Can I set TikTok parental controls from my own phone?

Once the two accounts are linked, you manage the controls from your own account: open Family Pairing, select the account you want to manage and update the settings. TikTok says you can set your teen's screen time limit directly from your own account, and schedule extra time to mute their push notifications from your own account. The linking itself involves both accounts, because the set-up asks you to choose Parent or Teen.

Can my teen turn off Family Pairing?

TikTok's Family Pairing help page does not say who can end the link. What it does say is that teens can always increase their own restrictions but can't reduce the ones you set, and that you can be notified if your accounts get unlinked by turning on Customized updates and more push notifications under Linked account activity. Turn that on, and treat an unlinking notification as a prompt for a conversation.

What does Restricted Mode block on TikTok?

Restricted Mode limits exposure to content that may not be comfortable for everyone, such as mature or complex themes. TikTok says you shouldn't see profanity, sexually suggestive content, realistic violence or threatening imagery, firearms or weapons in an environment that isn't appropriate, illegal or controlled substances, or explicit references to mature or complex themes intended for older audiences. Some features are also unavailable while it is on, including access to the Following feed, going LIVE, and gifting on LIVE. To turn it on, go to Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Content preferences > Restricted Mode and set a passcode. You can also turn it on for your teen through Family Pairing.

What are TikTok's default settings for a 13-year-old?

For ages 13 to 15, TikTok sets the account to private by default. Others can't Duet, Stitch, create stickers with your teen's videos, download their posts or add their posts to their Stories. Direct messaging isn't available. Comments are set to Friends (followers they follow back) and can't be changed. Suggest your account to others is turned off, and your teen's account won't be suggested to mutual connections. Daily screen time is turned on at one hour, and push notifications are muted from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. For 16 and 17-year-olds the account is also private by default, but some of these settings can be changed, including who can comment and who can send messages.

Can I see my child's messages on TikTok?

Family Pairing lets you decide who can send your teen messages or message requests, and lets you view their blocked accounts, following and follower lists, and a view-only list of their privacy settings. Reading the messages themselves is not among the things TikTok lists. Direct messaging is only available from age 16. Since reading messages isn't among the listed controls, talk to your teen directly about who is contacting them.

What age should my child be to use TikTok?

TikTok officially requires users to be at least 13, but many child safety experts recommend waiting until 14 or 15. In the UK there is no version of TikTok for under-13s. TikTok says its separate experience for people under 13 is only available in the U.S., and it removes accounts it finds to be under 13.

Can I control what my child sees on TikTok?

Yes. TikTok offers a Family Pairing feature that lets you link your account to your child's. From there you can turn on Restricted Mode, set a daily screen time limit, decide who can send them messages or message requests (direct messaging is only available to people aged 16 and over), decide who can comment on their posts, and choose whether they can search for videos, hashtags and LIVE videos.

Is TikTok safe for children?

TikTok can be relatively safe for a teenager with the right settings, but it isn't designed for young children. The main concerns are the algorithm surfacing age-inappropriate or distressing content on the For You feed, contact from strangers, and the pressure of trends and challenges. Accounts for 13 to 15-year-olds are private by default and direct messaging isn't available to them at all, but active parental settings and conversations matter more than any single toggle.

Can strangers message my child on TikTok?

Direct messaging is not available to accounts registered to under-16s, and for 16 and 17-year-olds, Family Pairing lets you decide who can send messages or message requests to them. Be aware that contact can also happen through comments and, on live videos, through live chat — so limiting comments and talking about live chat is worth doing alongside the DM settings.

What is Restricted Mode and does it actually work?

Restricted Mode is a filter that limits content that may not be suitable for all audiences. It reduces exposure to mature themes but is not comprehensive — some unsuitable content still slips through, and a determined teen can turn it off unless you turn it on for them via Family Pairing (TikTok says teens can't reduce restrictions their parent has set). It also has to be switched on separately for each account your child has. Treat it as one useful layer alongside a private account, limited contact, and ongoing conversations, not a complete solution.

