to mute a hashtag or word on Twitter to filter out troubling content on your feed.
Good to know: if you’re new to the app, learn how to find your friends and other contacts on Twitter.
Content
- How to Mute Words and Hashtags
- How to Unmute or Edit Words and Hashtags
- Some Things to Keep in Mind When Muting Words
How to Mute Words and Hashtags
To start muting specific words and hashtags on X (Twitter), follow these steps.
PC
Launch Twitter in your browser, and press the More button in the menu on the left.
Select the Settings and privacy option, then go to Privacy and safety in the menu, and click Mute and block.
Select Muted words, then press the + icon in the upper right to add your first word.
Add the word you want to mute at the top. You can also mute a phrase, @username, emoji, or hashtag.
Tip: had it with all the drama surrounding X? Check out the best Twitter alternatives to switch to.
Below, add your preferences. For instance, decide whether you want to mute the unwanted word in your home timeline, as well as notifications. You can also opt to hide content that includes this particular word from anyone or just people you don’t follow.
Finally, select how long you want the word to be muted. By default, the muting is set to forever, but you may want to change that. For instance, if you’re trying to avoid spoilers, setting the duration for 7 days should be enough time, given that new TV show episodes tend to be released weekly. But if you’re trying to stay away from mature content, opting for the Until you unmute the word option may be better suited to your needs.
Once you’ve made your selection, press the Save button.
Android
You can also mute hashtags and words on the X mobile app.
Open the app on your Android phone, and tap your profile image in the upper-left corner of the display. Press Settings & Support -> Settings and privacy at the bottom.
Tap the Privacy and safety option. Go to Mute and block, and select Muted words.
You will see words you previously added, if any. Press the blue + button in the lower right to add a new word.
On the Add a muted word, follow the same instructions as outlined above.
iPhone and iPad
On an iPhone or iPad, you can use the method outlined above to add a muted word, but there’s an easier route.
Find a post that contains the word that you want to mute, and long-press it to select it. Select Mute in the pop-up menu. If you don’t see the option, press the right-facing arrow to find it.
On the Add muted word screen, set your preferences, then press Save.
FYI: you may also be interested in learning how to mute someone on Instagram and enjoy a clean feed experience.
How to Unmute or Edit Words and Hashtags
If you wish to unmute a word or hashtag you’ve previously added, follow these steps.
PC
Go to Settings and privacy -> Privacy and safety -> Mute and block -> Muted words.
You will see the list of words and hashtags you’ve added. To unmute a word, click the red sound icon next to it.
The word will be unmuted and will disappear from the list.
If you wish to edit a word from the list, click it, perform the desired settings modifications, and press Save.
Android
On your Android phone, access the Muted words list as explained above.
Tap on a word you wish to delete, then tap the Delete word button at the bottom to remove it from the list.
If you want to edit the specifications for the word, make your changes, then press Save.
iPhone
On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings and Support -> Settings and privacy -> Privacy and safety -> Mute and block -> Muted words to find your list of words.
If you wish to delete a singular word from your list, tap it, then press the Delete word button.
If you wish to delete multiple words in one go, press the Edit button in the Muted words screen.
Tap each word you want to remove, then press Delete.
Good to know: you can create lists of accounts on Twitter.
Some Things to Keep in Mind When Muting Words
- Muting is not case-sensitive. If you add the term “BOMB,” all mentions of “bomb” will be muted from your feed and notifications.
- You can include punctuation with a word phrase when adding a term to your muted words list.
- Muting a word will have the effect of muting the associated hashtag. For instance, adding “cat” automatically mutes posts and notifications containing the #cat hashtag.
- Your mute settings apply to everything except search results. When using the search function, you may still stumble upon posts that contain the words you want to avoid.
- Muting is possible across all languages supported by X (a total of 34).
Now that you know how to mute words and hashtags and curate your feed on Twitter, it’s time to enjoy what the platform has to offer. If you stumbled upon a cute GIF while browsing Twitter, learn how to save it on your device. If you want to revitalize your Twitter experience, check out this list of the best Twitter apps for Android.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.
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Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
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