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Parental Controls
Social Media
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Parental Controls for Social
Media and Apps
Social media platforms have taken the world by storm, and so too have stories of users
having terrible experiences. Cyberbullies attack their victims around the clock, predators
groom children in chat rooms, and corporations exploit personal information for nancial
and political gain. It’s important for parents to make sure that the safety and privacy of their
children are protected through the available parental controls. Visit our friends at Common
Sense Media and Protect Young Eyes to learn more about the apps your child is using.
ASKfm
Founded in 2010, ASKfm is a global social
networking site that allows users to ask
and answer questions anonymously. On
ASKfm, your child can post questions and
receive replies in the form of text, photos,
or videos from anyone in the world.
All posts are public, meaning that
everyone can see them, regardless
of whether they have the app or not.
ASKfm currently has over 200 million
registered users around the world.
Concerns Surrounding ASKfm
Because ASKfm is an anonymous social
media platform, it has struggled with
cyberbullying and sexual content. In
2013, the app was linked to several teen
suicides, and in a 2016 survey by NSPCC,
88% of children surveyed reported seeing
inappropriate content on the platform.
Safety Concerns Related to ASKfm Include
• While most questions are sincere and
positive, not all are, and some users may
send or request provocative photos.
• Anonymity—which is supposed
to allow users to ask and answer
questions honestly—emboldens
some users to post inappropriate
content or engage in cyberbullying.
• The Shoutout feature allows users
to communicate with users who
are located geographically close
to them, including total strangers
who could arrange to meet up.
• There is no way to keep ASKfm
accounts private. Users cannot see
who is following them, and everything
they post is visible to all users.
• ASKfm proles can also be found
on search engines like Google.
This includes background
pictures as well as posts.
How To Keep Your Kids Safe on ASKfm
• If you allow your child to use ASKfm,
make sure they are aware of the
fully public nature of the platform as
well as the other potential dangers
involved with the application.
And for good measure, ask them
not to link their ASKfm account
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to their Facebook account.
• Don’t let your child use their real rst
or last name as their username or use
a real photo as their prole picture.
• Go to Settings > Account, where you will
nd privacy options. Tap the buttons to:
• Change your child’s password
• Deactivate their account
• Allow others to share their posts
• Allow others to subscribe
to their activities
• Allow their answers to be
shown on the Discover feed
• Allow anonymous questions
• Hide incoming Shoutouts and
see only direct questions by
swiping the Shoutout symbol in the
Incoming Questions section. Or
opt out of Shoutouts altogether:
• Go to Settings > Account > toggle
off Allow Shoutout Questions.
• To block or report users for
inappropriate content, click the three
dots next to their question to open
the menu. Tap Block or Report.
• To delete answers your child has
written, click the X next to the post.
• To delete your child’s ASKfm
account and all the information
associated with it:
• Contact ASKfm through this form,
and it will take 30 days for the
prole to be fully removed.
Discord
Discord is a free voice, video, and text
chatting app for teens and adults
ages 13 and up. It was created to
bring people together who love
gaming. Users playing the same game
will often set up Discord groups to
communicate during live gameplay.
Teens can access Discord via their
computer, web browser, or mobile
phone. Once there, they can join a
chat they’ve been invited to or they
can create private servers and invite
their friends to play and discuss games
by voice, text, or video. They can also
message each other individually or in
group chats with up to ten other friends.
How To Block Unwanted Communications:
1. From User Settings, tap Privacy & Safety.
2. Turn off the Allow Direct Messages
from Server Members option.
3. In this same menu, under Who
Can Add You as a Friend, deselect
Everyone and Server Members.
How To Block Inappropriate Content:
Discord has the ability to set an
explicit content lter that will
automatically detect and delete
images and uploads containing
explicit and inappropriate content.
1. From User Settings, tap Privacy & Safety.
2. Check the Keep Me Safe box.
This will lter out explicit content
so that it’s never seen.
GroupMe
The GroupMe app is a messaging
app owned by Microsoft. Users sign up
with their Facebook, Microsoft/Skype,
phone number, or email address and
are then able to send private or group
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messages to other users. It works across
platforms; all you need is a device
(iPhone, Android, computer, tablet)
and Wi-Fi or data to get connected.
GroupMe is primarily a group chatting
app, but there is also the option for
direct messaging between individuals.
Safety Concerns with GroupMe
• Location Tracking: Users can opt in to
a geo-tracking feature, which allows
them to engage in conversations
with strangers. Nearby GroupMe
users can view the name and prole
picture of people close by, and
they can initiate messages with one
another. This is a concern because
it gives potential predators a direct
way to communicate with kids.
• Inability To Fully Delete Old Messages:
There is no option to delete old
messages, so if a user posts something
they later regret, there’s no way to undo
it. Messages may be “hidden,” but they
don’t disappear entirely. This inability to
undo an action may be concerning.
• Access To Inappropriate GIFs and
Emojis: Users are able to see and
use content that parents might nd
objectionable. There are sexually
explicit images, GIFs, and video clips.
Many of these also allow users to
follow the source link, which could
then lead to even more inappropriate
content. GroupMe does not offer
a way to lter out this content.
• Reports of Bullying: Because GroupMe
is set up for group use, it’s easy to see
how these groups can encourage the
formation of cliques. There have been
many reports of bullying within the app.
How To Block Someone
• You can block people from contacting
you or adding you into any groups. You
cannot delete GroupMe contacts.
1. In the main menu, select Contacts.
2. Select the contact you want to
block, then select Block.
3. In the conrmation window,
select Yes or Block.
House Party
Houseparty is a group video chat platform
that allows friends (and friends of friends)
to chat via live video and text. Up to eight
people can join the conversation, which
takes place via split-screen video feeds. No
administrators monitor any of the activity,
however, which means the possibility for
encountering inappropriate content is
high, depending on the people involved in
the chat. While conversations are designed
to take place between close friends,
calls don’t always remain intimate. Users
can send links to their proles to anyone.
People also have the ability to take
screenshots—even in private groups—and
share them on other social media sites.
How To Set Up Parental Controls
on Houseparty
While Houseparty does have community
guidelines, it does not appear to have
any kind of content moderation, and
it does not currently have parental
controls. Make sure your child is only
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interacting with people they know
and keep an eye on their contacts.
Dealing with Safety on Houseparty
Houseparty doesn’t have any channel
for reporting abuse, but users can block
anyone while video chatting with them.
• Tap on the person’s chat screen
to reveal the Settings toggle.
