The Adults Only tab is a custom category you build yourself in Kodi
Kodi does not come with a built-in Adults Only tab — you create one by adding a custom menu item that points to a folder or content source you designate. This folder then appears as a separate tab in your Kodi home screen, separate from your other media categories. The process involves editing Kodi's menu configuration file to add the new tab, then pointing it to the folder where you store that content.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using Kodi on Windows, Mac, Linux, or a streaming device, but the core method is the same: you modify a text file called guisettings.xml or use Kodi's built-in customization tools, then restart Kodi to see the new tab appear.
Key Takeaways
- You create an Adults Only tab by editing Kodi's configuration files or using the home screen customization menu, depending on your Kodi version.
- The tab points to a folder on your device or network where you store the content you want to keep separate from other media.
- After making changes, you must restart Kodi completely for the new tab to appear on the home screen.
- You can rename, reorder, or remove custom tabs at any time through the same customization method.
Creating a custom tab using Kodi's home screen editor
The easiest method works on most recent Kodi versions (19 and later). From the Kodi home screen, navigate to the home icon in the top left corner and select Customize Home. This opens a menu showing all the tabs currently on your home screen. Look for an option to add a new tab or item — the exact wording varies by Kodi skin, but it usually says "Add Item" or "Add Tab".
When you select the option to add a new item, Kodi will ask you what type of content you want to add. Choose Folder or Custom Folder, then browse to the location where you store the content for your Adults Only section. This can be a folder on your local hard drive, an external drive, or a network location. Once you select the folder, give the tab a name — "Adults Only" or whatever label you prefer — and confirm. Kodi will add the tab to your home screen immediately, though you may need to restart Kodi for it to display correctly.
Editing the configuration file directly on Windows or Mac
If the home screen customization method does not work on your version of Kodi, or if you want more control over the tab's appearance and behavior, you can edit the configuration file directly. First, you need to find the guisettings.xml file, which Kodi stores in its user data folder. On Windows, this is usually located at C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\. On Mac, it is in ~/Library/Application Support/Kodi/userdata/. On Linux, it is typically in ~/.kodi/userdata/.
Before you make any changes, create a backup copy of the guisettings.xml file by copying it to the same folder and renaming it guisettings.xml.backup. Then open the original file in a plain text editor — Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac (set to plain text mode), or any text editor on Linux. Do not use Word or any word processor, as these add formatting that will break the file.
Adding the tab entry to your configuration file
Inside the guisettings.xml file, search for a section that contains existing home screen tabs. Look for lines that mention "home" or "customhome" — these define what appears on your home screen. You will see entries that look like this: <setting id="home.customhome.X">, where X is a number. Each number represents one tab on your home screen.
Find the highest number currently in use, then add a new entry with the next number. For example, if the last tab is numbered 8, create a new entry numbered 9. The entry should point to the folder where your Adults Only content is stored. The exact format depends on your Kodi version, but it typically looks like: <setting id="home.customhome.9">ActivateWindow(MyVideos,/path/to/your/folder)</setting>. Replace /path/to/your/folder with the actual path to your Adults Only folder. On Windows, use forward slashes even though Windows normally uses backslashes — for example, C:/Users/YourName/Videos/AdultsOnly.
Save the file, close it, and then close Kodi completely. Reopen Kodi, and the new tab should appear on your home screen. If it does not, double-check that the folder path is correct and that the file was saved properly.
Setting up the folder structure for your content
Before you create the tab, decide where on your device or network you want to store the content. Create a new folder with a clear name — "Adults Only" or "Restricted" — and place all the media files you want in that section inside this folder. Kodi will display all files and subfolders within this location when you select the tab, so organize them the way you want them to appear.
If you are storing content on a network location — such as a NAS drive or another computer on your home network — make sure Kodi has permission to read from that location. You may need to enter a username and password when you first browse to the network folder. Kodi will remember these credentials for future access.
Renaming or removing a custom tab
To rename a tab you have created, go back to Customize Home on the home screen, find the tab in the list, and look for an edit or rename option. The exact steps depend on your Kodi skin, but most skins allow you to right-click or long-press on a tab name to edit it. If you are editing the configuration file directly, you can change the tab name by modifying the text in the guisettings.xml entry, then restarting Kodi.
To remove a tab entirely, use the Customize Home menu and select the delete or remove option for that tab. If you are editing the configuration file, simply delete the entire line for that tab, save the file, and restart Kodi. The tab will no longer appear on your home screen.
Troubleshooting a tab that does not appear
If you have created a custom tab but it does not show up on your home screen, first check that Kodi has restarted completely since you made the change. A simple refresh is not enough — you must close Kodi entirely and reopen it. If the tab still does not appear, verify that the folder path you specified actually exists and contains files. Kodi will not display a tab that points to an empty or non-existent location.
If you edited the configuration file directly, open it again and check for typos in the folder path. Common mistakes include using backslashes instead of forward slashes on Windows, or forgetting to escape special characters in folder names. If the folder name contains spaces, make sure the entire path is enclosed in quotes. Save the file again, restart Kodi, and check whether the tab appears. If you are still having trouble, restore your backup copy of guisettings.xml and try the home screen customization method instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I password-protect the Adults Only tab so other users cannot access it?
Kodi does not have a built-in password feature for individual tabs. However, you can restrict access to the entire Kodi interface using Kodi's user profiles feature, which allows you to create separate logins with different permissions. Alternatively, you can store the Adults Only content in a folder on your network that requires a username and password to access, though this does not prevent access within Kodi itself once the folder is mounted.
What if my Adults Only folder is on a network drive or NAS?
You can point a custom tab to a network location by using the network path format. On Windows, use the format smb://servername/sharename/foldername. On Mac or Linux, use nfs://servername/path or smb://servername/sharename/foldername. Kodi will prompt you for a username and password the first time you access the network folder, and it will save these credentials for future sessions.
Can I have multiple custom tabs for different types of content?
Yes. You can create as many custom tabs as you want by repeating the same process — either through the Customize Home menu or by adding multiple entries to the guisettings.xml file. Each tab can point to a different folder, so you can organize your media however you prefer.
Will creating a custom tab affect my other Kodi settings or media libraries?
No. Custom tabs are separate from Kodi's built-in media libraries and do not change how your existing content is organized or displayed. The custom tab simply provides another way to browse content stored in a specific folder.
What happens if I move the folder after I create the tab?
If you move the folder to a new location, the tab will no longer find it and will appear empty. You will need to update the folder path in either the Customize Home menu or the guisettings.xml file to point to the new location, then restart Kodi.