Teen accounts on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube: set up together

What is a teen account, and what is already switched on?

A teen account is an ordinary account with stricter defaults because of the user's age. Instagram automatically places 13- to 17-year-olds in Teen Accounts. TikTok, according to the German initiative klicksafe, has different defaults for 13–15 and 16–17-year-olds. YouTube offers a supervised teen account for 13- to 17-year-olds in most countries, linked to a parent's account.

Every protection depends on the age in the account. For TikTok, klicksafe stresses that the safeguards only work with the correct date of birth.

Instagram: which settings should you review together?

Teen Accounts are private by default. Instagram limits who can message, tag and mention your teen, and limits the content they see. Potentially offensive comments and message requests are hidden with the strictest "Hidden Words" setting. After 60 minutes of use a day, a reminder suggests closing the app. "Sleep mode" runs from 10 pm to 7 am: notifications are muted and messages get an auto-reply.

Teens aged 13 to 15 cannot make these settings less strict without a parent's permission. "More Content" needs a parent's permission at any age, and with supervision so does loosening any setting.

Supervision: what you see and what you don't

Both you and your teen need an Instagram account. With supervision you can approve or deny your teen's requests to change settings. You can see who your teen has messaged in the last seven days, but not what was written.

Tip: Open the account settings on your teen's phone and go through privacy, messages, mentions and time one by one. Your teen holds the phone, you ask the questions.

TikTok: what changes with age, and what does Family Pairing do?

TikTok's terms require users to be at least 13. Accounts of 13- to 15-year-olds are private by default. Strangers cannot comment on their videos, and Duet, Stitch and suggesting their account to others are switched off. Others cannot download their videos, although klicksafe notes that external programs can get around this. Austria's Saferinternet.at says direct messages are only unlocked from 16. Since November 2022, only users aged 18 or over with at least 1,000 followers can go live. For under-16s, a meditation prompt interrupts the For You feed after 10 pm.

At 16 and 17, Duet and Stitch are available, by default with friends only. Downloads are off but can be switched on: decide this together.

Family Pairing

Family Pairing links your TikTok account to your teen's, for example to set a daily time limit. Since March 2025, klicksafe reports, parents can also schedule recurring time away. They can see who their teen follows, who follows them and whom they have blocked.

In July 2025 TikTok added more: parents can see whether a 16- or 17-year-old allows downloads, Duet or Stitch, and which topics they chose for their feed. A teen who reports a video can alert a parent, who does not see the reported content. TikTok also announced that parents would be able to block specific accounts for their teen, starting in Europe. The teen can ask for an unblock, but the parent makes the final decision.

You start Family Pairing in the app's settings. Labels change with updates, so follow the prompts TikTok shows there together.

YouTube: how do you link a supervised teen account?

On YouTube, your teen keeps their own account. If you both agree, you link it to yours, and either of you can turn supervision off at any time. You then see your teen's channels and how many videos, live streams, comments on other videos and subscriptions they have. The help page lists numbers, not content.

You receive emails when your teen posts a new video or starts a live stream, and you can turn these off. You can also set take-a-break and bedtime reminders and limit the time spent scrolling Shorts.

Tip: On YouTube, supervision does not end automatically when your teen turns 18. Agree in advance when you will switch it off, for example on their 18th birthday.

What does EU law require, and what about Switzerland?

The Digital Services Act (DSA) has applied across the EU since 17 February 2024, and its Article 28 covers the online protection of minors. On 14 July 2025 the European Commission published guidelines on it. They recommend, among other things, that minors' accounts are private by default, that children can block and mute any user and are not added to groups without explicit consent, and that streaks, read receipts, autoplay and push notifications are off by default.

Following the guidelines is voluntary, but the Commission uses them to assess compliance with Article 28(1). For minimum ages on social media, see Social media age limits: what applies in Europe and what's next.

An example: Aoife and her mother go through the settings

Fictional example: Aoife, 15, from Cork uses TikTok and YouTube. Her mother Claire wants to understand the settings, not read along in secret. On a Sunday afternoon they first check the date of birth, then the settings: the account is private, and Duet and Stitch are off because Aoife is under 16.

They set up Family Pairing together and agree on a daily limit and time away from 10 pm on school nights. Claire explains what she will see: whom Aoife follows, who follows her and whom she has blocked. On YouTube, Aoife invites her mother through Family Centre. Finally, they pick a date during the next mid-term break to look again.

How can you guide your teen without spying on them?

Supervision is built on cooperation: on Instagram and YouTube both sides must agree. Use it to open a conversation, not as a control tool. Saferinternet.at advises asking your teen to explain the app, staying approachable and showing them how to report and block. klicksafe recommends setting the app up safely together and talking about risks.

• Who may message me, and what do I do if a message feels wrong?
• How much time a day is fine for us, including at weekends?
• What do I share publicly, and what stays with close friends?
• When will we look at the settings together again?

To check a profile the way a stranger sees it, try Your profile from the outside: a privacy check together. Device-level limits and family agreements are covered in First smartphone for your child: age, ground rules and settings.