• Private Mode can be activated by
tapping the pink Settings wheel.
Houseparty also has a default geo-
location feature that can be used by
online predators to pinpoint your child’s
exact location, but you can prevent this.
On an iOS Device
1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
2. As you scroll through the Settings menu,
you will begin to see many apps listed
in individual tabs. Continue scrolling
until you see the Houseparty app tab.
3. Tap on the Houseparty app tab,
which will bring you to a page
listing what the app can access.
4. You should see a tab called
Location. Select that tab.
5. This will bring you to a menu of tabs
titled Allow Location Access.
6. Select Never Allow Location Access.
On an Android Device
1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
2. Tap Location and then
select App Permission.
3. If you don’t see Location, tap Security
& Location and then tap Location.
4. Under Allowed All The Time and Allowed
Only While In Use, view the apps that
can use your phone’s location.
5. To change Houseparty’s permissions,
tap the app in the location menu,
then choose the Location Access for
the app and select Deny to prevent
Houseparty from using your location.
Instagram
With more than 400 million users, Instagram
is one of the most popular social media
platforms in the world. In addition to its
regular users, countless brands, celebrities,
and retail giants all maintain presences
on this photo- and video-sharing app.
Users can follow, view, comment, and
like posts by others in a scrollable
stream called a “feed.” According to
Instagram’s Terms of Service, a user must
be 13 or older to create an account.
Privacy Settings
How To Set Your Child’s Account to Private
A private account enables users to select
who can access and follow what they
post. Public accounts can be seen and
followed by anyone, approved or not.
1. Open the Instagram app.
2. Tap your child’s prole picture
in the bottom right corner.
3. Tap “...” at the top right of the screen.
4. A screen will slide open from the
left. At the bottom, tap Settings.
5. Scroll down and tap Account Privacy.
6. Tap to toggle and enable
Private Account.
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How To Block Accounts
1. Tap the offending user’s
username or prole photo. This
will take you to their prole.
2. Tap the “...” in the top right corner.
3. Tap Block.
How To Report Content That is
Abusive or Inappropriate
1. Tap “...” in the top right corner of the
offending user prole or specic post.
2. If it’s a comment, swipe left on
the comment itself and tap
the exclamation mark.
3. If it’s a message, tap and hold on
the message and then tap Report.
How To Turn Comments Off by Post
Instagram ensures that users can control
and manage all comments on their
pages. You can turn off commenting to
prevent people from commenting on
an individual post. When you turn off
commenting, any comments that are
currently on your post will be hidden. If
you turn commenting back on for a post,
previous comments will be restored and
people will be able to comment again.
How To Turn Commenting On
or Off on Your iOS Device
1. Tap “...” above your post.
2. Select Turn On Commenting
or Turn Off Commenting.
You can also turn off commenting for a
post before you share it. On the screen
where you add a caption or location
to your post, tap Advanced Settings,
then tap Turn Off Commenting.
How To Bulk-Manage Comments
1. Open the Instagram app.
2. Tap your child’s prole picture
in the bottom right corner.
3. Tap “...” at the top right of the screen.
4. A screen will slide open from the
left. At the bottom, tap Settings.
5. Scroll down and tap Comment Controls.
6. Here, you can manage
different aspects of comment
control. Explore which ones are
appropriate for your child.
How To Delete Multiple Comments at Once
1. Open the Instagram app.
2. Tap on the post you’d like to
delete comments on.
3. On iOS, tap on a comment, then
the dotted icon in the top-right
corner where you’ll choose Manage
Comments. This will allow you to choose
up to 25 comments to delete at once.
If you tap More Options, you’ll also
nd a feature that lets you block or
restrict commenters’ accounts in bulk.
4. On Android, you’ll instead press and
hold on a comment, then tap the
dotted icon, and select Block or Restrict.
Direct Messages
Instagram Direct lets you send messages to
one or more people. These often function
as chats. You can send the following
as a message on Instagram Direct:
• Photos or videos you take or
upload from your library
• Posts you see in your feed
• Disappearing photos and videos
• Proles
• Text
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• Hashtags
• Locations
To see messages sent with Instagram Direct,
tap the arrow in the top right of your feed.
From there, you can manage the messages
that have been sent and received.
How To Set Up Parental Controls
for Messenger Rooms
Messenger Rooms is an Instagram tool
that lets users video chat with up to 50
other people. Users can invite their friends
to join the call by sharing a link with them,
and they’ll be able to participate whether
they have an Instagram account or not.
Learn more about how to create
a Messenger Room from the
Instagram app here.
There are two main ways to control
access to Messenger Rooms. A user
can lock their room to prevent new
people from joining and remove
individual participants from a room.
How To Lock Your Messenger
Room on iPhone or Android
1. From your Messenger Room, tap the
lock icon in the top right corner to lock.
2. Tap that same icon again if you wish
to unlock the Messenger Room.
How To Remove a Messenger Room
Participant on iPhone or Android
1. From your Messenger Room,
tap the icon with two people to
see all the call participants.
2. Then tap Remove next to the
participant you would like to remove.
Understanding Disappearing Photos
and Videos
Instagram now incorporates the ability to
send disappearing photos and videos,
a feature inspired by Snapchat. This
functionality is found in the Direct Message
section. You can send a disappearing
photo or video either as a group or
individual message. After someone
opens a disappearing photo or video
you’ve sent them, the message is no
longer visible in their inbox unless you’ve
allowed a replay of your message.
Reels
Instagram recently released a new
feature on its platform called “Reels.”
You can use this feature to create fun,
15-second videos and add audio and
effects to share with your followers.
If your child’s account is public, they
can share their Reels to a dedicated
space on the Instagram Explore page
where it can be seen and discovered by
anyone on the platform. They can also
choose to share their Reels with only
their followers. And, if they use certain
songs, hashtags, or effects on their Reels,
they may appear on dedicated pages
anyone can see for those categories.
If your child’s account is private, they
can only share their Reels with approved
followers, and other users will not be
able to use original audio from your
child’s Reels. Additionally, people can’t
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share your child’s Reels with others who
don’t follow your child’s account.
Your child can see anyone’s Reels
that are set to public and featured on
the Explore page. Instagram has an
algorithm to tailor Reels content based
on what your child likes or watches.
How To View Instagram Reels
1. Open the Instagram app.
2. At the bottom of your screen,
tap the magnifying glass icon
to open the Explore page.
3. Here, notice the top square, which is a
video. This is how you access Reels.
