You’re trying to blast that new Metro Boomin track or maybe a classic Kendrick album, but everything sounds... wrong. The beat is there, the flow is smooth, but suddenly the lyrics cut out. Or worse, you get that jarring "beep" or a weirdly silenced gap where a spicy word should be. It’s annoying. Honestly, it ruins the vibe. Most people think their phone is glitching, but usually, it’s just a toggle buried deep in a menu you haven't looked at in three years. Learning how to turn on explicit content on Apple Music isn't actually done inside the music app itself most of the time, which is exactly why everyone gets so frustrated.
Apple loves its "Screen Time" settings. It’s their way of keeping things "family-friendly," but for an adult who just wants to hear the unedited version of a song, it feels like a digital padlock. If you’ve ever noticed the little "E" icon missing next to song titles, you’re looking at a filtered library.
Why Your Apple Music is Censoring You
It’s almost never a bug. Apple doesn't just "accidentally" censor your music unless there’s a restriction set at the system level. Think of it as a master switch. When you first set up an iPhone or a Mac, sometimes these settings are enabled by default if the age on the Apple ID is under a certain threshold, or if you’ve inherited settings from an old "Family Sharing" plan.
Sometimes, it’s a regional thing. According to Apple’s official documentation and various user reports on forums like MacRumors, certain countries have stricter default settings for media content. But for the vast majority of users in the US, UK, or Europe, it’s a simple matter of toggling a permission.
The Screen Time Trap
Most people head straight to the Apple Music app settings. You look under "Music," you see things like "EQ" and "Dolby Atmos," but you won’t find the explicit toggle there. Why? Because Apple views explicit content as a "Content & Privacy" restriction. It’s bundled in with the same stuff that prevents kids from buying $500 worth of Roblox currency.
To fix this on an iPhone or iPad, you have to venture into the Settings app. Not the Music settings. The main Settings.
Scroll down to Screen Time. If it’s off, and you’re still getting clean versions, the issue might be the specific version of the song you’ve saved (more on that later). But if Screen Time is on, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If this is toggled on, tap Content Restrictions, then Music, Podcasts, News, & Fitness.
Here is the moment of truth. You’ll likely see "Clean" selected. Tap Explicit.
You might get a pop-up asking if you’re sure. Yes, you’re sure. You’re an adult. Or at least, you’re someone who doesn't want their music sounding like a radio edit from 1998.
📖 Related: Is There an Apple Store for Android? What You Can Actually Get Right Now
How to Turn on Explicit Content on Apple Music via Mac or PC
Maybe you aren't on your phone. Maybe you're at your desk, trying to get through a workday, and the desktop app is giving you the "Clean" treatment. The process on a Mac is slightly different because of how macOS handles System Settings versus the Music app itself.
- Open the Music app on your Mac.
- In the menu bar at the very top of your screen, click Music, then Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
- Click the Restrictions tab.
- You'll see a checkbox for Music with explicit content. If it’s checked, it means you’re restricting it. Uncheck that box.
- You might need to enter your Mac’s administrator password to confirm this change.
On a Windows PC using the Apple Music app or the now-dying iTunes, the logic remains the same. You head to the app settings, find the Restrictions tab, and ensure that "Explicit Content" is allowed. If you're using the web player at music.apple.com, the settings usually sync from your Apple ID, but you can sometimes find content settings by clicking your profile icon in the top right corner.
What if the Toggle is Grayed Out?
This is where things get tricky. If you go into Screen Time and the "Content & Privacy Restrictions" section is grayed out or requires a passcode you don't know, you’re likely part of a Family Sharing group.
In this scenario, the "Organizer" of the family group (usually a parent or whoever pays the bill) has the final say. If they’ve set a restriction on your account, you can't just toggle it off. You’d have to ask them to change it from their device. It’s a bit of a "digital leash," but that’s how Apple’s ecosystem is built.
The "Clean Version" Library Headache
Sometimes you do everything right. You flip the switches. You enter the passwords. You restart the app. But that one Drake album is still clean.
Why?
Because you might have the "Clean" version of the album saved to your library. Apple Music treats the "Clean" and "Explicit" versions of an album as two completely different entities. If you added the censored version to your library back when your settings were restricted, turning on explicit content won't magically swap the files.
You have to go into your library, delete the clean version, and then search for the album again. Look for that tiny, glorious red "E" icon. If you see two versions of an album, always check for that icon before hitting "Add."
A Note on Different Devices and Syncing
Apple’s iCloud library is supposed to sync your preferences everywhere. In a perfect world, you change it on your iPhone, and your HomePod, Apple Watch, and Mac all follow suit.
But we don't live in a perfect world.
If your HomePod is still playing the "clean" version of a song after you've updated your phone, you might need to check the Home app.
- Open the Home app.
- Tap the three dots in the corner and go to Home Settings.
- Tap your user profile.
- Look for Allow Explicit Content.
It’s a redundant step, sure, but HomePods can be stubborn. They often rely on the specific user profile recognized by Siri's voice. If Siri doesn't think it's you talking, or if the "Primary User" of the HomePod has restrictions, the music stays PG-rated.
Why is This So Complicated?
Apple faces a lot of pressure from various global markets and parental advocacy groups to make their devices "safe" by default. By burying the explicit content toggle inside Screen Time, they create a barrier that prevents a child from accidentally stumbling into a lyric-heavy rap song or a vulgar comedy set.
But for the rest of us, it’s just another hoop to jump through. Interestingly, Spotify and Tidal handle this much more simply—usually with a toggle right inside the main playback settings. Apple's insistence on system-wide "Safety" is a hallmark of their philosophy, for better or worse.
Dealing with Regional Restrictions
It’s worth noting that in some countries—think parts of the Middle East or certain East Asian territories—Apple Music might not offer explicit versions of certain tracks at all. This isn't a setting you can fix. It’s a licensing agreement between Apple and the local government or music labels.
If you’re using a VPN, sometimes Apple Music gets confused about your location. If you’ve traveled abroad and noticed your music suddenly became "clean," check if your IP address is throwing off the app's regional filters.
Summary of Actionable Steps
If you are still staring at a censored playlist, follow this exact sequence to force the system to update:
- Check Screen Time: Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy > Content Restrictions. Set "Music, Podcasts, News, & Fitness" to Explicit.
- The "Library Swap": Delete any "Clean" albums from your library and re-add the versions marked with the E icon.
- Update Your Home App: If your smart speakers are the problem, toggle the explicit setting within your User Profile in the Home app.
- Restart the App: Force-close Apple Music after making these changes to ensure the cache clears.
- Sign Out/In: As a last resort, sign out of your Media & Purchases in your Apple ID settings and sign back in. This usually forces a refresh of all your account permissions and licenses.
The "Explicit" tag is there to give you the choice. Once you've unlocked it, your library should stay that way unless you perform a factory reset or change your Family Sharing status. Enjoy the music the way the artist actually intended it to be heard—unfiltered and raw.
To ensure these changes take full effect across all your devices, check your Mac's "Screen Time" settings under System Settings if the iPhone toggle doesn't seem to sync immediately. Sometimes a manual refresh on the desktop is the final nudge the iCloud server needs to recognize your new status as an unrestricted listener.