TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps among teens and young adults today. The short-form video app lets users create and share fun 15 to 60 second videos, often set to music. But with its viral challenges and unfiltered content, many parents have concerns about letting their kids use TikTok.
That’s where parental controls come in!
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore all the ins and outs of setting parental controls on TikTok.
We’ll also cover frequently asked questions on managing your kid’s TikTok account.
Let’s dive in!
Why TikTok Parental Controls Are Important
With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become the social media platform for teens and young adults. Kids love expressing themselves through short videos set to music.
But TikTok does come with some risks:
- Explicit content – Videos with swearing, sexual content, drugs/alcohol are common. Racy song lyrics are often used in the background.
- Addictiveness – The “For You” page serves up an endless stream of catchy, funny videos that kids can get lost in for hours.
- Challenges – Viral challenges range from harmless to dangerous and illegal. Things like the skull breaker or penny challenge can lead to serious injury.
- Predators – Like any social media, predators look for young targets. Kids may get suggestive comments or messages.
That’s why utilizing TikTok’s parental control tools is so important for keeping your child safe online. The controls allow you to restrict certain features and content so your kid has an age-appropriate experience on the platform.
TikTok’s Built-In Parental Controls
TikTok offers several built-in parental control tools. Let’s take a look at the main options available:
Screen Time Management
You can limit how much time your child spends in the app each day. This can prevent endless scrolling and promote healthy screen time habits.
To set a time limit:
- Go to your child’s profile
- Tap the 3-dot menu in the top right
- Select “Digital Wellbeing“
- Choose “Screen Time Management“
- Toggle “Daily Screen Time” on and select a time limit
Your child will then be locked out of TikTok once they hit their daily allowance.
Restricted Mode
Restricted mode tries to limit age-inappropriate videos. It uses algorithms to filter out content with violence, explicit language, drugs, nudity etc.
However, it’s not 100% foolproof. Racy videos can still slip through the filters. So you’ll want to spot check your child’s feed/activity.
Turn restricted mode on by:
- Going to your child’s profile
- Selecting “Digital Wellbeing” in the menu
- Choosing “Restricted Mode“
- Toggling it on
This makes their TikTok experience generally more kid-friendly, but some inappropriate content may get through.
Private Accounts
Making your child’s account private prevents random people from viewing their profile and videos. Their content will only be visible to approved followers.
To make an account private:
- Go to your profile
- Tap the 3-dot menu
- Choose “Privacy and Safety“
- Toggle “Private Account” on
This gives your child more control over who interacts with their account.
Comment Controls
You can restrict who can comment on your child’s videos:
- Go to their profile
- Select “Privacy and Safety“
- Choose “Comment Controls“
- Select “Friends” or turn commenting “Off“
Similarly, you can limit who can react to their content under “Video Privacy Controls”.
Message Controls
By default, TikTok doesn’t allow messaging for users under 16. If your kid is older, you can still limit who can message them:
- Go to their profile
- Choose “Privacy and Safety“
- Select “Message Controls“
- Switch to “Friends” or “No One“
Discoverability
Prevent your child’s account from being suggested to others via:
- Their profile
- “Privacy and Safety“
- Disable “Suggest your account to others“
This adds another layer of privacy.
Downloads, Reactions, Duets
You can also control:
- Who can download your child’s videos
- Who can react to videos
- Who can use their videos in duets
Look in “Video Privacy Controls” to customize these settings.
Also read: How to block Tiktok on Android or iPhone.
Family Pairing – Parents Managing Kids Accounts
TikTok’s Family Pairing feature takes things a step further. It allows parents to directly manage their kid’s TikTok account from their own device.
You can enable Family Pairing by:
- Adding your child as a “Family Member” under account settings
- Scanning a QR code on your child’s device to link the accounts
Once paired, parents gain controls like:
- Setting total daily screen time limits
- Restricting inappropriate content
- Limiting discoverability and suggestions
- Disabling direct messaging
- And more!
It gives you remote oversight over their entire TikTok experience. Very handy for keeping them safe.
3rd Party Apps for More Robust Controls
While TikTok’s built-in parental controls are useful, even better options exist. Third party apps like Bark and FamiSafe offer more powerful filters and monitoring capabilities. You can also try parental control apps to monitor multiple platforms your child uses, including Instagram, Spotify, and Chrome.
Key features include:
- Filtering based on keyword lists, not just algorithms
- Blocking content by specific tags, songs, sounds etc.
- Monitoring messages and comments
- Alerting parents of concerning content in real-time
- Time limits and scheduling restrictions
- Location tracking
- Usage and search history reports
- Multi-platform support
The downside is you often have to pay a monthly fee. But for parents who want total peace of mind regarding their child’s digital safety, the cost is usually worth it.
Third party parental control apps take things to the next level.
Tips for Managing Your Kid’s TikTok Account
Here are some other tips for keeping your kid’s TikTok experience safe and positive beyond just parental controls:
- Discuss online safety – Have open conversations about interacting with strangers, oversharing personal details, and being kind in comments.
- Check their contacts – Occasionally review who they are following/being followed by to spot concerning accounts.
- Use screen time limits – Set time limits on their device using built-in tools like iPhone’s Screen Time feature.
- Monitor challenges & trends – Keep up with the latest viral challenges and trends to screen for dangerous behavior.
- Set a good example – Model responsible TikTok use by avoiding endless scrolling and showing respect in your videos/comments.
- Encourage balance – Make sure they take occasional breaks from the app and engage in other activities. It shouldn’t dominate their life.
Ongoing conversation and involvement are key to ensuring a healthy TikTok habit.
TikTok Parental Controls FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about managing your child’s TikTok account:
How do I delete my kid’s TikTok account?
- Go to their profile
- Tap the 3-dot menu
- Choose “Manage my account“
- Select “Delete account” and confirm
Can I see what videos my child likes on TikTok?
- From their profile, tap the heart icon
- This shows all videos they’ve liked
Can I limit who my child follows on TikTok?
Not directly. But you can regularly check their following list and require that they unfollow any concerning accounts.
How can I stop my kid from bypassing TikTok limits?
Set up restrictions on their device using built-in parental controls like iPhone’s Screen Time, which blocks deleting/installing new apps.
Is there a way to approve videos before my child posts them?
No approval system exists currently. You’ll need to have ongoing conversations about posting responsibly.
Can I see messages my child sends/receives on TikTok?
Not within the app itself. You’ll need a 3rd party parental control app to monitor messages.
How do I report concerning content my child sees on TikTok?
- Tap the share icon on the video
- Select “Report“
- Choose why you’re reporting the video
Can I set times when my child can’t access TikTok?
Yes! Use screen time limits either in TikTok itself or device-level parental controls.
How can I make sure my kid’s account is completely private?
Double check that everything under “Privacy and Safety” is limited to “Friends” or turned “Off”.
Key Takeaways
- TikTok parental controls allow you to restrict chat, screen time, content, downloads, visibility, comments and more.
- Family Pairing lets parents manage kids’ accounts remotely from their own device.
- Third party apps offer more powerful filtering, monitoring, and time limits.
- Have open conversations about online safety and model responsible use.
- Regularly check your child’s contacts, likes, and account activity.
- Use iPhone/Android parental controls for broader app limits.
- Delete the app if your child shows signs of unhealthy obsession.
- Stay involved and informed to keep your kid’s experience safe.
With a layered approach to limits, oversight, and communication, TikTok can be fun and safe for kids with guidance. Take advantage of the parental controls available while emphasizing responsibility.