How to access NSFW or adult flagged contents on Tumblr
When Yahoo acquired Tumblr in 2013. users of the platform had two main concerns.
First, that Yahoo would introduce ads to the platform, and second, that it would limit access - or do worse - to adult or NSFW blogs hosted by the service.
Ads were introduced not long after the acquisition, and it appears that Yahoo made changes recently in regards to adult and NSFW flagged sites on Tumblr as well.
Update: Tumblr announced in December 2018 that adult content won't be allowed anymore on the platform starting December 17, 2018. Existing content that is flagged as adult will be limited to the user who uploaded it to Tumblr or made it available. End
Tumblr makes a distinction between adult and NSFW flagged sites, with the latter containing occasional nudity or mature-oriented contents, and the former containing substantial amounts of those contents.
The flag determines what is happening to the blog under the new rules:
| Unflagged Blogs | NSFW Blogs | Adult Blogs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Posts appear in tag pages and search pages for logged-out users | x | ||
| Posts appear on tag pages when your followers browse in "Safe Mode" | x | x | |
| Posts appear on tag pages when other users browse in "Safe Mode" | x | ||
| Posts appear in mobile apps for your followers | x | x | x |
| Posts appear in mobile apps for other users | x | ||
| Blog indexed by third-party search engines | x | x | |
| Blog indexed by Tumblr search | x | x |
As you can see from the table above, consequences are more severe for blogs flagged as adult, as they are not indexed by search engines or Tumblr search anymore, and also do not appear on tag pages for logged out users or logged in users if Safe Mode is enabled (which it is by default).
When you try to open a link pointing to a tag that mostly leads to adult contents, or a blog flagged as adult, then you may receive no search results at all, or may not be able to open the blog if you are not logged in, or if you are logged in but have Safe Mode enabled.
This means basically that your only chance of accessing adult blogs on Tumblr, and adult is used widely here as it may include educational blogs for example, is to use a Tumblr account with Safe Mode disabled. In other words, if you do not have a Tumblr account, you cannot access adult contents anymore on the site.
Disabling Safe Mode
Update: Things have changed a bit. You won't find the option to enable NSFW blogs and search results on the Dashboard anymore. Access to adult content is disabled only when you run searches, but not when you click on links to open blogs or posts directly.
Instead, it is available directly on the search results page but only if you are signed in to an account.
There you find a padlock icon on the far right that you can click on to enable or hide adult flagged search results.
Adult content is hidden by default on Tumblr, and there is no option for users without account to reveal it on search results pages.
Content can be accessed directly however by clicking on links from third-party sites for instance.
Update End
To turn off Safe Mode, open the Tumblr Dashboard by following the link directly, or by opening the settings and then Dashboard after signing in manually on the site.
Locate the "Browse tag pages in Safe Mode" and uncheck the option. Click the save button afterwards and you should be able to access NSFW and adult blogs and tag pages again on Tumblr.
While it only mentions NSFW blogs, it enables access to both NSFW and adult blogs.
Appeal
If your blog has been flagged by mistake, you can appeal the decision by sending an email to the service's Trust & Safety team.
You do need to include information, including an explanation why you think that your blog was mistakenly flagged, in the email.
Tumblr may suck, but it sucks the least. No other website offers such a unique style and way to curate not only your own experience but your experience with others.
Yup, safe mode wasn’t the best idea. Actually the whole thing about nsfw content on tumblr isn’t the best idea either, since about the beginning of 2019.
You’re better off with alternatives like blogger.com, thumbnailr.com, reddit.com and such.
Just do a bit of googling on the subject.
I am over 18 and a member on Tumblr but it still will not let me deactivate safe mode and its starting to piss me oof
Tumblr is shit. The only reason I use it is to view porn. Everything else is shit. The art is shit, the online community is shit, & the user interface is shit. It makes it even worse that is an SJW-haven of immature adults. At least it’s not as bad as DeviantArt.
Also, those are outdated screenshots. So they won’t work.
They have since then updated the NSFW & Adult content options. Turns out if any blogs are heavily Adult-content based, those blogs won’t show up in the search results (even if you log in). Now it seems NSFW blogs are headed down the same route. The only way to obtain the Adult & NSFW content is by following the blog containing the adult/NSFW content.
I have Safe Mode off on my blog, but even in the search NSFW results are not appearing. Not sure if this is a bug or not, but it’s really annoying cause I’m a grown-ass man who specifically wants to see the Adult/NSFW content!
“Tumblr is shit. The only reason I use it is to view porn. Everything else is shit. The art is shit, the online community is shit, & the user interface is shit. It makes it even worse that is an SJW-haven of immature adults. At least it’s not as bad as DeviantArt.”
Well said. I also only browse to watch porn, but it seems they have now taken that away from us. Shame.. I’m done with the site.
