FAQ

HuffPost Community Code of Conduct

Welcome to the HuffPost Community: HuffPost promotes a receptive, transparent and civil atmosphere for comments and users. We are dedicated to maintaining a respectful community that actively engages in lively discussions about stories in the news. Please keep the following in mind when writing comments:

Respect Others: Be polite to all the members of our community, including other commenters, authors, and the subjects of articles. Real people read your comments. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to voice their opinion, regardless of identity, politics, ideology, religion or agreement with other community members, the author of the post or staff members, as long as those opinions are respectful and constructively add to the conversation. HuffPost does not tolerate direct or indirect attacks, name-calling or insults, nor does it tolerate intentional attempts to derail, hijack, troll or bait others. We reserve the right to remove such comments whenever warranted. Individuals who consistently or intentionally post these types of comments may lose their ability to comment and, if necessary, may be permanently excluded from the platform.

Safe Space: Above all, we strongly believe that the HuffPost community should be a safe and welcoming space for all individuals, groups and their ideas. Using purposefully insulting or hostile language and making personal threats are not welcome. If you directly or indirectly threaten the physical or mental well-being of a member of this community, or an individual or group, you may be removed immediately. If a credible threat is made against an individual or group, it may also be reported to law enforcement, and we will cooperate with them. Personally identifiable information should never be posted to HuffPost comments sections, for the privacy and protection of all community members. This includes but is not limited to full names, addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses. Any comments that contain such information will be deleted. (Personally identifiable information excludes your displayed name as it appears on HuffPost comments; HuffPost highly discourages anonymous usernames and pseudonyms)

Moderation: In order to provide this space, comments are pre-moderated by our content filters before they are posted to a story’s comments thread. Please note that comments that include links to other websites, or embedded images and videos, are not permitted in our comment threads. This is to protect against the possibility of abuse and malware that can come from unrecognized links or media.

Be yourself, only yourself, and just one of yourself.: Every person's opinion is valuable and unique. Pretending to be someone else removes that value. Don't misrepresent yourself or others, or spread misinformation. If you do, you make the community less enjoyable and valuable. Misrepresentation will be removed whenever it's found.

Questions about commenting & policies

Q: How do I comment on a story?

If comments are available on a story, you will see a quote bubble icon with the social sharing icons. You will need to log in to HuffPost to leave a comment. You can join HuffPost or log in at the top right of the homepage.

Alternatively, if you are on the comments panel and begin typing in a comment, a sign-up button should appear, which will take you to the sign-up page.

Q: How do I comment on an article in the app?

You can submit a comment on any article you are reading in the app by tapping the message-bubble icon on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. This will load our comments section.

Q: Why do I need to create a HuffPost account to comment?

Previously, you could comment by signing in with Facebook or Twitter. We've recently changed this credentialing to require a HuffPost membership account in order to comment. Using membership accounts to sign into the comments platform is one way to help us elevate the quality of conversation.

Q: Why should I comment on a HuffPost article?

HuffPost understands that news is personal. Join the conversation – and a community of readers who care – so we can hear your views. We need your honest feedback so we can continue to cover the stories that matter to you. We are proud to have an active, enthusiastic community of readers, and we would love for you to participate and add your unique perspective to HuffPost comments.

Q: I’m having trouble using the comments tool. What should I do?

A: When you comment on a HuffPost article, your comment is published via the OpenWeb platform. Users with slower connections may have trouble loading comments on a story with a high volume of comments. Please try reloading the page or switching to a faster connection if you are having problems.

Also, not all comments appear immediately on the site. If a comment contains filtered words, links or images that get flagged by moderation tools, you may need to rephrase your comment (removing profanity, links or media) and submit it again.

Your comments may be blocked from appearing on the site if they violate our Community Guidelines, which prohibit posting comments that insult, attack or abuse other users or groups. If you still need help or have further questions, please email us at support@huffpost.com

Q: How can I change my display name?

When you are signed in to your account, toggle to the right drop-down menu in the comments panel and select profile. From here, you can change your display name.

