Tumblr rolls out sensitive content filter for iOS

To keep the app eligible for download via the App Store, microblogging and social networking platform Tumblr has rolled out a new feature "Sensitive Content toggle" for iOS users.

The new feature allows users to choose whether to opt-in or opt-out of potentially sensitive content on the iOS app.

"These latest updates provide more control to our community on the iOS app to build the experience that fits them best, and to explore the content that they find interesting," the platform said in a blog post.

"While the experience for our community is a top priority, we must also comply with Apple's App Store Guidelines and our own guidelines," it added.

Users can now choose to enable or disable a 'Hide Sensitive Content' toggle. By default this setting will be enabled, affecting the filtering only on the iOS app.

When the "Hide Sensitive Content" toggle is enabled: posts with sensitive tags will be filtered from recommendations, explicit blogs will continue to be blocked on iOS, search results with sensitive tags will be blocked.

By disabling the toggle, users will be able to: Search for tags that may contain posts of a sensitive nature, but do not violate our guidelines. They will be able to tap through an overlay on blogs that have been flagged as explicit but will still not be able to access any posts that have been flagged as explicit.

These changes will only impact those who are accessing Tumblr through the latest version of the iOS app (version 22.5.2).

People with this latest version will be able to visit their settings on desktop or mobile web to disable the Hide Sensitive Content toggle.

Once that is done and they quit and restart their iOS app, sensitive content that doesn't violate Tumblra's guidelines will once again appear in the iOS app.

For Android app users, accessing Tumblr through mobile web or online through www.tumblr.com, the mentioned web toggle will still appear but will have no impact on sensitive content displayed.

Last month, Tumblr, which faced a year-long struggle with approval on the iOS App Store, had said that they have made fresh changes to remain on the Apple App Store.

The platform had said that to remain available within Apple's App Store, the company had to extend the definition of what sensitive content is as well as the way its users access it to comply with Apple guidelines.