How to Add Content to the Adults Only Tab on Streaming Platforms
If you've noticed an Adults Only tab on a streaming platform and wondered how content ends up there — or how to make sure your own content or viewing preferences are properly categorized — you're not alone. This tab exists across several platforms and works differently depending on whether you're a content creator, a platform administrator, or a viewer managing parental settings.
Here's a clear breakdown of how it all works.
What the Adults Only Tab Actually Is
The Adults Only tab is a content classification section used by streaming and digital distribution platforms to segment mature content — typically rated 18+, Mature (M), or Adults Only (AO) — away from general or family-friendly libraries.
You'll find this type of tab on platforms like:
- Steam (for AO-rated games and content)
- Twitch (for mature-flagged streams)
- Plex (with parental controls enabled)
- IPTV and adult streaming platforms with age-gated libraries
- Certain smart TV app ecosystems
The purpose is twofold: it protects younger users from stumbling onto explicit content, and it gives adult users a dedicated space to find content without it being scattered across the main library.
How Content Gets Added to the Adults Only Tab
This depends heavily on who is doing the adding and which platform is involved. There are three main scenarios. 🔞
Scenario 1: You're a Content Creator or Developer
On platforms like Steam, content is classified as Adults Only at the point of submission. The developer or creator selects the appropriate content rating during the upload or publishing process. Steam's content rating system follows the ESRB AO (Adults Only) standard for games, or equivalent regional ratings for other content.
To have content appear in the Adults Only section:
- The creator must self-classify the content correctly during submission
- The platform reviews and either confirms or overrides the classification
- Once approved, the platform automatically places it in the restricted tab
Creators cannot manually "move" content into the tab post-approval without going through a reclassification process.
Scenario 2: You're a Platform or Library Administrator
If you're running a Plex media server, a Jellyfin instance, or a similar self-hosted setup, the Adults Only tab is typically generated based on content metadata and ratings pulled from external databases (like The Movie Database or IMDb).
To ensure content appears correctly in an adults-only or restricted section:
- Make sure your media files are properly named so the server can match them to the correct metadata
- Confirm the content rating field in the metadata is populated (e.g., "TV-MA," "NC-17," "Unrated")
- Enable parental control libraries or separate library sections within the server settings
- In Plex specifically, you can create a separate library pinned to a managed user profile with appropriate content restrictions
The platform will then surface that content only to users or profiles with permission to view it.
Scenario 3: You're a Viewer Trying to Access or Organize It
Some platforms let users influence how content is surfaced in their interface through account-level settings. On Steam, for example, adult content is hidden by default. To see it in your library or store:
- Go to Account Preferences in your Steam settings
- Navigate to Store Preferences or Community Content Preferences
- Enable the relevant mature content toggles (nudity, sexual content, violence)
Once enabled, applicable content appears in your library or store results — often under a filtered or labeled tab.
On Twitch, streamers must enable the Mature Content flag on their channel. Viewers who have confirmed their age will then see that content without the interstitial warning screen.
Key Variables That Affect How This Works 🎛️
Not every setup behaves the same way. Several factors shape the experience:
| Variable | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Platform type | Creator-facing vs. viewer-facing platforms handle classification differently |
| Account verification | Age verification requirements vary by region and platform |
| Region/country | Some content classifications are jurisdiction-specific |
| Device or OS | Mobile app stores (iOS, Android) may restrict AO content regardless of account settings |
| Profile type | Managed child profiles typically cannot access adult tabs even with account-level permissions |
| Self-hosted vs. managed | Self-hosted platforms give admins full control; managed platforms apply their own rules |
One particularly important variable is mobile vs. desktop access. Apple's App Store and Google Play both restrict apps from displaying explicitly rated content, which means even if a platform allows AO content on desktop, the mobile version may not show it at all — regardless of your account settings.
The Spectrum of User Situations
A developer submitting a game to Steam has a completely different process than a Plex admin organizing a home media library, which is again different from a viewer enabling mature content on Twitch.
Even within a single platform, users in different regions may encounter different content availability due to local regulations. A user in Germany may face stricter content gates than a user in the United States on the same platform.
Technical skill level also matters more than it might seem. Self-hosted solutions like Jellyfin or Plex give experienced users granular control over content libraries, but they require setup effort. Managed platforms are simpler but less flexible.
What the Adults Only tab shows you — and how you get content into or out of it — ultimately comes down to the specific combination of platform, account type, region, device, and whether you're approaching this as a creator, an administrator, or a viewer.