Q: How do I report an abusive comment?

Hover over the arrow button of the selected comment and click “report.”

Q: I’m having a technical issue accessing comments. What should I do?

If you still need help or have further questions, please email us at <support@huffpost.com>.

Q: Why do my posts never appear in HuffPost comments?

If a user has repeatedly posted comments that violate any of these ground rules, their comments may be blocked from appearing on the site. This includes inappropriate comments that contain, insults, attacks, abuse towards other users or groups.

Q: Why am I being asked to consent to a cookie policy? What is this?

HuffPost values your privacy and aims to give you control over how your data is used. We partner with advertisers to show you the most relevant ads based on the data you agree to share with us.

To see more information about the data we collect, visit your HuffPost Privacy Dashboard.

Questions about subscriptions and membership

Q: Do I need to subscribe to read HuffPost?

No. You can browse, read and watch content on HuffPost.com without logging into anything. If you want to comment on an article, you will need to sign in to your membership account, which is free. In addition, some of our virtual events are open only to members of the HuffPost community. You can join here! (Did we mention it’s free?)

Q: Why should I subscribe or create a free HuffPost login?

Free, basic membership is your ticket to the HuffPost community, including participation in comments, invitations to members-only virtual events and text Q&As with HuffPost journalists, access to the HuffPost Insider newsletter and the ability to manage your newsletter subscriptions. You’ll also get the ability to save and sync your bookmarks across devices so you can create a reading list for when you have more time to read, or finish an article on your phone that you started reading on our website.

Q: Why can’t I sign up for HuffPost Plus?

As part of our acquisition by BuzzFeed, we are temporarily pausing our paid membership program while we move to our new home, so we aren’t accepting new paid memberships right now. We hope to relaunch as soon as we can.

You can still sign up for our free basic membership here, and we encourage you to do so if you haven’t already. Members of the HuffPost community can participate in comments, sign up for the HuffPost Insider newsletter and manage their bookmarks, and they get members-only emails (so you’ll be among the first to know when we relaunch paid membership), as well as exclusive invitations to virtual events and text Q&As with HuffPost journalists.

Q: What happened to HuffPost Plus?

HuffPost Plus, a paid membership for readers who want to support HuffPost financially on a monthly or annual basis, has been suspended while HuffPost moves to its new owner, BuzzFeed. Current HuffPost Plus members will receive refunds for any unused portion of their membership, on a prorated basis.

In the meantime, HuffPost is still offering a free membership, your ticket to the HuffPost community. Free members can participate in the comments, get invitations to members-only virtual events and text Q&As, sign up for the HuffPost Insider newsletter, manage their bookmarks and get members-only emails. If you’re not already a member, we’d encourage you to sign up for basic membership here.

Q: I’m a HuffPost Plus member. How will I get my refund?

Your monthly or annual membership will be canceled and you will receive a refund, via your original payment method, for any unused portion on a prorated basis by Dec. 31, 2020.

If you signed up on the web and need to change your payment method – or have any other questions – please reach out to support@huffpost.com.

If you signed up through a mobile app, you can update your billing info through the app store (go here if you have an iOS device or here if you have an Android device.) For any other billing concerns on the app, you’ll need to contact your device’s app store directly.

Q: What happened to my HuffPost Plus benefits?

On our mobile apps, your ad-free experience will continue for a few weeks, but you may eventually see some ads before we’re able to relaunch HuffPost Plus.

If you’re a subscriber to the "Self-Care Is Good Parenting" newsletter, you will no longer have access once your membership is cancelled. We encourage you to sign up for "How Not To Raise A Jerk," a free newsletter about parenting in the 21st century, instead.

Your discount on HuffPost Stuff will also end Dec. 31, 2020, when the store will close. So if you’re an annual member who still needs to claim your free T-shirt or if you want to make any purchases from the store, get your order in no later than Dec. 30. After the store closes, you will still be able to redeem HuffPost Stuff codes, credits or purchases here.

Q: When will I be able to sign up to support HuffPost financially?

