Quick answer: Press Enter in any League of Legends chat and type /chatfilter. The filter toggles off and a system message confirms the change. Run the same command to turn it back on.
The fastest way: /chatfilter
The cleanest toggle is the in-game chat command. It works in champ select, in-game chat, post-game lobby, and friend whispers — anywhere you can type a message:
- Press Enter to open the chat box.
- Type
/chatfilter(or the alias/togglechatfilter) and press Enter again.
You'll see a system message confirming whether the filter is now on or off. The command is documented in Riot's official chat commands reference and works in every queue.
Turn it off in the LoL client settings
If you'd rather flip a checkbox once and forget it, the same toggle lives in the pre-game client:
- Open the League of Legends client and log in.
- Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open Settings.
- Select the Chat and Friends tab in the left sidebar.
- Uncheck Enable Language Filter.
- Click Done.
The toggle covers every chat surface in the client: friend whispers, lobby chat, post-game lobbies, and Clash team chat. Note that the language filter lives in the LoL client, not the in-game ESC menu — the in-game Interface tab is for HUD elements and won't have it.
If the language filter is still on after disabling it
If you turn the filter off in Settings but still see asterisks in your next match, the in-game state and the client setting drifted out of sync. Fix it with the command: type /chatfilter once at the start of the match. That writes the in-game state directly and overrides whatever the client thought was set.
Language filter vs chat moderation
The language filter is a display setting. Turning it off lets explicit words appear in your chat instead of being replaced with asterisks. It does not change what messages you're allowed to send.
Riot's chat moderation system is separate. Messages containing zero-tolerance language are intercepted server-side before they reach other players, regardless of any filter setting. Toggling the filter has no effect on your account standing, but verbal abuse can still trigger penalties from the behavior system.
Should you turn it off?
Reasons to leave it on:
- You play with younger family members nearby.
- Reading slurs or harassment in plain text affects your tilt or focus.
- You'd rather not see the louder side of solo queue chat.
Reasons to turn it off:
- You report toxic players and want the exact wording for the report.
- The filter is over-censoring common words that aren't actually offensive.
- You only queue with friends and don't need the protection.
FAQ
Will turning off the language filter get me banned?
No. The filter only changes what you see. Riot's behavior systems track what you send, not your display settings.
Does this also disable the filter for my teammates?
No. Each player controls their own filter. Turning yours off has no effect on what teammates or enemies see in their chat.
How do I turn the filter back on?
Run /chatfilter again, or re-check Enable Language Filter in client Settings > Chat and Friends.