Can my child go live or watch live streams on TikTok?

Going live requires users to be 18+, so an under-18's account should not be able to broadcast. However, children can still watch others' live streams, where live chat can expose them to inappropriate contact. TikTok says you must be 18 or over (19 in South Korea) to send or receive virtual Gifts, so gifting should not be available on a teen's account, though an account registered with a false age can reach it. If your child uses TikTok, it's worth talking about live streams specifically and using Family Pairing to restrict what they can access.

How do I set a time limit for TikTok?

TikTok has built-in screen time controls. For 13 to 17-year-olds, daily screen time is already turned on by default at one hour. Through Family Pairing you can set the limit yourself from your own account (one limit that applies to all your teen's devices) and see a summary of their time on TikTok in the screen time dashboard. When your teen reaches the limit you can choose to enter a randomised passcode to let them back in. You can also use the device's own tools — Screen Time on Apple or Digital Wellbeing on Android — for a limit your child can't simply switch off inside the app. Agreeing the limit together tends to cause less friction than imposing one.

Is TikTok being investigated by Ofcom?

On 16 July 2026 Ofcom opened a formal investigation into TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited under section 12 of the Online Safety Act 2023, which covers duties to protect children from harmful content. It will look at whether TikTok has complied, including whether its age assurance is highly effective at correctly working out whether a user is a child; Ofcom's Age Assurance report, published the same day, suggested that age inference models such as TikTok's may have failed to correctly identify a significant proportion of children. Opening an investigation does not mean Ofcom has concluded that TikTok broke the rules: in an update on 22 October 2026 it said it had reached no findings or conclusions, and it expects to publish a further update in approximately three months. Meanwhile, check that your child's account has their real date of birth, because TikTok's age-based protections depend on it.

How do I report a problem or block someone on TikTok?

To report a post, tap the Share button on it (or press and hold it) and tap Report; to report an account, open the profile, tap Share, then Report and Report account. Comments and direct messages have their own Report option. You can block an account from its profile. Reporting in-app is usually the fastest route to removing content or restricting someone. If your accounts are linked through Family Pairing and your teen reports something they believe breaks TikTok's Community Guidelines, they can choose to let TikTok notify you in your inbox when they report it. If the accounts aren't linked, they can choose to notify you by email. If a child is in immediate danger call 999, or 101 for non-emergency police matters. The NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) and Childline (0800 1111) are free and confidential, and /reporting has a full UK decision tree.

TikTok Parental Controls and Safety Guide for Parents

Q: How do I put parental controls on TikTok?

Use Family Pairing, which links your own TikTok account to your teen's. In the TikTok app: 1. Tap Profile at the bottom. 2. Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top, then select Settings and privacy. 3. Tap Family Pairing. 4. Tap Continue. 5. Tap Parent or Teen, then tap Next. 6. Follow the steps to link the accounts. Because the set-up asks whether you are the Parent or the Teen, both accounts take part in linking. Once linked, go back to Family Pairing, select your teen's account and update the settings you want.

A practical guide to keeping your child safe on TikTok, including privacy settings, content controls, and what parents need to know.

TikTok is a short-form video app where users watch and create endless algorithm-recommended clips, hugely popular with teenagers.

Official age

13+

We recommend

15+

Developer

ByteDance

Risks

Features to know about

Private messages Group chats Contact from strangers Livestreaming Public posts Adult or mature content In-app spending Parent controls

Direct messaging

In-app purchases

Live streaming

Overview

You put parental controls on TikTok with Family Pairing, which links your own TikTok account to your teen's. Open Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Family Pairing and follow the steps; once the accounts are linked you manage your teen's settings from your own account. TikTok is a short-form video platform where users watch, create, and share clips set to music or audio. Its powerful algorithm quickly learns what content a viewer enjoys, which can lead to extended viewing sessions. The app is used by more than a billion people, according to TikTok, and is one of the most popular platforms among teenagers.