We hope to relaunch HuffPost Plus as soon as we can but don't have a date yet. In the meantime, you can still sign up for basic membership – your ticket to the HuffPost community – for free here. Basic members can participate in comments, sign up for the HuffPost Insider newsletter and manage their bookmarks, and they get members-only emails, as well as exclusive invitations to virtual events and text Q&As with HuffPost journalists.

If you’re a free member or were a paid member as of Dec. 10, you’ll get an email with more information once we have it.

Q: I subscribed to the annual offer. How do I claim my exclusive T-shirt?

Claim your T-shirt here before Dec. 30, 2020. You may have seen the recent news that BuzzFeed is acquiring HuffPost. We are temporarily suspending our paid membership program while we move to our new home, which means you will receive a refund on a prorated basis by Dec. 31.

The HuffPost Stuff store is also closing, so all orders must be in by Dec. 30, which is also the deadline to make any purchases from the store. Please visit the support site if you have any questions about HuffPost Stuff.

Q: I subscribed to HuffPost Plus, but I don’t see my benefits when I visit the site. What’s wrong?

You must be logged into your HuffPost account to access your member benefits. However, we need to pause our paid membership program temporarily while we move to our new home at BuzzFeed. This means that your monthly or annual membership will be canceled and you will receive a refund for any unused portion on a prorated basis. You will retain free community benefits, including the ability to participate in comments, manage your newsletters and sync bookmarks — all of which require you to be logged in — and invitations to members-only virtual events and text Q&A's with HuffPost journalists.

Q: Can I use someone else’s HuffPost account?

For basic accounts, we encourage you to create your own to avoid mixing comments, bookmarks and other settings, but there is no restriction on how many devices can be logged in to the same free account.

Q: I created a HuffPost account but I’m not logged in. What’s wrong?

When creating a HuffPost account, you must verify the email address you used to sign up before your account is active. Check your email inbox for a verification code you would have received after entering your details.

If you never got an email, or if your connection was interrupted when the verification step happened, you will need to follow the registration process again. Please ensure you have a consistent WiFi or cellular connection while creating your account or logging in and look for the verification email in your inbox.

Q: I tried to log in to the HuffPost Stuff store, but it didn’t work. What’s wrong?

Your discount on HuffPost Stuff will end Dec. 31, 2020, so if there’s anything you’ve been wanting to get from the store, now’s the time! And if you’re an annual member and haven’t claimed your exclusive T-shirt yet, you must claim it no later than Dec. 30.

Q: I’m logged in but can’t see my bookmarks. What’s wrong?

If you are logged in and see an empty bookmarks page, it could be because you saved those bookmarks on a device that you were not logged in on. Ensure that you are logged in both when saving and viewing bookmarks.

Q: I’m logged in but can’t see all of my newsletters. What’s wrong?

When logged in, we can only show you newsletters associated with the email you used to create your account. Any newsletters you are receiving at other email addresses can be unsubscribed by following the link in the email itself.

If you want to manage all of your newsletter subscriptions in one place, you can unsubscribe from the emails associated with other addresses and sign up again from the Newsletters section when logged into HuffPost. If you have a free HuffPost account, you can view and manage your newsletters here.

Q: Why aren’t comments available on a story I’m reading?

In order to maintain a high-quality commenting environment, we may pre-moderate comments on some stories and turn off comments on others so we can focus moderation on stories where we expect the best and most active conversations to happen. We have also placed a summary of and link to our guidelines at the top of our comments sections to ensure that all commenters are aware of our policies.

Q: What do I do if I can’t see the comments section at all?

Most often, when the comments fail to load, it is because of a slow cellular or WiFi connection. While the page will appear blank, waiting a bit longer can be enough to give the comments time to appear.

If the comments do not load after 20 seconds, it may mean that there is another problem. Please let us know if you are experiencing this issue with a full WiFi connection by sending a note to ios@huffpost.com or android@huffpost.com.

Q: Why aren’t my comments appearing?