4. Tap on the video to expand
it to full-screen size.
5. Proceed to the next Reel by swiping
up on your screen. An endless stream
of Reels will continue to appear as
long as you keep swiping up.
6. On a specic Reel, to share or leave a
comment, you can use the icons in the
lower-left corner of the screen. You can
comment by tapping on the speech
bubble icon. You can like/favorite a
video by tapping on the heart icon. You
can share the Reel with someone else
by tapping on the paper airplane icon.
Kik
Kik is a mobile messaging app that allows
one-on-one chats, group chats, and
the ability to send messages, photos,
sketches, videos, and other media. Kik’s
terms of service state that the app is only
for ages 13 and up. Kik has been around
since 2009, has millions of users, and is
extremely popular among U.S. teens.
If you decide to allow your teen to use Kik,
it’s important to keep the following in mind:
• Kik does not offer parental settings,
so there’s no way to control what
your child encounters on the app.
• There’s an in-app browser where
users can surf the web or stream
content while chatting.
• It’s anonymous—users do not have
to sign up with their cell phone
numbers; they just create usernames
and proles to use the app.
• Users can access YouTube, public
group chats, bots, adult content,
spammers, and irting apps.
• There’s no way to stop a stranger
from messaging your child, but users
can block people which will prevent
future messages from being sent.
• Users can delete individual
messages and entire chats.
• Because Kik does not require a
phone number to sign up, younger
children may be able to access the
app through their non-phone mobile
devices as long as they have Wi-Fi.
What You Can Do
• Set up parental controls on your
child’s device so that a passcode
is required to install new apps.
• If you allow your child to use Kik,
remind them not to share private
information or even other social
media information on the app and
to not share their Kik username on
other social media platforms.
• If you would like to deactivate
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a Kik account created without
your permission, you can email
support@kik.com with the subject
line “Parent Inquiry” to ask for a
deactivation request form.
Messenger Kids
Messenger Kids is a free video calling
and messaging app for smartphones
and tablets. Parents control the contact
list and kids have access to features
like lters, stickers, and games. With
Messenger Kids, you have the tools to
manage your child’s online experience.
Messenger Kids Parental Controls Guide
Each child’s Messenger Kids account
is managed through the Facebook
account of their parent or guardian.
• Supervised Friending: Parents
manage the contact list and
can monitor friending activity
in the Parent Dashboard.
• Sleep Mode: Sleep mode allows
parents to control which days and
times their child can use the app.
• Blocking and Reporting: Kids can block
or report people at any time. Doing so
will notify parents so they can check in.
• Download Your Child’s Information:
You can request a copy of your
child’s Messenger Kids information
that includes their contact list,
messages, images, and videos.
• Activity Monitoring:
• Recent Contacts and Chat
History: See who your child is
chatting with and how frequently
over the last 30 days.
• Log of Images in Chat: See the most
recent photos and videos your child
has sent and received. If you believe
an image or video is inappropriate,
you can remove it from your
child’s device and report it.
How To Manage Your Child’s
Messenger Kids Account
You can manage your child’s Messenger
Kids account using the Parent Dashboard.
How To Access the Parent Dashboard
on an Android or iPhone
1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap the shortcut menu, then scroll
down and tap Messenger Kids.
3. Tap your child’s photo below
Messenger Kids Accounts.
Your Dashboard is Organized
Into Three Tabs
1. Tap Activity to view your child’s recent
contacts, groups, reports, blocked
contacts, and images in chats.
2. Tap Contacts to add and
remove contacts.
3. Tap Controls to access parent
controls and add additional
parents or guardians.
NOTE: Your dashboard will only display
information about current contacts.
How To Access the Parent
Dashboard on a Computer
1. Log in to your Facebook account.
2. From your News Feed, navigate
to the Explore section on the
left side of your homepage.
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3. Click Messenger Kids. (Note: If
you don’t see it, click See More…
and scroll down to nd it.)
4. Click your child’s name on the left.
NOTE: Some Parent Dashboard features
are only available on mobile at this time.
How To Use the Supervised
Friending Feature
With Supervised Friending, parents can
choose to allow their kids to also accept,
reject, add or remove contacts, while
maintaining the ability to override any
new contact approvals from the Parent
Dashboard. When a kid takes a friending
action, parents will be notied through
Messenger and can override any new
connections made by going to the
Parent Dashboard, where they will also
be able to see a log of recent activities.
How to Supervise Friending by Selecting
One of the Friending Controls
• My Child Can Choose Contacts: Your
child will be able to add and remove
people on their contact list, and you’ll
be notied every time. You will still be
able to add and remove contacts
through the Parent Dashboard.
• Only I Can Choose Contacts: Adding
and removing contacts can only take
place from the Parent Dashboard
within Facebook. If there’s another
parent/guardian managing your child’s
account, they’ll also be able to edit
your child’s contact list. Learn how
to add or remove another parent.
How To change How You
Supervise Friending
1. From the Facebook app,
tap the shortcut menu.
2. Tap Messenger Kids.
3. Below Messenger Kids Accounts,
tap your child’s name.
4. Tap Controls.
5. Tap Friending.
6. Tap next to My Child Can
Choose Contacts or Only I
Can Choose Contacts.
NOTE: When you change how you
supervise friending for your child, all
parents on the account will be notied.
How To Use Codes to Add Friends
Turn on codes for Messenger Kids and
you will get a four-word code your
child can share with their friends. Your
child’s friends can use this code to
request permission to chat with your
child in the Messenger Kids app.
If a friend shares their Messenger
Kids code with your child, they can
use it to nd their friend in the app
and add them as a contact.
How To Find Your Code
1. Open the Messenger Kids app.
2. Tap your child’s prole picture.
3. Below their name, you’ll see a code.
4. Tap it to copy the code.
NOTE: If you don’t see a code below your
child’s name, tap Ask to request one.
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How To Use a Friend’s Code to
Add Them as a Contact
1. Open the Messenger Kids app.
2. Scroll down and tap Add a Friend.
3. Type your friend’s code.
4. Tap Ask to Chat.
How to Add and Remove
Contacts for Your Child
As a parent, you can add anyone with
an existing Facebook account as a
contact for your child on Messenger
Kids. If your contacts have children, you
can also send a request for their child to
connect with yours on Messenger Kids.
How To Add a Contact for Your
Child on Android or iPhone
1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap the shortcut menu.
3. Scroll down and tap Messenger
Kids. (Note: If you don’t see it
in your menu, tap See More...
and scroll down to nd it.)
