Parents hub

Platform settings hub

Step-by-step guides to the privacy and safety settings that actually matter — for every platform your child uses. Pick an app below to get started.

TikTok is one of the highest-risk platforms for children. Its recommendation algorithm is exceptionally powerful and has been found to serve harmful content — including self-harm and eating disorder material — to young users. These settings significantly reduce (but don't eliminate) that risk.

Step 1 — Set the account to Private

Prevents anyone who doesn't follow your child from seeing their content

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Open TikTok → tap Profile (bottom right)

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Tap the ☰ menu (top right) → Settings and privacy

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Tap Privacy → toggle Private account on

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Also turn off Suggest your account to others — this stops TikTok recommending your child's profile to strangers

Step 2 — Restrict or disable Direct Messages

Stops strangers contacting your child privately

1

Settings and privacy → Privacy → Direct messages

2

Set to No one for under-13s, or Friends for older teens

Step 3 — Set up Family Pairing

Links your TikTok account to your child's — you manage their settings from your phone

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Create your own TikTok account if you don't have one (free)

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On your account: Settings → Family Pairing → Parent

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On your child's account: Settings → Family Pairing → Teen

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Scan the QR code to link the accounts

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From your account you can now set: screen time limits, restricted mode (filters content), DM controls, and search restrictions

Step 4 — Turn on Restricted Mode

Filters content TikTok considers inappropriate — not perfect, but meaningful

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Settings → Content preferences → Restricted Mode → Enable

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Set a passcode so your child cannot turn it off themselves

One more important step: Turn off location access in your phone's Settings → Privacy → Location Services → TikTok → set to Never. TikTok has faced regulatory action in multiple countries over location data collection.

Instagram's own internal research (leaked in 2021) found it makes body image issues worse for one in three teenage girls. These settings reduce exposure to unknown contacts and allow parental oversight.

Step 1 — Set account to Private

Essential — public Instagram profiles are visible to the entire world

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Profile → ☰ menu → Settings and privacy

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Tap Account privacy → toggle Private account on

Step 2 — Restrict who can send messages

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Settings → Messages and story replies → Message controls

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Set Who can send you message requests to People you follow

3

Turn off Show activity status — stops others knowing when they're online

Step 3 — Set up Family Centre (parental supervision)

Instagram's built-in parental oversight tool

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Settings → Family Centre (you need your own Instagram account)

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Send a supervision invite to your child's account — they must accept

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From Family Centre you can: set daily time limits, see what accounts they follow and who follows them, and set a bedtime reminder

Step 4 — Enable Sensitive Content Control

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Settings → Content preferences → Sensitive content control

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Set to Limit — reduces exposure to content Instagram classifies as sensitive

Also turn off location in photos at the device level: iPhone Settings → Privacy → Location Services → Camera → Never. Android: Camera app → Settings → Location tags → Off.

Snapchat's disappearing messages create a false sense of security. Screenshots can be taken at any time. The Snap Map feature shares real-time location unless turned off. Both are addressed below.

Step 1 — Enable Ghost Mode on Snap Map

The most urgent Snapchat setting — hides your child's location from everyone

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Open Snapchat → tap the 🗺 Map icon (bottom left)

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Tap the ⚙ gear icon (top right of map)

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Enable Ghost Mode — your child's location is now invisible to everyone

Step 2 — Restrict who can contact them

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Settings (tap profile photo → ⚙) → Privacy Controls

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Who can contact me → set to My Friends

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Who can view my Story → set to My Friends

Step 3 — Turn off Quick Add

Stops Snapchat recommending your child's account to strangers

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Settings → Privacy Controls → See Me in Quick Add → turn off

Step 4 — Set up Family Centre

Snapchat's parental tools — requires your own Snapchat account

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Settings → scroll to Family Centre

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Send an invite to your child — they must accept on their device

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You can then see who they're friends with and who they've been messaging (contact names, not content) and report concerns directly to Snapchat

Important reminder to share with your child: "Disappearing" Snaps can be screenshot by anyone who sees them. There is no way to prevent this. The screenshot notification only tells you after it's happened — and it can be bypassed.

Discord has no robust parental controls and no Family Centre equivalent. The minimum age is 13 but there is no age verification. The most effective protection is restricting DMs and being selective about which servers your child joins.

Step 1 — Restrict DMs from server members

The single most important Discord setting — stops strangers messaging privately

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Click the ⚙ Settings cog (bottom left, next to username)

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Go to Privacy & Safety

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Under "Direct Messages" → set Who can add you as a friend to Friends of Friends or No one

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Under "Server Privacy Defaults" → turn off Allow direct messages from server members

Step 2 — Enable Safe Messaging filter

Scans and blocks explicit images sent via DMs

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Settings → Privacy & Safety

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Under "Safe Messaging" → set to Filter all direct messages

Step 3 — Review server membership together

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Ask your child to show you which servers they're in. Look at the member counts — a server with 50,000 members is very different from one with their school friends.

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Public servers with large memberships are high-risk. Private servers created specifically for your child's friend group are much safer.

