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Here's how to use Twitter's updated mute feature to prevent spoilers for your favorite shows

Twitter has expanded its existing mute feature.

A new Twitter feature allows users to mute words, phrases and hashtags from view on timelines and in notifications, and it could mean a way out of having your favorite shows spoiled.

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USA Today reported that the social-media company announced the tool as a way to prevent abuse, but the ability to avoid show spoilers appears to come as an additional benefit. That initial feature only applied to user's notifications, so a user could see offensive content -- or spoilers of a show or movie -- on their timeline and across Twitter.

The new mute allows users to stop certain words, phrases, emojis, usernames and hashtags from appearing in their Twitter feeds and can be adjusted for specific time periods: 24 hours, seven days, 30 days or forever.

The only catch is that those muted items will still appear in a Twitter search.

Here’s how to mute hashtags on the Twitter app for iPhone’s iOS and Android:

  1. Go to the notifications tab and tap the gear icon.
  2. Tap muted words.
  3. On iOS, tap "add." For Android, tap the "plus" icon.
  4. One at a time, add the word, phrase, emoji or hashtag you would like to mute.
  5. Choose to enable the mute feature in notifications, your timeline or both.
  6. Select whether the muted items pertain to anyone on Twitter to only people you don't follow.
  7. Choose how long you want the items to be muted and tap save.

More information on how to edit or unmute items and how to enable the feature on Twitter's mobile site and desktop is at Twitter's support website.