How children use it

Children primarily scroll through the For You feed watching entertaining videos, dance trends, and comedy sketches. Many also create and upload their own content, sometimes sharing personal details without realising the audience size. Teens can watch LIVE streams, and from 16 they can use direct messaging, but going LIVE themselves is limited to people aged 18 and over. Users aged 18 and over can buy Coins inside the app and use them to send Gifts; TikTok does not let under-18s buy Coins.

Main risks

harmful content privacy oversharing online strangers screen time

Recommended privacy settings

Family Pairing

Location: Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Family Pairing

Set to: Linked to parent account

Links your TikTok account to your teen's so you can review and adjust their settings. To link the accounts: 1. In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom. 2. Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top, then select Settings and privacy. 3. Tap Family Pairing. 4. Tap Continue. 5. Tap Parent or Teen, then tap Next. 6. Follow the steps to link the accounts. To change settings later, open Family Pairing, select the account you want to manage and update the settings. Teens can always increase their own restrictions, but can't reduce those set by you.

Daily screen time

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Daily screen time (your teen's own copy: Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Time and well-being > Screen time > Daily screen time)

Set to: On (one hour by default for ages 13 to 17)

Decides how long your teen can spend on TikTok each day. It is turned on by default at one hour for 13 to 17-year-olds. You can set the limit directly from your own account, set one limit for TikTok that applies to all of your teen's devices, and get a randomised passcode that you can choose to enter after your teen reaches their time to let them return to TikTok.

Schedule time away

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Schedule time away

Set to: Set recurring times that suit your family

Sets recurring times to limit your teen's access to TikTok. You select the day and time that TikTok will be unavailable to your teen, and your teen can send you a request to continue using TikTok during the scheduled time away.

Mute push notifications

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Mute push notifications

Set to: On (default 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. for 13 to 15, 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. for 16 to 17)

Decides when your teen's push notifications are muted. It is turned on by default: 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. for 13 to 15-year-olds and 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. for 16 and 17-year-olds. You can schedule additional muted time from your own account, but the default time overrides any custom time that overlaps with it. For example, if you set a 13-year-old's scheduled time from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., the default 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. overrides your setting.

Restricted Mode

Location: Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Content preferences > Restricted Mode (or Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Restricted Mode)

Set to: On

Limits exposure to content that may not be comfortable for everyone, such as mature or complex themes. You set or enter a passcode when you turn it on or off, and if it is the first time you'll need to tap Turn on before you can set a passcode. It has to be turned on for each account separately if your teen has more than one. As a parent you can turn it on for your teen's account through Family Pairing. Under Restricted Mode TikTok aims to leave out profanity, sexually suggestive content, realistic violence or threatening imagery, firearms or weapons in an environment that isn't appropriate, illegal or controlled substances, and explicit references to mature or complex themes intended for older audiences. Access to the Following feed, going LIVE and gifting on LIVE are unavailable, and Restricted Mode and daily screen time limits prevent your teen from logging out or switching accounts on the TikTok app. Not perfect, but a useful extra layer of protection.

Private Account

Location: Your teen's privacy settings (Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Private account), or Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Discoverability

Set to: On

Only people your teen approves can follow them and view their posts, bio, likes, and their following and followers lists. Accounts for 13 to 17-year-olds are set to private by default at sign-up, and a private account also stops others from using Duet, Stitch, stickers, downloads or Stories with their videos. Their nickname, username and profile photo are always visible to anyone, private or not. This is the single most important setting to enable.

Discoverability

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Discoverability

Set to: Private

Decide whether your teen's account is private or public. With a private account, your teen can approve who can follow them and view their content. If a 16 or 17-year-old chooses a public account, their profile and videos are visible to, and shareable by, anyone on or off TikTok whether or not they have a TikTok account, and their content may appear in search engines, blogs, social media posts and news sites.

