HBO Max Profanity Filter
It seems every company is getting on the streaming explosion that has changed the way we enjoy movies, television, music, and even careers. It’s no wonder then that Apple has joined in with their platform Apple TV Plus (Apple TV+), but how do parents filter out profanity and inappropriate language or content while still enjoying the titles on Apple?
It’s a fair question that isn’t always easily answered, every platform has its own settings to explore and limits to their content moderation capabilities. Discover how Apple members can enjoy movies without exposing their families to profanity.
How Do You Censor Language in HBO Max?
Directly censoring cursing and inappropriate scenes isn’t possible on Max, but like other platforms, they offer Kids’ Profiles with some interesting features to give parents more control over what can be watched within HBO. Let’s go over the two parental controls that will help prevent inappropriate content from appearing.
It is important to remember that the way shows and movies are rated may be different than what a parent feels is appropriate for their family. Just because it is set for all ages or TV-PG doesn’t mean inappropriate words or themes are absent.
Setting up Kids' Profiles
To set up a Kids Profile on HBO Max, follow these easy steps:
- Choose a profile and select “+ New Profile”
- Choose or skip the avatar selection
- Enter the child’s name
- Turn on “Kids Mode”
By default, all titles are set to TV-PG or PG and lower, but you can adjust it by editing the HBO Max settings within the Kids’ Profile. This is a great way to ensure family-friendly viewing as different content ratings groups are based on the Motion Picture Association of America and TV Parental Guidelines:
- Select Edit Profiles
- Select the Kids’ profile
- Select the shows and movie ratings that are preferred
Setting up Parental Controls
To help ensure kids and teenagers can’t override the Kids’ Profile or rating settings, HBO provides PIN enabling:
- Go to max.com and choose the account holder’s profile
- Select “Edit Profiles”
- Choose “Profile PIN”
- Enter the account password and select “Next”
- Enter a 4-digit PIN and select “Save”
- Choose “Done”
Alternative HBO Profanity Filters Available
As you can see, while removing and limiting titles is possible on Max, it isn’t truly filtering profanity. Luckily, there are a few movie filters out there that can help remove foul language and ensure what is streaming is appropriate:
VidAngel
This filtering service can connect with several platforms, including Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime. Their answer to filter profanity is essentially skipping over scenes that fall within the parameters parents set. Within their filters, there are subsections for each setting. For example, within the “sex/nudity/immodesty” setting, there are subsections like nudity w/sex or w/o sex, sexually suggestive, and others.
While VidAngel has impressive filtering options and custom settings, as well as a large selection of titles available on their platform, they don’t work with every streaming serv