4. Tap to select your child’s account.
5. Tap Contacts.
6. Tap Choose People.
7. Tap Add.
NOTE: If you can’t nd one of your child’s
friends, tap Invite to invite their parent to
get them the Messenger Kids app. Any
parent or guardian you ask will be able
to see your child’s name and photo, but
won’t be added as your child’s contact.
When a child is connected with any
adult, the child will not see their
Facebook page. They will only see the
adult’s name and prole picture.
How To Remove a Contact
on Android or iPhone
1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap the shortcut menu.
3. Scroll down to the Explore section.
4. Tap Messenger Kids. (Note: If you
don’t see it in your menu, tap See
More... and scroll down to nd it.)
5. Tap to select your child’s account.
6. Tap Contacts.
7. Tap next to the person
you want to remove.
8. Tap Remove [person] as a contact.
How To Add a Contact for
Your Child on a Desktop
1. From your News Feed, go to the
Explore section on the left.
2. Click Messenger Kids. (Note: If you
don’t see it in your menu, click See
More... and scroll down to nd it.)
3. Click to select your child’s account.
4. Click Choose Contacts. You can
search for people you’d like to add or
select a category (example: Family
Members, Other Kids, Your Friends).
5. Click Add.
NOTE: If you can’t nd one of your child’s
friends, click Invite to invite their parent to
download the Messenger Kids app. Any
parent or guardian you ask will be able
to see your child’s name and photo, but
won’t be added as your child’s contact.
How To Remove a Contact
1. From your News Feed, go
to the Explore section.
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2. Tap Messenger Kids. (Note: If you
don’t see it in your menu, click See
More... and scroll down to nd it.)
3. Tap to select your child’s account.
4. Tap next to the person
you want to remove.
5. Tap Remove [person] as a contact.
How To Help Your Child Connect
with More Friends
When You Turn This Control On:
• You can still manage your child’s
contact list or change this setting
from the Parent Dashboard.
• Friends of your child’s friends and
their parents, kids of your Facebook
friends who manage Messenger
Kids accounts, and kids of people
you invite to the app will be able to
see your child’s name and photo.
• Kids who can see your child’s name
and photo can ask to chat with
your child on Messenger Kids.
How To Help Your Child Connect
with More Friends
1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap the shortcut menu, then scroll
down and tap Messenger Kids.
3. Tap your child’s photo below
Messenger Kids Accounts.
4. Tap Controls > Help [Child’s
Name] Connect.
5. Tap next to Allow Friends of
[Child’s Name] Contacts to Ask
to Chat? to turn on or off.
How To Give an Adult Permission
to Connect Your Child to Their
Classroom, Team or Group
Kids often build community through their
classes at school, participating in a team
sport or other extracurricular activities.
Just as parents allow a teacher or coach
to help their child navigate classroom or
team friendships, this new feature gives
parents the choice to approve a similar
adult to help connect their child with
other kids through a group in Messenger
Kids. These approved adults can only
connect kids whose parents have also
granted this adult the same approval.
Parents will be notied when new
contacts are added for their child and
can manage the list of contacts and
approved adults through the Parent
Dashboard. Once connected through a
group, kids will also be able to chat with
each other individually. Kids can also leave
groups they’re added to at any time.
An adult (example: teacher) may send you
a link requesting permission to add your
child to a group chat and add contacts
for your child. You should only approve this
request for people you know and trust.
If You Approve This Request
• The adult will become your child’s
contact and can add your child
to group chats with kids who
aren’t your child’s contacts.
• Children added to the same group
chat will become contacts and can
chat individually with each other
without further parental approval.
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• You can go to the Parent Dashboard
to remove contacts for your child
or end a contact’s ability to add
your child to group chats and
add contacts for your child.
How To Approve This Request
1. Tap the shared link from the adult.
2. Tap Allow.
3. Select your child.
4. Tap the drop-down arrow
to set a duration.
5. Tap Next.
After the set duration, the contact won’t
be able to add your child to group
chats or add contacts for your child.
How To Edit Your Child’s Information
You can change your child’s information
such as name, birthday, or gender
from your Parent Dashboard.
How To Edit Your Child’s Information
on Android or iPhone
1. From the Facebook App,
tap the shortcut menu.
2. Tap Messenger Kids.
3. Tap your child’s photo.
4. Tap Controls.
5. Tap Edit Info.
How To Edit Your Child’s
Information on a Desktop
1. Open your Facebook
account on a computer.
2. From your News Feed, go
to the Explore section.
3. Click Messenger Kids. (Note: If
you don’t see it, click See More...
and scroll down to nd it.)
4. Click Settings.
5. Click Edit Account Info.
How To Set Up Sleep Mode
Sleep mode lets you manage when
your child can use the Messenger
Kids app. You can choose when sleep
mode begins and ends and change
your settings anytime using the Parent
Dashboard. When the app is in sleep
mode, your child won’t be able to use it.
NOTE: These settings for sleep mode will
remain in effect until you change them.
How To Set Up Sleep Mode for Your
Child on Android or iPhone
1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap the shortcut menu.
3. Scroll down and tap Messenger Kids.
4. Tap to select your child’s account.
5. Tap Controls.
6. Tap Sleep Mode.
7. Tap to turn sleep mode on for
weekdays or weekends.
8. Set your preferred start and stop times.
How To Set Up Sleep Mode for
Your Child on a Desktop
1. Log in to your Facebook account.
2. From your News Feed, go
to the Explore section.
3. Click Messenger Kids. (Note: If
you don’t see it, click See More...
and scroll down to nd it.)
4. Click your child’s name on the left.
5. Click Settings.
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6. Select Sleep Mode.
7. Click to select During the Week or On
Weekends, then set start and stop times.
8. Click Done.
How To Monitor the Images Your
Child Sends and Receives
You can view recent images and videos
from your child’s chats using the Activity
tab in your mobile Parent Dashboard.
How To View These Images and Videos
1. From the Facebook App,
tap the shortcut menu.
2. Tap Messenger Kids.
3. Tap your child’s photo.
4. Tap Activity.
5. View images below Images in Chats.
NOTE: Only images from current
contacts will appear. To view
conversations from past contacts,
download your child’s information.
How To Remove Images or Videos
1. From your Activity feed,
tap on the image.
2. Tap the icon in the upper right corner.
3. Tap Remove Image.
NOTE: The image or video will be removed
from your child’s thread and your view
in the Parent Dashboard. Other people
in the chat, and their parents, will still be
able to see the removed image or video.