On articles where comments are being pre-moderated or a comment has been flagged for review, it may take some time for a moderator to review the comment and for the comment to appear, if accepted. If a comment violates our community guidelines, it may be rejected.

If a user repeatedly posts comments that violate any of these ground rules, their comments may be blocked from appearing on the site. This includes inappropriate comments that contain, insults, attacks, or abuse towards other users or groups.

Q: How do I cancel my subscription or delete my HuffPost account?

You can remove your free HuffPost account from your device by visiting the My Settings section of the app and tapping on the “View Account Info” link at the top of the screen. From there, choose “Manage Accounts” and tap the “Edit” button to remove an account. If you’d like to delete your HuffPost account completely from our systems, please send us a request at support@huffpost.com.

Please note: We are temporarily suspending HuffPost Plus, our paid membership, while we move to BuzzFeed. All paid memberships will be canceled, with refunds issued on a prorated basis, by Dec. 31, 2020.

Questions about content

Q: Where is a section I used to see? (e.g., Opinion, Comedy, Crime, Weird News, Good News)

HuffPost covers a diverse range of topics, and occasionally we revise the sections that we present in the menu. In most cases, even when we remove a section from the list, the content is still available in another section. For example, while we have removed the “Comedy” section from the navigation list, Comedy articles can still be found in the Entertainment section.

You can find links to other sections at the bottom of every content section in the app where you see the “You’re all caught up” message.

Any section can be added to your “My Sections” list by tapping the “add” button at the top of the screen, which will make it easier to find that section on future visits.

Q: I am trying to watch a video but it says that it's not available. What’s wrong?

Some videos we post are from partners, and those partner videos may have restrictions as to who can watch them, most often geographical restrictions related to licensing agreements. We try to show content only to users who can access it, but sometimes you may see an error, depending on your location.

Q: What do the labels "paid for by" and "supported by" mean?

HuffPost believes it's important for readers to understand how our site makes its money and to see into the financial arrangements that enable us to bring our journalism to readers. We accomplish this by clearly labeling the two types of partner content as either "paid for by" or "supported by." There are two different labels because there are important differences between the two.

When you see the label "paid for by," this usually means that Ryot Studio — the global creative studio that specializes in branded content here at Verizon Media — has worked with an advertiser to co-create the content. All of those articles are labeled as "paid for," with Ryot Studio on the byline and more information about the advertiser at the bottom. HuffPost includes this labeling prominently wherever such content is featured, on our own site and on social media.

HuffPost also works with philanthropic and commercial partners to enable and enrich editorially independent projects that expand our coverage of topics aligned with our editorial mission. “Supported by” labeling indicates that a partner has given us money to execute an editorial project. Partners also often have ads that run alongside these “supported” articles, but partners do not review nor do they have direct input into “supported by” articles or the series beyond an agreement on the broader themes. Each article produced for a supported series includes labeling and a disclosure that explains the relationship.

Getting Help

Q: What do I do if I want to provide feedback/ideas?

If you want to provide feedback or ideas, please visit our user portal here

Q: What do I do if my question is not addressed in this FAQ?

If you are having a problem that is not answered here, please send your inquiry or chat with a support representative at help.huffpost.com

Questions about our App

CONTENTS: How to use the app | Questions about subscriptions & membership | Questions about app content | Getting help

How to use the HuffPost app

Q: Why should I use the HuffPost app instead of the website?

The HuffPost app offers the same great HuffPost website content plus several features that are not present on the website. With the iOS and Android app you can: read articles offline, sign up for push notifications to get updates on important news and feature stories, and personalize your "sections" list to find what you are interested in more quickly.

We hope you will try the app and let us know what you think by sending us a note at ios@huffpost.com or android@huffpost.com

Q: Can I download content to read offline?

Yes, the HuffPost app supports offline reading. To enable offline reading, visit the "My Settings" section and scroll down to “Offline Reading” to customize your offline reading preferences.

Q: Is the app available in other countries and languages?

The HuffPost app has 15 regional editions with content specific to those areas, representing eight languages in addition to English. In the "My Settings" section, you can change your edition to read HuffPost content in French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.

