- By Prateek Levi
- Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:01 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A recent survey by Meta found that 19 percent of young teens admitted to seeing unwanted nude images on Instagram. That is nearly one in five teenagers. The numbers suggest that platform-level filtering is not fully effective, which makes it even more important for parents and teens to actively use the safety tools available inside the app.
Here is a clear, practical guide to tightening Instagram’s security settings.
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Turn On Sensitive Content Control
If you want to reduce the chances of inappropriate posts appearing in Explore or feed recommendations, sensitive content control is the first setting to check. Set it to at least “Less” to limit how much potentially sensitive content appears.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Privacy > Sensitive Content and choose "Less".
Strengthen Message Control
Unwanted content often comes through direct messages from unknown accounts. You can stop message requests from people you do not follow.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Privacy > Messages and select “Don’t receive requests” for unknown users.
Use Hidden Words
This feature automatically filters out offensive words and phrases in DMs and comments. You can also add your own custom keywords to block specific terms.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Privacy > Hidden Words and turn on the filters.
Restrict Problematic Accounts
If someone is bothering or harassing you, you do not need to block them immediately. Restricting an account limits their interaction. They will not know when you have read their messages, and their comments can be hidden from others.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Restricted and add the account.
Activate Supervision Tools
For parents, supervision features are especially important. These tools allow you to monitor how much time your child spends on Instagram and apply controls when needed.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Supervision for Teens and follow the setup process.
Turn On Limits
The Limits feature is helpful if your account is receiving sudden unwanted attention. It temporarily restricts non-followers or recent followers from commenting or messaging.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Privacy > Limits and choose the duration.
Enable Nudity Protection
This is one of the most important tools. Nudity Protection automatically blurs suspected nude images in direct messages. The recipient can choose whether or not to view them.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Privacy > Messages > Nudity Protection and turn it on.
Control Comments
Abusive language in the comments section can also be filtered automatically. The “Hide offensive comments” option screens out harmful or inappropriate remarks.
How to enable it
Go to Settings > Privacy > Comments and enable “Hide offensive comments".
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The reality is that no system is perfect. While platforms continue to improve moderation, safety ultimately improves when users and parents actively adjust privacy settings. Spending a few minutes reviewing these tools can significantly reduce exposure to harmful or unwanted content.