I hope TUMBLR -“people” will understand that this will lead to LOTS of people leaving to different platforms – and since Pinterest is no option, I foresee a future where we have a new site that operates just as Tumblr did before this IDIOTIC & PURITAN & PRUDISH “decision”.
Tumblr is going down.
I encourage everyone to leave. I’m doing it now. Mass exodus can lead to new things, leaving Tumblr to kids and people who look at pictures of food (….)!
Why doesn’t Tumblr -“geniuses” understand, that this completely removes the basic IDEA of the site, that you can build your own presentation of whatever, and everyone can see it, as an expression of free speech?
I’m moving my whole Tumblr -content now just to a BLOG for a while; look & see, a year from now and there will be a new site, and TUMBLR will go where Myspace went!
(I’m still wondering why they did this…. is this some ‘American’ protectionism of “kids”, basic puritanism, or something all-together straight evil fascism?!?!!)
@Fonbzbioein
Call it liberalism and you won’t be wrong. Liberalism is the arch-enemy of freedom and free speech. Liberals try to resurrect the term fascism because they need an enemy. Please refrain from using the term fascism irrelevantly because this way you are serving the liberals’ agenda to extinguish free speech labelling it fascist, racist, homophobic, etc.
The Safe Block is bugged and Block a lot of Normal picture… so annoyinig when you have no account … just because you bookmark for like 5 years…
The Safe Block is bugged and Block a lot of Normal picture… so annoyinig when you have no account … just because you bookmark for like 5 years…
This restriction is apparently a result of Verizon’s purchase of Tumblr. Because Verizon is a communications company, they must comply with the laws imposed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regarding not only Verizon operations as such, but the same FCC requirements extend to subsidiary companies owned by Verizon.
FCC requirements specify what a communications company, and their wholly-owned subsidiaries (now Tumblr) can allow as “acceptable” communications. Digging into the fine print and footnotes of the FCC Rules and Regulations, communication of explicit adult content is unacceptable. Communications companies violating FCC Requirements can be heavily fined and if the violations are found to be “blatant”, loose their License to Operate.
Guys i found out. When u are on search page there are those options of “TOP,VIDEOS, PHOTOS and all other options just slide to its end and you ll find a lock button thats safe search button so just unlock that and you are good to go
They appear to have removed the lock button
So I have tried the things listed and I’m 18 as of this year but it still won’t let me turn safe mode off! A lot of my favorite artist’s work that I know is safe has been flagged as not and it’s severely making my question even having an account the way things are going. Does anyone have a fix? [AUG.2, 2017]
I have this exact same problem as well, but I read over the safe mode restrictions carefully and it says that you can’t turn off safe mode unless you are 18 based on the birthday you put in, and then rounded up a year… So I think they’re saying in an annoying and complicated way that you actually have to be 19 and not 18. Which is kind of bullshit.
DANG! That’s really, REALLY frustrating!
tumblr appears to be trying for second place to twitter and its censoring sjw’s.
Quote:
This means basically that your only chance of accessing adult blogs on Tumblr, and adult is used widely here as it may include educational blogs for example, is to use a Tumblr account with Safe Mode disabled.
In other words, if you do not have a Tumblr account, you cannot access adult contents anymore on the site.Reply:
I don’t know why that last sentence is struck out. I will now no longer be able to access tumblr without an account.
So any non-members who want to see Adult/NSFW blogs and not sign up are blocked. I guess Tumblr is trying to become members only.
How do I deactivate this filter, is there a application to tun off this arbitrary blocker. Is this another Verizon hassle?
I can’t turn the damn thing off. I have the safe mode off and it refuses to let me be independent. And I’m pretty sure I set my age correctly (over 18)
My age is under 18, but Tumblr has been blocking all sorts of posts that aren’t NSFW as sensitive and I wish they wouldn’t have changed the way they did this.
this doesnt work for me. help! i dont see a lock on the web. ive tried so many things. i want sensitive content on
hi this doesnt work for u cause your age is below 18 on tumblr
I’m not, and it just refuses to cooperate.
mines not, and its not working for me either
Wtf is yahoo??!? I should google it and find out..
The acquisition of Tumblr by Yahoo is a disaster. I wish Yahoo were acquired by M$.
Yeah sure, lets make the mega-corp that is Microsoft even MORE of a monopoly. God, you must be an Xbot shill. Nintendo CRUSHING TF out of your poorboX (btw Micro can’t count of s***).
Calls someone a shill. Acts like a retarded fanboy…
Yeah, good job making an argument there!
This post was made 4 years ago.
Actually, it doesn’t. Tag results will never appear if they’re from an adult blog, regardless of what you choose. Safe Mode only affects tags from NSFW blogs as well as the content on the dashboard itself, so unless you already follow the blog in question you will never see the post (and even if you follow it you will never see it on the tag results).
Never mind, Tumblr changed that a while after I posted it. So what this post just mentioned works now.