Q: Can I save articles to read later?

Yes! Tap the ribbon icon on any article (located on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen or below the headline on section fronts) to add it to your "Bookmarks" section. If you are logged in, the list will be synced with your user account and available on the website as well.

Your bookmarks will be preserved when you upgrade to a new version of the app and will only be removed if you delete them manually, or if you delete the app.

Q: Can I read my bookmarked articles in other places?

Yes, by creating a HuffPost account, your bookmarks list will be synced anywhere you are logged in. Any bookmarks you add in the app will be visible on the web, and any bookmarks you add on the website will be visible on the apps.

Q: How do I increase the size of the text in the app?

The default font size in the HuffPost app is linked to your device’s settings. To change the size of the text in the HuffPost app, go to the "My Settings" page from the tab bar and choose a larger size.

Q: How do I limit the amount of space the HuffPost app uses on my device?

Some content downloaded in the HuffPost app, like your bookmarks, will increase the amount of space our app takes up on your device. To minimize this, you have two options: Clear the contents of your recently viewed list by going to the "Settings" page in the HuffPost app and tapping the “Clear Recently Viewed” option to reset that section. Remove some of your bookmarks by going to your "Bookmarks" page within the app. You can un-bookmark an item by tapping the ribbon icon, or by swiping left on the article in the list to show the “Delete” button.

Q: Can I control what notifications I get from the HuffPost app?

The HuffPost app currently offers Breaking News as well as category-specific notifications for you to stay on top of the things that matter to you. You can sign up or change the categories you receive by visiting the app’s “Alerts” tab and tapping the icon in the top-right corner of the screen. If you have blocked notifications on the system level, you can enable them by visiting your iOS or Android Settings app, scrolling down to the notifications section and switching notifications on for HuffPost.

Q: Does the HuffPost app have a widget for the iOS Today screen?

Yes! Our Today screen widget (which appears when you swipe right on your iPhone or iPad home screen) allows you to see the top story from each of the first four sections in your “My Sections” list.

Q: Does the HuffPost app have an Android homescreen widget?

Yes, you can install HuffPost’s homescreen widget, which will show you a selection of trending stories without having to launch the app, by long-pressing an empty space on one of your home screens and selecting “widgets”.

Questions about subscriptions and membership

Q: Do I need to subscribe to read HuffPost?

No. You can browse and read/watch content in the HuffPost apps, and shop in the HuffPost Stuff store without logging into anything.

Q: Why should I create a free HuffPost login?

By joining as a free member on the apps or our website, you will be able to save and sync your bookmarks anywhere you are logged in. That will allow you to create a reading list for when you have more time to read, or to finish an article on your phone that you started reading on our website. When logged in, you will also be able to manage your newsletter subscriptions. Learn more on the My Settings page in the app, or on the web at https://www.HuffPost.com/subscribe.

Q: I subscribed to the annual offer. How do I claim my exclusive T-shirt?

Your discount on HuffPost Stuff will end Dec. 31, 2020, so if there’s anything you’ve been wanting to get from the store, you must act before the deadline! And if you’re an annual member and haven’t claimed your exclusive T-shirt yet, we encourage you to claim it before the deadline.

Q: I subscribed to HuffPost Plus, but I don’t see my benefits when I visit the app. What’s wrong?

You may also have seen the recent news that BuzzFeed is acquiring HuffPost. Unfortunately, we need to pause our paid membership program temporarily while we transition to our new ownership. This means that your monthly or annual membership will be canceled and you will receive a refund for any unused portion on a prorated basis. You are still very much a valued part of the HuffPost community and will retain free HuffPost community benefits. As a free member, your login will still work, and you’ll be able to leave comments, manage bookmarks and newsletters, access the HuffPost Insider email, get member emails and invitations to virtual events.

Meanwhile, we will continue to work hard to create the people-first journalism that you have been supporting. And you can continue to support HuffPost by reading and staying informed; participating in our comments, forums, polls and events; and, of course, by telling others about HuffPost. We will continue to accept new free HuffPost members during this transition and will let you know when HuffPost Plus is back.