How To Block Someone
Your child can block someone from
their app when they no longer want to
message individually with a contact. To
block someone on Messenger Kids:
1. Open the Messenger Kids app.
2. Scroll to the person you want to
block and tap their photo.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Block.
Pinterest
At rst glance, Pinterest appears to be
one of the safest social media sites. Its
main purpose is for people to nd and
save ideas for anything from DIY projects
to recipes to design. Unfortunately, that
doesn’t mean that Pinterest is entirely
safe. There are several things parents
need to keep in mind as they allow their
children to browse Pinterest, including:
• Mature content, including
pornographic content, that hasn’t
yet been blocked by Pinterest
• Content that glories eating
disorders or self-harm
• Links that lead away from
Pinterest to other sites that could
potentially be dangerous
• A lack of privacy on Pinterest (most
people use their real name to sign up)
• Pinterest has secret boards that
are visible only to your child and
anyone they choose to invite
• You can hide your child’s account
from search engines and disable
cookie-based personalization
• Your child has the ability to
block other Pinterest users if they
encounter harassment or bullying
It’s also important to keep in mind that your
child may not be in control of what images
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they see when they’re browsing. Content
pinned by the individuals they follow
(whom your child may never have met) or
content that appears after a seemingly
innocent search can be surprisingly
detrimental. Pinterest’s terms of service
state that children must be at least 13 to
use its product, but some parents may
choose to allow their child to use it earlier.
Pinterest also has a direct messaging
feature that predators or bullies could
potentially use to send inappropriate
messages to child users, so be sure
to remind your kid not to give out any
personal information on the platform,
and to let you know if anyone is
making them uncomfortable.
How To Keep Your Child Safer While
They’re Browsing Pinterest
Follow Your Child
Do you follow your child on Pinterest? While
this may not mean that you see everything
they look at, it will show you what they’re
pinning and make it easy for you to check
out their boards. Following your child
may help you note any disturbing trends
in your child’s Pinterest behavior before
they become a more serious problem.
Knowing that you’re following them may
also help prevent your child from looking
up and pinning content that could be
detrimental to their mental health.
Keep in mind that others can follow your
child, too. Avoid linking your child’s Pinterest
account to their Facebook, Twitter, or
Instagram accounts to help prevent
strangers from learning more about them.
Limit Pinterest Time:
You may nd that limiting your child to
browsing Pinterest on a browser helps
you keep a more effective eye on
what they’re doing than allowing them
to browse straight from their phone.
Consider limiting the amount of time
spent on Pinterest just like you would any
other social media site. Many parents
feel that Pinterest is essentially harmless,
and it may be for most children. Others
may struggle with the readily available
pornographic images or inappropriate
content. Limiting time on the site can also
help limit their exposure to that content.
Adjust Parental Controls in Your Browser:
It can be helpful to adjust parental
controls in your browser to help prevent
your child from browsing to websites
that display inappropriate content,
even if they are linked on Pinterest.
Talk to Your Child:
Any time you discover that your child
is accessing inappropriate content, it’s
important to have a conversation about it.
Some content is accessed simply because
of a child’s natural curiosity. Other content
may be accessed because your child fell
down a metaphorical “rabbit hole” while
browsing and ended up in a place they
didn’t intend to go. No matter how your
child accessed that content, however,
it’s important to talk about it. Share your
views, including why you would rather
they avoid that type of content. An open
dialogue makes it easier for your child to
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tell you what they’ve seen, and it increases
the odds that they’ll turn to you—instead
of to the internet—to learn more.
Pinterest is a great place for your child to
browse hairstyles, outt ideas, workout
plans, and more. With proper parental
monitoring, it can be an excellent
tool for your child—and these steps
can help keep your child safer.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a massively popular
multimedia messaging app. Available on
iOS and Android, Snapchat is so much
more than a quirky camera—it’s an
instant connection to the entire world.
Users can take pictures using countless
fun lters and record short videos.
The original appeal of the app was its
disappearing media. Pictures and videos
sent to friends would only display for a
few seconds and then vanish. The app
has undergone many updates since
its introduction, and it is now possible
to save media received from friends.
Understanding the Lingo
Snapchat has its own dictionary of app-
specic lingo that can read like a foreign
language to parents. Here are a few
of the most important terms to know:
• Snap: This is the colloquial term for a
photo or video taken or sent on the app.
• Story: When you link several snaps
together back to back, it creates a
story. Stories are publicly visible for
24 hours, after which they disappear.
(With recent updates, though, you
can save these stories to the private
storage area called “Memories.”)
• Snapcode: A scannable code
that can be used to quickly add
friends to a Snapchat prole.
• Snapstreak: This term refers to the
length of time that two people
have snapped each other
consistently for consecutive days.
• Geolter: Like lters, you can use
a geolter to decorate snaps
and share your location (popular
at large, public events).
• Snap Map: With this feature, you
can share your location and
look around a map to see where
other people are located.
Privacy Settings
Since it’s so easy to add friends to the
Snapchat app, your child can accumulate
a lot of strangers on their friends list.
Depending on their user settings, the
app can collect a ton of data about their
habits and share it with third parties.
It’s particularly hard for parents to monitor
their children’s activity on Snapchat, as
there’s no feed to scroll through (unlike
Facebook or Instagram). So, instead
focus on implementing strong privacy
settings. Together with your child, go into
the app’s settings menu and look for the
“Who Can” options. Here, you can control
several different privacy functions.
How To Access the Privacy Settings
1. Access the settings by tapping your
child’s icon in the top left of any screen.
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2. Tap the red Gear icon in
the top right corner.
3. Look for the Contact Me option
under the Who Can heading in
your settings. Choose between:
• Contact Me
• Send Me Notications
• View My Story
• See My location
• Save Me in Quick Add
4. Select the parameters
appropriate for your child.
How To Block Someone
If someone is harassing your child or is
a stranger trying to communicate with
them, the best action is to block the user.
1. Navigate to the Friends page
by tapping the chat bubble on
the bottom of any screen.
2. Next, at the top of the screen, tap the
person icon with a plus sign next to it.
3. Here you’ll see a list of users who
have added your child. You can
tap on each name to pull up a list of
options—including Ignore and Block.
4. If you just want to delete someone’s
attempt to add your child, tap Ignore.
5. But if you never want that user
to be able to contact your
child again, tap Block.
