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Mute swearing in Stremio: step-by-step

Stremio itself has no profanity filter built in — there's no setting anywhere in the app for it. Family Filter TV adds that as a separate app that plays alongside Stremio. Here's the short version of getting it running on Android TV.

Why Stremio needs a separate app for this

Stremio is a media player and add-on catalogue; it finds and plays whatever add-ons someone has installed, and nothing about filtering language is part of that. Family Filter TV plugs in as an external player — you keep browsing and choosing titles in Stremio exactly as before, and Family Filter TV takes over for playback, muting profanity while the picture keeps going. It's an independent app, not a Stremio feature or plugin.

Step by step

  1. Install Stremio and Family Filter TV

    Both go on the same Android TV or TV box. Install Family Filter TV on a parent's phone too — that's where the filter gets set.

  2. Link the TV from the phone

    Open Family Filter TV on the TV once; it shows a short code. On the phone, tap Account, then Link a device, and type that code in.

  3. Choose a filter strength

    Off, mild, family or strict, set once from the phone. Every linked television picks it up automatically.

  4. Set Family Filter TV as the Stremio player

    In Stremio on the TV, start any title, open the Player menu on the control bar, choose External, pick Family Filter TV, and tap Always so Stremio remembers the choice from then on.

  5. Make sure subtitles are on

    Filtering only works when a subtitle track exists for the title. Turn on Stremio's OpenSubtitles add-on and pick a release with English subtitles before you start watching.

  6. Watch

    Start the title from Stremio as normal. Family Filter TV opens automatically, mutes matching lines as they come up, and the sound returns right after each one.

That's the Stremio-specific version. The full setup walkthrough covers the same ground in more detail, including account creation, the free trial, and what the invite programme does.

What to expect once it's running

If nothing seems to be getting muted

Two things cause this almost every time. First, check that Stremio's Player menu is still set to External → Family Filter TV — Android occasionally resets an app's default handler after an update, which sends playback back to Stremio's own built-in player instead. Second, check for subtitles: if the release you picked in Stremio doesn't have an English subtitle track, there's nothing for Family Filter TV to read, and it will say so on screen rather than filtering silently and getting it wrong. Switching to a different release or add-on source, with subtitles available, usually solves it.

If the filter strength feels off — too much getting through, or too much being muted — it's adjusted from the phone, not the TV, under the same filter setting used when the TV was first linked. Off, mild, family and strict are the four levels, and changing it updates every linked television at once.

Questions

Does Stremio have a profanity filter?

No. There is no setting for it anywhere in Stremio. Family Filter TV adds it as a separate app that plays alongside Stremio as the external player, muting profanity while the picture keeps playing.

How do I mute swearing in Stremio on Android TV?

Install Stremio and Family Filter TV on the same Android TV or TV box, link the TV from the Family Filter TV phone app with the short code, choose a filter strength, and set Family Filter TV as the external player in Stremio's Player menu. Make sure the title has English subtitles.

Why is nothing being muted?

Check that Stremio's Player menu is still set to External, Family Filter TV, because Android can reset an app's default after an update. Also check that the release you picked has an English subtitle track. Without subtitles there is nothing to read, and Family Filter TV says so on screen.

Does it filter violence or nudity?

No. It filters spoken profanity only. Violence and nudity are not currently filtered.

Stremio, and what else it follows

This page is about playback started in Stremio. Family Filter TV can also follow along while you watch Netflix and other apps on your Android TV or Google TV; that is a separate mode with its own quick start. It does not filter DStv, and Family Filter TV is not affiliated with Stremio, Netflix, Google, or any streaming service.

Download Family Filter TV Full setup walkthrough See the current offer

How the filtering actually works, and what it can't do.

Wondering about a specific film? Browse our parents guides to swearing in films, counted from our own subtitle analysis.

Family Filter TV is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Stremio, Google, or any streaming service.