Sensitive Content Warning on iPhone: how it works
Blurred first, your choice second — and Apple never learns what was flagged.
In short
Sensitive Content Warning blurs photos and videos that appear to contain nudity — and, from iOS 27, gore and violence — before you view them, in Messages, AirDrop, FaceTime video messages, shared albums and more. The analysis runs on your iPhone, so Apple doesn’t learn that anything was detected. Turn it on in Settings › Privacy & Security › Sensitive Content Warning.
Key takeaways
- Adults turn it on themselves; Communication Safety covers children.
- Detection happens on device: Apple gets no signal and no copy.
- You can still view the content, block the sender or find help.
What it does
When a photo or video appears to contain nudity, or gore and violence, it is shown blurred with a warning. From the warning you can:
- Tap Show to view it anyway.
- Use the alert button to find safety resources or block the person.
- For nudity in an iMessage or a FaceTime video call, report the sender to Apple.
Reporting is the one case where content leaves your device: the sensitive content is sent to Apple for review, and Apple may forward reports to the relevant authorities.
Where it works
- Messages and AirDrop.
- FaceTime calls and video messages. Gore and violence detection applies only to video messages, not live calls.
- Contact Posters in the Phone and Contacts apps.
- Shared photo albums.
- Some third-party apps, when you select a photo or video to share.
Why it stays private
Detection uses machine learning that runs on your iPhone. Because the analysis happens on the device, Apple doesn’t receive any indication that sensitive content was detected and doesn’t get access to the photos or videos. The feature requires iOS 17 or later; gore and violence detection requires iOS 27 or later.
Turn it on
- Go to Settings › Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down and tap Sensitive Content Warning.
- Turn on Sensitive Content Warning.
It then applies to every supported app, and you can manage each app individually. Turning it on on your iPhone also turns it on for a paired Apple Watch.
Communication Safety, for children
Communication Safety applies the same on-device detection to a child’s device, managed through Screen Time in Family Sharing. It adds guidance and age-appropriate resources, including the option to message a trusted adult. When a Screen Time passcode is set, children under 13 need a parent or guardian to enter it before viewing flagged content; age thresholds vary by country or region. It is on by default for children under 18 with the latest software.
To manage it, go to Settings › Screen Time, select your child, then tap Communication Safety.
What it isn’t
It is a warning on content you receive or are about to send in supported apps, not a way to protect what you keep. If you save a sensitive image, it lands in Photos like any other. To keep something private once saved, store it in a vault such as Latent, encrypted and outside the Photos library.