The Discover Section
Discover contains media content created
by celebrities, entertainment outlets, and
random strangers. While many of these
content providers are legitimate, you can’t
truly predict what might pop up. Alcohol
ads, offensive language, or nudity could
pop up just as easily as the New York Times.
Content is typically promotional in nature
and is frequently mature in subject matter.
How To Unsubscribe from
Content on Discover
1. Open Snapchat.
2. Swipe left.
3. Underneath the Friends
section, nd Subscriptions.
4. Tap the arrow next to Subscriptions.
5. Find the outlet you wish to
unsubscribe from.
6. In the right-hand corner,
nd the ribbon icon.
7. Tap and hold down the ribbon
icon. A menu will appear.
8. Toggle Subscribe off.
How To Hide Content on Discover
1. Open Snapchat.
2. Swipe left.
3. Underneath the Subscriptions
section, nd For You.
4. Tap and hold the content you wish
to hide. A menu will appear.
5. Tap Hide [Name].
Snapchat Stories
A Story is a photo or video that you submit
to be available for just 24 hours on your
account. Many users will add to their
Story multiple times a day. After Snapchat
popularized the format, Facebook and
Instagram offered story-creation tools, too.
Stories appear as circles, and when you
tap them, they autoplay the pictures
or videos the user collected. You can
create personal Stories that your friends
can view for a 24-hour period.
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Or, if you think your Snap is particularly
interesting or newsworthy, you can send
it to Our Story. Our Stories are like mini-
documentaries of events, holidays,
game championships, or other things
happening in the world on a particular
day. Snaps are curated and compiled
by the company. While it’s cool to
have your story added to Our Story, it’s
also very public, so kids should think
carefully before submitting one.
Location Sharing
When reading through the list of Snapchat
terms, one thing that may stick out is
the prevalence of location sharing. This
is a major concern for many parents,
as allowing anyone to see your child’s
whereabouts at any given moment is a
bit frightening, to say the least. Here’s how
you can disable the Snap Map feature:
1. On your child’s phone, open the
map from the Snapchat home
screen by pinching your ngers in
toward the middle of the screen
(from the corners inward).
2. Tap the Settings icon in the upper-
right corner of the screen.
3. Select Ghost Mode to hide
your child’s location.
To completely turn off location sharing,
go to the main settings menu on your
child’s phone and change Snapchat’s
permissions. Note that this will prevent them
from using certain geography-based lters.
General Snapchat Safety Tips
Despite the app touting the concept of
disappearing photos, it’s important to
talk to your child about the permanence
of anything they share on social apps.
Anyone who receives a photo can take
a screenshot of the image, ensuring
it lives forever. (The app will send a
notication to the sender if a photo is
captured.) It’s crucial that your child
understands that nothing they put online
is temporary. Many teens have found
themselves in uncomfortable situations
by sharing embarrassing photos.
If your child signed up for Snapchat with
their correct birthdate, they should not
see adult content, as Snapchat lters
content for underage users. Often though,
children will put an older birthdate to
circumvent this built-in limiter. Most kids use
Snapchat to be expressive and goofy and
stay in touch with friends. There is some
mature content, but Snapchat is generally
appropriate for those ages 16 and older.
Spotify
Spotify is a popular music-streaming
service. With Spotify’s Premium Family Plan,
parents can control the Explicit Content
Filter setting for all users associated with
the account. This plan also features:
• Family Mix: Families get access to
a personalized playlist with songs
for the whole family. Family Mix is
updated regularly and you can
control who is in each session to
optimize your family’s favorite music.
• Family Hub: The Family Hub allows
the account owners to manage their
Family’s settings in one place, including
adding or removing family members,
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keeping the home address up to date,
and adjusting your parental controls.
• Six Accounts: Spotify Premium
Family still provides six individual
Spotify Premium accounts for
family members living under one
roof, meaning you’ll keep your
own saved music and playlists.
TikTok
TikTok is a popular social media app
that allows users to make and watch
short music videos. The attraction to
TikTok lies in its special effects lters,
fun stickers, and the ability to share
and collaborate with friends.
General Safety Concerns
Like many social media platforms, users
must be 13 or older to use TikTok. The
app is rated for ages 12+, but it can still
contain mild fantasy violence, suggestive
themes, sexual content and nudity,
drug use or references, and profanity or
crude humor. Here are some other tips:
• At times, users may use inappropriate
words as hashtags.
• TikTok allows users to link their
account with other social media
proles such as Instagram or YouTube,
which allows the app access to
contacts and other information.
• TikTok collects information from users,
including technical and behavioral
information, location, shared social
network information, messages,
metadata, contacts, and more.
• Songs may have explicit lyrics—
many people use popular songs to
create their own music videos, so
exposure to unedited, inappropriate
songs on TikTok can be a risk.
• Be careful with in-app purchases,
particularly coins that users share
with others to “encourage creativity.”
Remember to toggle off “in-app
purchases” in the Restrictions section.
Family Pairing
Family Pairing is a parental control feature
on TikTok that allows a parent to link their
TikTok account to their teen’s account
and set controls for the following:
• Screen Time Management: Choose
how much time your child can
spend on TikTok each day.
• Restricted Mode: Make certain
content subject matter off limits.
• Search: Decide what types
of content, users, hashtags, or
sounds your kid can search for.
• Discoverability: Set your child’s
account to private or public.
• Suggest Account to Others: Choose
whether your kid’s account can
be recommended to others.
• Direct Messages: Kids aren’t allowed
to direct message (DM) until they turn
16. DMing is automatically turned off for
users between the ages of 13 and 15.
• Liked Videos: Decide who can
view the videos your teen liked.
• Comments: Choose who can
comment on your teen’s videos.
How To Turn On Family Pairing
1. Go to your prole page or your child’s
prole page.
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2. Tap on the three dots that are located in
the top right-hand corner, select Family
Pairing, and follow the steps in the app.
How To Set Up Screen Time Management
1. Go to your prole page or
your child’s prole page.
2. Tap on the three dots that are
located in the top right-hand corner
and select Digital Wellbeing.
3. Tap Screen Time Management
and follow the steps in the app.
How To Turn On Restricted Mode
1. Go to your prole page or
your child’s prole page
2. Tap on the three dots that are
located in the top right-hand corner
and select Digital Wellbeing.
3. Tap Restricted Mode and
follow the steps in the app.
Privacy Controls on TikTok
How To Set Up a Private Account
Even with a private account, prole
information—including prole photos,
usernames, and bios—will be visible to
all users. Counsel your teen not to reveal
personal information such as their age,
address, or phone number in their prole.
