Instagram: the parent’s guide
Teen Accounts, Family Center, and the settings under-18s need checked monthly.
Meta’s Teen Accounts (default for under-18)
Since late 2024, accounts registered as teens on Instagram are automatically placed in Teen Accounts. Key defaults:
- Private account.
- DMs restricted to existing followers.
- Sensitive content filter on “Less.”
- Nighttime mute (no notifications 10pm-7am).
- Daily usage reminder after 60 minutes.
Verify your kid’s account is set as a teen: Profile › Menu › Settings › About › Account Status / date of birth.
Supervision via Family Center
On your account: Settings › Supervision › Invite your kid. Once accepted, you see daily time on app, who they follow, who follows them, and get notifications when they report accounts. You do not see DMs.
Hidden risks
- Finsta accounts — the secondary private account parents don’t know about. Ask — don’t accuse.
- DMs from non-followers — Teen Accounts restrict these, but a follow request is enough to sidestep it.
- Reels algorithm — the Reels tab surfaces content beyond what the kid follows. Use “Not Interested” aggressively.
- Close Friends Stories — “just for close friends” content sometimes gets screenshotted and spreads.
Critical settings
- Private account (verify).
- Hide Story and Live from specific people / everyone.
- Turn off “Suggest my account to others”.
- Restrict comments to people you follow.
- Limit — temporarily hide comments/DMs from non-followers during a harassment wave.