Instagram Teen Accounts: what's on by default, and what supervision adds

What a Teen Account is

Since 2024, Instagram has placed users aged 13 to 17 in Teen Accounts, starting with Canada, the US, the UK and Australia. Your teen doesn't have to opt in. The protections are there from the first day.

Teens under 16 need a parent or guardian's permission to make these settings less strict. Teens 16 and 17 can change most of them on their own, which is one reason supervision and conversation still matter at that age.

What's on by default

Out of the box, a Teen Account has:

• A private account. Only people your teen approves can see their posts.
• Message limits. People your teen isn't already connected to can't message them.
• Fewer tags and mentions. Accounts your teen doesn't follow can't tag or mention them.
• Hidden Words at its strictest setting, which filters offensive comments and message requests.
• A 13+ content setting. Since October 2025, content is modelled on movie ratings for teens. Posts with strong language, risky stunts or adult behaviour are hidden or not recommended. Teens can't opt out without a parent's permission.
• A daily reminder to close the app after 60 minutes of use.
• Sleep mode from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., which mutes notifications and sends auto-replies to messages.

Instagram says its content systems don't work exactly like a film board, and teens may still occasionally see something that isn't right for them. That's a good reason to keep talking, not a reason to panic.

Setting up supervision together

Supervision is a separate, optional layer. Both of you need an Instagram account, and your teen has to accept before it starts. Either of you can send the invitation.

From your own Instagram account:

1. Go to your profile and open the menu (the three lines at the top).
2. Tap Family Center, then follow the prompts to invite your teen.
3. Your teen accepts the invitation from their own account.

Invitations expire if they aren't accepted, so it's easiest to send one while you're sitting together. If yours lapses, you can send a new one. Menus can move between versions of the app, so follow the on-screen wording if it looks different.

What you can see, and what stays private

With supervision on, you can:

• see how much time your teen spends on Instagram, and set a daily limit
• see who they follow, who follows them, and who they've been chatting with
• approve or decline requests to change their settings
• choose a stricter Limited Content setting, which filters out more and turns off comments on posts

You can't read your teen's messages. Supervision shows patterns, not content. Your teen can also see that supervision is on, and they can end it, though you're notified if they do.

Newer alerts for supervising parents

In early 2026, Meta began sending alerts to supervising parents in Canada, the US, the UK and Australia if a teen repeatedly searches about suicide or self-harm in a short period. Instagram already blocks those searches and points teens to help. The alert comes in the app and by email, text or WhatsApp, along with expert guidance on how to talk to your teen.

Meta says it set the threshold on the side of caution, so an alert doesn't always mean something is wrong. If you get one, stay calm, check in gently, and use the help resources below.

What supervision can't do

• It doesn't show message content, and it doesn't follow your teen to other apps.
• It only covers the account you're linked to. A second account isn't supervised.
• Filters miss things, and age checks aren't perfect.

Most teens use Instagram to keep up with friends and interests, and the defaults now do a lot of quiet work. Your relationship does the rest. Agree together on what supervision is for, and tell your teen they can always come to you, even if they've broken a rule, without losing their phone.