You can make your TikTok account
private so other users cannot see
your videos unless they follow
you and you approve them.
1. Go to your child’s prole page.
2. Tap the three dots that are
located in the top right-hand
corner and select Privacy.
3. Toggle Private account on or off.
How To Manage Comments
on a Global Level
1. Go to your child’s prole page.
2. Tap the three dots that are
located in the top right-hand
corner and select Privacy.
3. Scroll down and tap Comments.
4. Choose between Everyone, Friends
(mutual followers), or Off.
How To Turn Off Comments
for an Individual Video
1. Open the video you want to
turn off comments for.
2. Tap the three dots in the right corner.
3. From the gray icons on the bottom
of the screen, scroll to the right
and tap Privacy Settings.
4. Toggle Comments Off.
How To Prevent People from Creating
Duet Videos with Your Child
1. Go to your child’s prole page.
2. Tap the three dots that are
located in the top right-hand
corner and select Privacy.
3. Scroll down and tap Duet.
4. Choose between Everyone, Friends
(mutual followers), or Only Me.
How To Control Direct Messages
1. Go to your child’s prole page.
2. Tap the three dots that are
located in the top right-hand
corner and select Privacy.
3. Scroll down and tap Direct Messages.
4. Choose between Everyone,
Friends, and No One.
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How To Block/Report a User
1. From the offending user’s prole, tap
the three dots in the upper-right corner.
2. Select Block or Report, or both.
Twitch
Twitch allows kids and teens to watch
other people play popular video
games as well as broadcast their own
gameplay to a huge audience. You
can watch Twitch streams on the web
or on game consoles like Xbox and
PlayStation. Mobile Android and iOS
devices support the Twitch app as well.
The service draws in an impressive 100
million viewers every month and has
an army of one million broadcasters
that continues to grow every day. The
most successful and popular streamers
engage with their audience and
provide entertaining commentary
during gameplay. Some even offer
expert gaming tips and tricks.
Is Twitch Kid-Friendly?
While Twitch doesn’t have a built-in lter
for kid-friendly streams, there are many
channels deemed appropriate for all
ages. Here are some options you can
suggest to your younger children:
• iateyourpie: An energetic
Super Mario streamer.
• CohhCarnage: A clean gaming
channel that emphasizes clean
content and clearly posts the rules
for maintaining a friendly chat.
• TheDiamondMinecart,
stampylonghead, and iHasCupquake
are all Minecraft streamers known
for being appropriate for all
audiences. (There’s a very high
chance your child loves Minecraft!)
An important thing to remember is that just
because a game has an age-appropriate
rating for your child, it doesn’t mean that
the streamer playing that game is family-
friendly. You may nd a vulgar Mario Kart
player just as readily as a super polite Call
of Duty player. Twitch can be a mixed bag.
Every Twitch channel has a live chat room.
This is appealing to kids and teens who
appreciate the chance to speak directly
to their favorite gamer, who could very
well be their personal hero. Unfortunately,
there are no universal chat lters to
curb offensive or obscene language.
Individual streamers do have the
capability to ban hyperlinks and specic
words from their chat, and many popular
streamers use this feature to prevent
spam and other offensive messaging.
How Do I Know if a Channel
Is Appropriate?
The best way to determine if a particular
channel is appropriate for your child is
to watch the stream for 15 to 20 minutes
on several different occasions. Try tuning
in at different times, during the weekday
and on weekends, to get a sense of
whether the chat and atmosphere of
the stream are tting for your child.
To see who is in a channel’s chat room,
click the Viewer List icon at the bottom
of the chat window. There, you’ll see the
22
channel’s moderators, whom you can
easily contact if someone acts in an
inappropriate manner. Alternatively, you
can hide the chat area by navigating to
the gear icon and selecting Hide Chat.
Twitch has very thorough and clear
community guidelines. If you believe a
channel has violated these guidelines,
you can report it at any time by
locating the gear icon under the
video player and clicking Report.
Privacy and Security on Twitch
According to Twitch’s community
guidelines, no one under 13 years old
should use the video-streaming platform.
The guidelines further recommend that
teens between 13 and 18 only watch
livestreams under adult supervision.
You need to enter a birthdate to sign
up, but that can be easily faked.
Streamers can opt to provide a warning
that lets potential viewers know that
the content of their channel is intended
for mature audiences. If you see one
of these warnings—and they’re quite
obvious—you should consider having
your child try a different channel.
How To Disable Messages from Strangers
In the world of Twitch, a direct message is
called a Whisper. You can disable them.
1. Tap your child’s username in the
top-right corner of the screen.
2. From the menu that drops
down, tap Settings.
3. At the top of the page, tap
Security and Privacy.
4. Scroll down to the Privacy section.
5. Toggle Block Whispers
from Strangers to On.
VSCO
VSCO is not a traditional social media
app as there are no “likes” or “comments.”
However, parents should know that this
photo-editing platform does not allow
users to set their proles to private. VSCO
does not offer many parental control
options. Parents should encourage their
children to choose a non-identifying
screen name to protect their privacy.
Additionally, users can opt out of including
location data on the images they upload.
How To Opt Out of Including Location Data
1. Tap the Settings icon.
2. Tap on your Prole icon.
3. Tap Privacy.
4. Toggle the sharing options off.
WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a free messaging system
currently owned by Facebook. It allows
users to send unlimited text messages,
voice messages, and video calls, as well
as images, documents, and other media
to other WhatsApp users around the world.
Users can access the app through mobile
devices and desktop computers—all they
need is a cell phone number. Whatsapp is
one of the most popular messaging apps
in the world and is available internationally,
with over a billion users worldwide.
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Users must be 13 or older to use WhatsApp.
Younger WhatsApp users prefer to use
the application rather than their phone’s
native texting because it allows them
more privacy and freedom, or so they
believe. This is primarily because parents
tend to be more familiar with basic texting
than newer applications like WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is not considered to be
a typical type of social media since
the platform is not public. Rather, it is
considered “dark social”—social sharing
that is not measured by web analytics
platforms. This means users cannot
ag inappropriate messages to alert
WhatsApp to the problem, though they
may screenshot the message and share it
with the company. The company cannot
remove posts, though it can ban users.
Privacy Controls for WhatsApp
How To Block Someone
1. In the bottom-right corner of
the app, tap Settings.
2. Tap Account.
3. Tap Privacy.
4. Tap Blocked, and add who you’d
like to block. Blocked contacts
will no longer be able to call you
or send your child messages.
