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One good thing about social media platforms is that they give you the ability to mute and block certain words. Since there’s so much hate and prejudice in the world, this is a useful feature. Well, with a new platform comes the need to block those words all over again. Here’s how to hide posts on Threads based on certain words.
Doing this is pretty easy to do, so it won’t take you too long. After reading this article, feel free to check out some of our other content on this burgeoning platform. Android Headlines has news and How-To articles to get you started on this app on the right foot.
Before we start
At the time of writing this article, Threads is still very new, and there are features yet to come to the platform. If you’re looking to be one of the first to test out new features, you can join the beta program. At the time, the program is only available for Android users, but we expect it to make it to iOS eventually.
Just search for Threads on the Google Play Store and scroll down to the beta program section. There, you’ll see the Join button. It’ll take a few minutes for you to officially be added to the program. Once you’re added, you’ll then want to update the app.
If you’re using the beta software, just know that the experience may be less stable than if you’re using the stable version.
How to hide Threads posts based on certain posts
If you’re scrolling through your feed, and you’re not liking some of the words being passed around, then fixing it is an easy solution. The first thing you want to do is go to your settings. Tap on the Profile button on the bottom right corner of the screen. Right above your profile picture, tap on the hamburger-style menu.
When you tap on that button, you’ll be greeted by a familiar sight. This is reminiscent of the Instagram profile menu. Go down to the Privacy button. In that menu, tap on the Hidden Words button. In that menu, you’ll see some options. For starters, you’ll see the toggle to hide and unhide the words. So, if you don’t want to hide any words, you can simply toggle it off. It’s switched on by default.
The next section will let you choose which words you want to hide. Just like the top section, you’re able to switch this feature off if you so want. The very bottom option will allow you to type in the words that you don’t want to see.
In the text field, just type in the words that you don’t want to see. Make sure that you put a comma between the words so that the app knows to censor them separately.
More settings in Threads
So, you can now mute certain words that you see on the platform, but there are other settings that you can alter to make for a more comfortable threading experience. Let’s go over them. If the company adds more settings in the future, then the article will be updated accordingly.
Choose who can mention you
If you amass a bunch of followers on Threads, then you’ll expect a bunch of mentions. You’ll get a mention when someone makes a post and tags your profile by putting your username after the “@” symbol That could fill up your inbox and be a bother. There’s a setting that will let you choose who can mention you on the platform.
In order to do that, you’ll want to go back to the Privacy section. There, tap on the Mentions button. On the resulting page, you’ll have three options to choose from. The top option will allow any and all people to mention you.
The second option might be the most popular option for people who only want certain people to mention them. It will only allow someone to mention you if you follow them.
The last option will block everyone from mentioning you.
Mute an account
Features like these have become some of the most useful features on social media. Just like on other platforms, you’re able to mute and block people on Threads. These features can come in handy if there’s someone on the platform you don’t want to see posts from. They will become more useful when Threads eventually brings DMs.
If you don’t know the difference between muting and blocking, here’s a quick rundown. If you just don’t want an account’s content to show up on your timeline, you can mute it. You can either go to the account in question or go to one of its posts. Go to the upper-right corner and tap on the three-dot button.
There, you’ll see a panel pop up with some options. Tap on the Mute option. You’ll still be able to see their posts if you go to their profile, but they just won’t show up on your timeline.
Restrict an account
If you want to limit how a person can interact with you, then you can restrict the account. When you restrict an account, their posts won’t show up on your timeline, and you won’t see their comments either. Also, they won’t be able to see when you’re online.
You will restrict accounts in much the same way that you mute them. Go to the three-dot button on their profile. There, you’ll see the option to restrict them right under the Mute button. You can’t restrict an account through a post, however.
Block an account
If you just don’t want anything to do with an account, then you can completely block them. If you block an account, you won’t see any of their posts on your timeline, and you won’t see their posts on their profiles either.
Tap on the three-dot button on a post or profile, and you’ll see the Block button at the bottom in red text.
Unmuting/unrestricting/unblocking
Unmuting the account is the easiest to do of the three. Go to the profile of the person you want to unmute and press the three-dot button. Right where the Mute button was, you’ll see an Unmute button. Tap on it and you’re good to go.
Unrestricting an account is also pretty easy. Just go to the account that you restricted and tap on the three-dot menu on the upper right of the UI. There, you’ll see the Unrestrict button. If you want to see a list of the people you restricted, you won’t be able to do so in the Threads app. You’ll need to go to the Settings and Privacy section in the Instagram app.
Under that section, you’ll see a bunch of settings divided into categories. Scroll down to the How others can interact with you section. There, you’ll see the Restricted button. Tap on it, and you’ll see the list.
Lastly, unblocking accounts is quick and easy. In the Privacy section, scroll down the Blocked button. When you do that, it will take you right to the Blocked section in the Instagram app. It will show you a list of your blocked accounts with the option to unblock them. Simple as that!