Does Snapchat Have Parental Controls? What Every Parent Should Know

Snapchat's Family Center has grown into a meaningful set of parental tools, with recent updates adding screen-time breakdowns, Trust Signals for new-friend connections, Place Alerts, and controls for the app's built-in AI chatbot. But even with these additions, Family Center has real limits — it can't show you the content of messages or snaps, and it relies on your teen accepting your invite to work at all.

Our survey found that 96% of parents track their children's online activities — and Snapchat is one of the hardest platforms to monitor effectively. We'll guide you through setting up Family Center, the privacy settings worth adjusting on your teen's account, and the third-party tools that fill the gaps left by Snapchat's built-in controls. 

How to turn on Snapchat's parental controls

Snapchat's Family Center will help you track your child's activity. You can see who they've been messaging or sending Snaps to in the last 7 days, restrict what content they see in Stories and Spotlight, view all their friends, and get insights into how much time they're spending on the app.

Here's how to access Family Center on Snapchat:

1. Open Snapchat and log in to your account.
2. Open Settings by tapping the gear icon in the top right of your profile.
3. Scroll down, tap Family Center, and click Get Started.
4. Invite your child to join the Family Center. This step is crucial because if they don't accept the invite, you won't be able to monitor them.
5. Once accepted, you can view their interactions, friends list, and more.

What parental controls are available through Family Center?

You can access several parental controls through Snapchat's Family Center to keep an eye on your child's activity. They include:

• View who your child is friends with: See the full list of their Snapchat friends to help you monitor their connections.
• See who is in contact with them: This feature lets you see who your child has communicated with over the past 7 days.
• Trust Signals: When your teen adds a new friend, you can see contextual information about how they might know that person — including whether they share mutual friends, have each other's contact details saved, or belong to the same communities. This helps you assess whether new connections are people your child actually knows.
• Screen time insights: Parents can now view how much time their teen spent on Snapchat each day over the previous week, broken down by activity — chatting, snapping, using the camera, Snap Map, and watching Spotlight and Stories.
• Place Alerts: Set up notifications for when your teen arrives at or departs from key locations like home or school.
• Restrict content: The Family Center allows parents to restrict sensitive content in Stories and Spotlight. Note: This doesn't limit what they see in chats, searches, snaps, etc.
• Restrict My AI: Parents can now restrict Snapchat's My AI chatbot from responding to their teens' chats — a useful safeguard given how teens interact with in-app AI tools.
• Report abuse: If your child is dealing with inappropriate behavior, you can report users directly through the Family Center.

6 Snapchat privacy settings you should change

Beyond Family Center's parental controls, adjusting Snapchat's privacy settings can further protect your child. Here are key settings you can change on their phone to improve safety:

1. Disable Quick Add: Turn off this feature to stop Snapchat from promoting your child's account. This should reduce the number of strangers who send your child a friend request. Here are the steps: Click the Profile > Settings > Privacy Controls > See me in Quick Add > Toggle off Show me in Quick Add.
2. Limit who can contact your child: Set Snapchat to allow only their friends to contact them through chats or send snaps. Here's how to do it: Tap the Profile > Settings > Privacy Controls > Contact Me > Friends.
3. Prevent location sharing: Disable Snap Map to prevent your child from sharing their location with friends or the public. Follow these steps: Tap the Profile > Settings > Privacy Controls > See My Location > Enable Ghost Mode.
4. Prevent phone number searching: Ensure strangers cannot find your child's Snapchat account by searching for their phone number. Here are the steps: Click Profile > Settings > Mobile Number > Disable Let others find me using my mobile number.
5. Customize notifications: Review and adjust them to minimize distractions and promote healthy app use. Follow these steps: Click Profile > Settings > Notifications > Toggle off unnecessary notifications.
6. Set up two-factor authentication: This setting adds an extra layer of security by requiring a verification code when your child logs in to their account. Here are the steps: Tap Profile > Settings > Two-Factor Authentication > Follow the onscreen instructions.

Is Snapchat safe for kids?

According to our research, 14% of parents think Snapchat is dangerous, second only to TikTok (38%) and only a hair above Facebook.

Although Snapchat has parental controls, its design and features still pose potential risks to younger users. For instance, Snapchat scams can target teens, tricking them into sharing personal information or clicking on malicious links. Parents need to educate their children about these dangers.

Here are 6 ways Snapchat can be unsafe for teens:

1. Snap Map: This feature lets friends see your child's location in real time. Enabling location sharing can expose them to privacy issues.
2. Quick Add: Strangers or inappropriate contacts can discover your child, leading to unwanted friend requests.
3. Public content/profile: Your child's profile and snaps can be visible to everyone, exposing them to risks. You can restrict that through the privacy settings.
4. Discover section: The Discover page often features unfiltered content that may be inappropriate for teens.
5. Snap streaks: Teens often feel pressured to maintain streaks, leading to unhealthy levels of screen time.
6. Message and content deletion: Since messages and snaps disappear after being viewed, tracking or monitoring what your child has seen or shared can be challenging.

Other ways to keep your child safe on Snapchat

In addition to the Family Center, parents should follow general social media safety tips to ensure their child's safety online. Here are a few tips you can follow:

Check in with your child's Snapchat content

Have regular conversations with your child about the content they see on Snapchat. Encourage them to share their experiences and to come to you if they see anything inappropriate or uncomfortable.

Teach good online habits

Help your child develop healthy digital habits, such as:

• Talking to an adult: Encourage them to reach out if they encounter suspicious or uncomfortable situations, or have unwanted contact with strangers.
• Choosing a safe username: Ensure their username doesn't give away personal information.
• Being selective about sharing: Teach them to think carefully before sharing photos, videos, or personal details.
• Connect only with people they know: Remind them that it's safer to interact only with friends and family.

Encourage children to block other users

Let your child know that it's okay to block users who make them feel unsafe or uncomfortable. To empower them, you can guide them through blocking someone on Snapchat.

Get a parental control app

If you want broader control beyond Snapchat's built-in tools, consider using a third-party parental control app. These apps monitor the rest of your child's phone, including other social media apps, and can alert you to potential issues that Family Center alone won't catch. Here are a few good options:

Bottom line

Snapchat offers parental controls through its Family Center, but they are limited in scope. While recent updates have added screen time insights, Trust Signals, Place Alerts, and My AI restrictions, Family Center still can't show you the content of messages or snaps. Use its in-app settings alongside third-party parental control apps to better protect your teens.

Ensure you set up Snapchat's parental controls and consider using the best parental control apps to help monitor your child's device.

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