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Search

Set to: Your choice, based on your teen's age and maturity

Decide whether your teen can search for videos, hashtags, LIVE videos, and more on TikTok.

Direct Messages

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Direct messages (your teen's own copy: Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Direct messages)

Set to: Not available under 16; for 16 and over, limit who can message

Decide who can send messages or message requests to your teen. Direct messaging on TikTok is only available to people aged 16 and older: for 13 to 15-year-olds it isn't available whether the account is private or public. For 16 and 17-year-olds, messages from friends (followers they follow back) appear in the inbox unless they choose Don't receive, and message requests (from Potential connections or Others on TikTok) are a separate choice between Requests and Don't receive. TikTok's teen settings page says they arrive as requests unless the teen chooses Don't receive, and its Direct messages page now points under-18s to those teen settings, so open your teen's Direct messages setting and check what it shows. With a private account, Others on TikTok can't send message requests unless they follow your teen.

Comments

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Comments

Set to: Friends (followers they follow back)

Decide who can comment on your teen's posts. For 13 to 15-year-olds this is set to Friends (followers they follow back) and can't be changed. For 16 and 17-year-olds it is Followers by default on a private account and Everyone by default on a public account, and can be changed to Friends. When posting, your teen can turn off Allow comments to stop other people commenting on that video.

Reuse of content

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Reuse of content

Set to: Off or Friends only

Decide who can Duet, Stitch, create Stickers with, and post Stories with your teen's content. For 13 to 15-year-olds no one can Duet or Stitch with their videos (this can't be changed), and others can't create stickers from their posts or download them (video downloads is off and can't be changed). On a private account for 16 and 17-year-olds no one can Duet, Stitch or create stickers with their videos; on a public account Duet, Stitch and stickers are set to Friends by default and can be changed to Everyone.

Suggest account to others

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Suggest account to others

Set to: Off

Decide whether your teen's account can be recommended to others. For ages 13 to 17 these settings are turned off, whether the account is private or public, and can be turned on in privacy settings. An account under 18 won't be suggested to mutual connections.

Liked posts

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Liked posts

Set to: Your choice, based on your teen's age and maturity

Decide who can view your teen's liked posts.

Filter keywords

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Filter keywords

Set to: Add keywords or hashtags that worry you

Select keywords and their variations or hashtags to exclude from your teen's supported feeds on TikTok, and manage the visibility of your keyword list.

Manage blocked accounts

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Manage blocked accounts

Set to: Block accounts you don't want your teen to interact with

Block accounts you don't want your teen to interact with and view their blocked list. Once an account is blocked, the blocked account and your teen can't view each other's posts or send each other direct messages, and the blocked account won't be able to find your teen's profile via search. Your teen can ask you to unblock an account, but they can also manage and unblock accounts they've blocked on their own profile. Your teen may still encounter a blocked person in multi-host LIVE, shared group chats, or the reuse of content by others. This feature isn't currently available everywhere. The person you block won't be notified, and if someone has already blocked you, you won't be able to search for the account and block them for your teen.

Screen time dashboard

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Screen time dashboard

Set to: Check it regularly

A summary of your teen's time spent on TikTok: the cumulative time spent each day for the current week, across the app and the web browser. A date filter lets you view usage from a different week, choosing from the previous 3 weeks.

Review teen's settings

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Review teen's settings

Set to: Check it after setting things up

An overview of your teen's privacy settings, such as their account visibility and who can comment on their posts. The settings shown depend on your teen's age and the features available to them. It is a view-only list; you can manage some privacy settings through Family Pairing.

Linked account activity

Location: Family Pairing > select your teen's account > Linked account activity

Set to: Customized updates and more push notifications turned on

Get notifications about your teen's activity, such as if your accounts get unlinked, by turning on Customized updates and more push notifications.

