How to Set Up TikTok’s New Safety Features for Teens

Learn how to set up TikTok's new safety features for teens, including screen time limits and secure private messaging, as the platform strengthens its youth protection policies.

Prioritizing Safety on TikTok

In a world dominated by social media, it’s crucial for parents to safeguard their children online. TikTok has responded by enhancing its Family Pairing feature, now offering even more customizable usage limits and restrictions.

Family Pairing Feature Advances

Originally designed to let parents and guardians tailor safety settings, TikTok’s Family Pairing has expanded significantly.

Parents can now link their account with their child’s, setting specific controls such as daily screen time limits, access to a screen time dashboard, muting push notifications, blocking certain keywords and hashtags, and limiting exposure to potentially inappropriate content.

Enhanced Customization and Security

The Family Pairing mode now includes new features for parents. One such addition is the Off-Screen Time feature, which allows parents to designate times when their teen cannot access TikTok.

To further support disconnection, especially for users under 16, TikTok introduces a meditation feature. Post-10 PM, the “For You” feed halts and a “calming screen with soothing music encourages relaxation and awareness of the time,” according to a TikTok press release.

Actions Against Sensitive Content and Fake News

In terms of safety, parents can now disable the messaging feature for users over 16. Moreover, TikTok has implemented strategies to combat sensitive content and misinformation. If a teen reports a video violating social network rules, they can notify a trusted adult, even without using the Family Pairing mode.

Additionally, the STEM news feed, displaying content related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, now automatically appears for users under 18.