Blocked words: keep unwanted messages out of your DropAsecret inbox

Most anonymous messages are fun. But there are topics you'd rather not hear about, and sometimes someone keeps pushing the same thing. On DropAsecret, you decide what reaches your inbox, with a list of blocked words.

How blocked words work

Open Settings, then Safety, and find Blocked words. Type one word or phrase per line. You can add up to 100, each up to 40 characters.

When a message contains any of them, it skips your inbox and lands in Filtered, a folder next to your inbox. Nothing is deleted and nothing is kept from you: open Filtered whenever you like, read what's there, and tap Move to inbox on anything you want back. Search looks through both.

Filtered messages don't send you a notification, so they won't light up your phone. Later messages in a conversation are checked too.

Blocked words come with Plus. If your plan ends, your list is kept, and it works again when you renew.

What counts as a match

Matching is by whole words and phrases, so you don't have to list every way someone might type them:

• Capitals don't matter. "ugly" catches "You are UGLY!!"
• Punctuation between words doesn't matter. "not nice" catches "so... not, nice"
• Apostrophes are ignored. "ill leave" catches "I'll leave"
• A word only matches on its own. Blocking "ex" won't catch "next"

Blocked words work on text. If you'd rather not get voice notes at all, you can turn them off in Settings.

What senders see

DropAsecret tells people before they send, so most change their message instead:

• While they type, a note appears: "Heads up! @yourname has blocked “word”. It'll land in their filtered messages." They can edit it or carry on.
• If they press Send anyway, they're asked "Are you sure?", with a count: "Warning 1 of 3, then a 6-hour pause."

Senders only ever see the words they typed. Your full list stays private.

Three tries, then a 6-hour pause

Each message someone sends with your blocked words anyway counts as a try. Before the third, they get a "Last warning!" After it, they can't message you for 6 hours, and they're told: "You sent words they blocked too many times, so you can't message them for 6 hours."

The pause only stops them messaging you. It doesn't touch anything else they do on DropAsecret.

More ways to stay in control

These are free on every plan:

• Block a sender. In a conversation, open the menu and tap Block sender. It closes the conversation and stops their new messages reaching you, and you never learn who they are. Your blocks are listed in Settings, under Safety.
• Turn on the spam check. In Settings, under Safety, tap Check everyone, and every sender passes a quick check that they're a person before their message sends. By default, senders are only checked when something looks automated.
• Pause your link. Tap Pause link in your inbox, and nobody can send you new messages through your link until you resume it. Conversations you already have carry on until you close them.
• Report a conversation. Choose a reason, like harassment or a threat of harm, and our team sees a copy of the recent messages, but never who sent them.

Someone determined could come back as a new sender, for example from another browser. That's where blocked words and the spam check help: they work on whoever is sending. There's more on how DropAsecret keeps you anonymous and in control.

Try it

On Plus, open Settings, then Safety, and add your first few words. Don't have a link yet? Here's how to get one.