Parent actions

essential

Set up Family Pairing before your child starts using the app (Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Family Pairing) and make sure their account is private

Time: 10 minutes

essential

Open Family Pairing again, select your teen's account and check Restricted Mode, Direct messages (16 and over only), Comments, Search and Discoverability

Time: 10 minutes

essential

Check daily screen time (on by default at one hour for 13 to 17-year-olds), then agree a limit together and set it from your own account if you want a different one

Time: 5 minutes

recommended

Review Schedule time away and Mute push notifications (muted by default from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. for 13 to 15-year-olds, 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. for 16 and 17-year-olds)

Time: 5 minutes

recommended

Turn on Customized updates and more push notifications under Linked account activity so you are told about your teen's activity, such as if your accounts get unlinked

Time: 2 minutes

essential

Talk to your child about not sharing personal details such as school name, location, or full name in videos

Time: 15 minutes

recommended

Review the For You feed together occasionally to understand what content the algorithm is serving

Time: 10 minutes weekly

Related app guides

instagram snapchat youtube

If you need to report this

In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.

Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.

See all UK reporting pathways

Myths & facts

Myth: TikTok is just dancing videos and harmless fun.

Fact: TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is powerful and can move a child from ordinary content to harmful material — extreme diet, self-harm, or hateful content — very quickly. The engineered feed is the risk, not just individual videos.

Myth: If the account is private, my child is safe on TikTok.

Fact: Private helps, but the main risks are the algorithmic feed and direct messages. Use Family Pairing, decide who can message them once direct messaging becomes available at 16, and keep talking about what the feed is showing them.

Myth: TikTok's built-in teen protections work no matter what age my child entered.

Fact: Almost every safeguard TikTok applies — private-by-default accounts, restricted messaging, no going LIVE or sending LIVE Gifts under 18 — hangs off the date of birth typed at sign-up, so an account created with an adult birth date may get none of them unless TikTok's own age-prediction technology flags the account, and Ofcom has suggested such models may fail to identify a significant proportion of children. It's worth checking what age the account thinks your child is, and starting a fresh account with the real date if it's wrong, before relying on any built-in protection.

Age by age

8-10
TikTok's minimum age is 13, so at this age the honest answer is no account — however many classmates claim to have one. If a particular trend or song is the draw, watch the odd video together on your device so it stays social rather than secret.
11-13
The pull gets strong at secondary school, but the minimum age is still 13. If they've just turned 13, set the account up together with their real date of birth so the teen protections apply, keep it private, and link Family Pairing from day one. For 13 to 15-year-olds TikTok makes the account private by default, switches off Duet, Stitch, stickers, downloads and sharing to Stories for their videos, and doesn't offer direct messaging at all.
14-16
The feed is the thing to keep talking about: ask what TikTok is showing them, and show them how to use 'not interested' and the feed refresh if it drifts somewhere grim. Until 16, direct messaging isn't available on TikTok; from 16, check who can send them messages or message requests, and that comments are limited (for 13 to 15-year-olds comments are Friends only and can't be changed). Make sure you both know how to report and block.
17-plus
Controls matter less now than habits, though 16 and 17-year-olds' accounts are still private by default and daily screen time is still on at one hour by default until 18. Talk about late-night scrolling, how the feed shapes mood, and the money side — TikTok Shop bargains and 'easy money' offers arriving by DM. Treat any request to move a conversation off TikTok as a warning sign.

What to say

Full conversation guides: first social media talk, social media addiction talk

Frequently Asked Questions

Part of: Online Safety· Social Media

Related Resources

Safety Topic

Harmful Content

Safety Topic

Privacy & Oversharing

App Guide

Instagram Safety Guide

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-11-09Next review: 2027-02-09Reviewed against: TikTok Family Pairing, TikTok teen privacy and safety settings, TikTok screen time, TikTok Restricted Mode, TikTok Safety Centre: youth safety and well-being, Ofcom: investigation into TikTok (section 12)

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