How To Turn Off Visible Public Information
1. In the bottom-right corner of
the app, tap Settings.
2. Tap Account.
3. Tap Privacy.
4. Up top, you can edit the following
four items and select who can see
what on your child’s prole:
• Last Seen: When your child
was last using the app
• Prole Photo: Your child’s photo
• About: Your child’s mini bio
• Status: What they’re currently doing
How To Turn Off Live Location
1. In the bottom-right corner of
the app, tap Settings.
2. Tap Account.
3. Tap Privacy.
4. Tap Live Location and select the chats
you’d like to remove locations from.
How To Report Safety and
Security Issues to WhatsApp
1. In the bottom-right corner of
the app, tap Settings.
2. Tap Help.
3. Tap Contact Us to send a message.
YouTube
YouTube is the second-most popular
website in the world, with over 500 hours
of content uploaded every minute. On
average, teens spend more time watching
YouTube than any other video platform,
including TV, Netix, and movies. It’s the
go-to place for videos for nearly everyone
in the world — and for this reason, there
is the potential for exposure to risky
or inappropriate content for kids.
General Things to Remember
• If a user is signed out of their account,
YouTube will automatically block all
content that requires age verication.
• Kids can access YouTube in several
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different ways, including browsers, the
app itself, smart TVs, Kindles, and iPads.
• Kids can also create a fake prole that
says they’re older, allowing them to
watch YouTube with no restrictions.
• A YouTube proxy is a tool that hides
a user’s IP address, allowing them
to bypass internet censorship and
watch YouTube videos, including
those that are blocked in their region.
Kids may also use virtual private
networks (VPNs) for the same reason.
• Unless you create a unique passcode,
YouTube Kids only requires a user to
answer a simple multiplication problem
correctly in order to make changes
to the parental control settings.
YouTube Kids
Developed with younger children in
mind, YouTube Kids is a separate app
with limited functionality. It doesn’t
grant unlimited access to the wider
YouTube network. It’s also able to be
entirely controlled by parents.
With YouTube Kids, Parents Decide
• The content level setting:
• Preschool: Ages 4 and under
• Younger: Kids 8 and under
• Older: Kids 8 to 12
• Approved Content Only: Kids are
only able to watch videos and chan-
nels that parents have handpicked
and approved
• Whether a child can use the search
function in the app
NOTE: As of August 2019, YouTube Kids
has its own separate app and website.
Setting Up YouTube for Kids Under 13
Many parents will pull up YouTube Kids on
their own personal devices while logged
into their Google/YouTube accounts. You
can also use YouTube Kids without signing
in at all. But for kids under 13 who have their
own devices and will be using YouTube
Kids, it’s best to create a Google Account
for them. This should take about 15 minutes.
For managing kids under 13, Google
has an app called Family Link on both
Android and iOS. Here’s how to set it up:
1. Open the Family Link app. If you don’t
have the Family Link app, visit the
Family Link setup page to get started.
2. In the top right, tap Create +.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
to create the account.
4. When you’re done, a conrmation
will show on the screen.
How To Change Settings on YouTube Kids
You can adjust the YouTube Kids content
settings as your kids mature. Here’s how:
1. On your device, open the
Family Link app.
2. Select your child.
3. On the Settings card, select
Manage Settings.
4. Tap More, then select YouTube Kids.
5. Choose your child’s settings:
• Content Level: Choose the content
level that’s right for your child—
whether older, younger, or preschool
• Search: Turn Search on or off
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You can also use the Family Link
app to manage your child’s activity
settings, including their YouTube
search and watch histories.
How To Allow Only Approved
Content on YouTube Kids
With this setting, your child will only be
able to watch videos, channels, and
collections that you’ve handpicked.
Nothing is left to chance by the algorithm.
1. Tap the Lock icon in the bottom
corner of any page within the app.
2. Complete the multiplication
problem, or read and enter the
numbers that appear. You may also
enter your custom passcode.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Choose your child’s prole and
enter your parent account
password to modify settings.
5. Select Approved Content
Only to enable.
6. Review the information in the
Getting Started pop-up.
7. Tap Start.
8. Tap the icon on any collection, channel,
or video to approve content you’d
like to make available to your child.
9. Tap Done in the red box at the
bottom of the screen to exit.
Tweens & YouTube
Many kids between the ages of 10 and
13 enter into a YouTube Goldilocks zone.
That is, they’re now old enough for a
little more online responsibility and have
outgrown YouTube Kids, but they’re still
young enough to need your guidance
and supervision when exploring the app.
Supervised Accounts
For kids under 13, YouTube’s new
supervised account features will bridge
the gap between the YouTube Kids
experience and total freedom. Parents
will be able to select from one of three
modes depending on their family’s
values and the child’s maturity level:
Explore
For kids nine and older, this more-
protected setting will feature vlogs,
tutorials, gaming videos, music clips,
news, educational content, and more.
Explore More
For kids 13 and older, this looser
setting will introduce an even larger
set of videos, as well as livestreams in
the same categories as Explore.
Most of YouTube
For more mature teens, this setting will
allow almost all videos on YouTube,
barring age-restricted content.
Creating Supervised Accounts
There are four ways for families to set up
supervised accounts for their kids. Google
accounts are required for each child.
1. From the YouTube app on
a parent’s device
2. On the web at families.youtube.com
3. From the Family Link app
4. From the YouTube app
on a child’s device
What Parents Can Manage
After selecting the right maturity level
for each child, parents will be able to:
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• Pause watch history
• Pause search history
• Clear history
• Unblock videos
• Review child’s watch history
Teens and YouTube
Once your child turns 13, they will be
presented with two options: manage
their own Google account or continue
to have a parent manage it.
Teens can choose to stop this supervision
at any time. Unfortunately, it gets harder
to directly control what teenagers do on
YouTube because of the company’s Terms
of Service. At this point, we recommend
having open, honest, and frequent
conversations regarding content and
how to navigate the online world—as
well as what the potential dangers are.
Using Restricted Mode
Restricted Mode works on the browser
or device level, so you must turn it on for
each browser you use. If your browser
supports multiple proles, you must
enable it for each. Restricted mode
will limit videos with drugs, alcohol,
sexual situations, violence, and more.
How To Turn Restricted Mode On or Off
1. Go to the Account icon.
2. Tap Restricted Mode.
3. In the dialogue box that appears,
toggle restricted mode to On or Off.