Q: Why do you say “ad-free” if I might still see ads?

As HuffPost transitions to its new owner, there may be a period during which the "ad-free" feature is disabled. HuffPost hopes to restore this feature at the same time that we relaunch HuffPost Plus.

Q: Can I use someone else’s HuffPost account?

For free accounts, we encourage people to create their own to avoid mixing bookmarks and other settings, but there is no restriction on how many devices can be logged in to the same free account.

Q: How do I change the email address associated with my HuffPost account?

To change the email on your account, open the My Settings section of the app and tap on the “View Account Info” link at the top of the screen. From there, choose “Edit Profile.”

Q: I created a HuffPost account but I’m not logged in. What’s wrong?

Q: I tried to log in to the HuffPost Stuff store, but it didn’t work. What’s wrong?

Your discount on HuffPost Stuff will end Dec. 31, 2020, so if there’s anything you’ve been wanting to get from the store, now’s the time! And if you’re an annual member and haven’t claimed your exclusive T-shirt yet, you have just a few days left to get it, so we encourage you to claim it before the deadline.

The HuffPost Stuff store is also closing, so all orders must be in by Dec. 30, which is also the deadline to make any purchases from the store. Please visit the support site if you have any questions about HuffPost Stuff.

Q: I’m logged in but can’t see my bookmarks. What’s wrong?

Q: I’m logged in but can’t see all of my newsletters. What’s wrong?

Q: How do I delete my HuffPost account?

You can remove your HuffPost account from your device by visiting the My Settings section of the app and tapping on the “View Account Info” link at the top of the screen. From there, choose “Manage Accounts” and tap the “Edit” button to remove an account.

If you’d like to delete your HuffPost account completely from our systems, please send us a request at support@huffpost.com.

Questions about app content

Q: How often is content refreshed on the app?

Content is constantly refreshed throughout the HuffPost app 24 hours a day and seven days a week, both the content of articles and the mix of articles on section pages. Some sections are updated more frequently than others, but our main News section will always give you the most up-to-date content that our editors think you should know about.

To ensure your app is always fresh, make sure your device allows Cellular Data usage for HuffPost (in your device’s Settings app), and make sure you are always using the latest version available in the App Store or Play Store.

Q: Can I personalize what content I see in the app?

Yes, you can. In the “Sections” tab, you can add preferred topics to your My Sections list, which will set the order of sections available when you swipe right or left in the “News” tab on the bottom tab bar in the app. The first four sections in your list also determine what stories appear in the iOS Today widget when you swipe left from your phone’s home screen.

Getting help

Q: My app is crashing. How do I fix it?

If your app is crashing, the first thing to do is to make sure you are on the latest version installed. To do that, visit the HuffPost app in the App Store or Google Play Store and tap the “Update” button if you see one.

If you are already on the latest version and are still experiencing crashes, it may mean there is a problem with a piece of content that has already been downloaded into the app’s memory. Try deleting the app (tap and hold the icon until it starts wiggling, and then tap the “X”) and reinstalling it from the App Store. Note that this will delete your bookmarks and favorite sections.

If you would prefer not to reinstall, please let us know to the best of your recollection what you were doing last before the crashing started by sending a note to ios@huffpost.com or android@huffpost.com, and we will try to resolve the issue without losing your bookmarks and favorite sections.

Q: How do I let HuffPost editors know that there is a mistake in an article?

If you see an error in an article on the HuffPost app, please go to the "My Settings" section of the app and tap the “Contact our editors” button.

Q: Why does the HuffPost app have so many ads?

HuffPost partners with advertisers and sponsors to help fund our journalism. We work with them to ensure a positive ad experience for our readers, and we are constantly reevaluating the mix and placement of these ads with that goal in mind.

Q: What do I do if my question is not addressed in this FAQ?

If you are having a problem that is not answered here, please submit an issue in our help center help.huffpost.com

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