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If a server makes you uncomfortable: right-click the server icon → Leave Server

Discord for under-13s: If your child is under 13 and using Discord, Discord's Terms of Service prohibit this. The platform has very limited tools for this age group. Consider whether they need it yet — or whether they can use it only for a private server with known friends.

Roblox reaches 61% of UK children aged 8–14 monthly and is the most common platform mentioned in UK grooming cases involving gaming. These settings make a significant difference.

Step 1 — Set up Parental Controls via a PIN

Requires your child's account to be linked to a parent email

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Go to roblox.com → log into your child's account

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Click the ⚙ Settings cog → Parental Controls

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Set a 4-digit PIN — this locks all Parental Control settings so your child can't change them

Step 2 — Restrict or disable chat

The highest-impact change for younger children

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Settings → Privacy

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Set Who can chat with me in-app to Friends (or No one for under-9s)

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Set Who can message me to Friends or No one

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Note: accounts registered as under-13 automatically have more restricted chat. Make sure the date of birth on the account is correct.

Step 3 — Set a monthly Robux spending limit

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Parental Controls → Monthly Spend Limit

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Set a limit (including £0 to disable all spending) and enter your PIN to confirm

3

Also remove any saved payment methods from your child's account — Settings → Billing

Step 4 — Enable Account Restrictions

Limits your child to age-appropriate content only

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Parental Controls → toggle Account Restrictions on

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This restricts the games your child can access to those Roblox has marked as appropriate, and locks chat to friends only

For under-12s — use YouTube Kids instead

A completely separate, moderated app

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Download YouTube Kids from the App Store or Google Play — it's a separate app from regular YouTube

2

Set up a parent account and configure: content level (Preschool / Younger / Older / All ages), approved content only, and timer settings

3

Use the Custom content setting to approve or block specific channels

For older children on main YouTube — enable Restricted Mode

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On the YouTube website: click your profile photo → Restricted Mode → toggle on

2

On the app: profile photo → Settings → Restricted Mode

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Note: Restricted Mode is per browser session — log into Google Supervised Accounts for a persistent solution

Google Supervised Accounts — the more robust solution

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Go to families.google.com → set up Family Link

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Create or link your child's Google account

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From the Family Link app you can: approve or block YouTube content, set screen time limits, see what your child searches for, and lock their device remotely

Step 1 — Download the Xbox Family Safety app

Your central control panel — manages everything from your phone

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Download Xbox Family Safety from the App Store or Google Play on your phone

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Sign in with your Microsoft account and add your child's Microsoft account to your Family Group

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Your child must accept the Family Group invite on their account

Step 2 — Restrict communication to friends only

Stops strangers from messaging or joining games with your child

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In the Family Safety app → select your child → Privacy & online safety

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Set Communication & multiplayer → choose from: Friends only / Friends of friends / Blocked

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For under-12s: set all communication to Friends only

Step 3 — Require approval for purchases

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Family Safety app → your child → Spending

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Toggle Ask a parent on — every purchase requires your approval via the app

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Optionally set a monthly spending allowance instead

Step 4 — Set daily play time limits

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Family Safety app → your child → Screen time

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Set a daily time limit and specific hours when Xbox can be used (e.g. 4pm–8pm on school days)

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The console locks automatically when the limit is reached

Step 1 — Create a Family on PlayStation Network

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Go to playstation.com/family-management on a computer

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Sign in with your PlayStation account → Create a Family

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Add your child's PSN account as a family member (or create one if they don't have one)

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Make sure your child's date of birth is accurate — age-based restrictions depend on it

Step 2 — Restrict communication

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From Family Management → select your child's account → Communication and user-generated content

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Set to No one (most restrictive) or Friends only

Step 3 — Set a monthly spending limit

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Family Management → child's account → Monthly spending limit

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Set a limit in pounds — including £0 to block all purchases

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You will receive an email notification for any purchase attempt

Step 4 — Set content age restriction

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Family Management → child's account → Content restrictions

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Set the PEGI rating limit (e.g. PEGI 12 blocks anything rated 16 or 18 from being played)

Step 1 — Turn on Screen Time with a passcode

The foundation of all iPhone parental controls

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Settings → Screen Time → Turn On Screen Time

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Tap This is My Child's [Device]

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Tap Use Screen Time Passcode → set a 4-digit code different from the device PIN that only you know

Step 2 — Set Downtime and App Limits

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Screen Time → Downtime → set hours when only approved apps work (e.g. 9pm–7am)

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Screen Time → App Limits → Add Limit → select Social Networking and Games → set a daily time limit

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The limit requires your passcode to extend — your child must ask you

Step 3 — Set Communication Limits

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Screen Time → Communication Limits

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During screen time: Contacts Only — only people in their address book can call or message

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During Downtime: Specific Contacts — choose who (e.g. family) can reach them during downtime hours

Step 4 — Content & Privacy Restrictions

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Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → toggle on

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Content Restrictions → set appropriate levels for: Apps (4+/9+/12+/17+), Movies, TV Shows, Web content (Limit Adult Websites)

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iTunes & App Store Purchases → Require Password for all purchases

Also recommended: Settings → Privacy → Location Services → Camera → Never (removes GPS data from photos). And consider Family Sharing (Settings → [your name] → Family Sharing) to approve app downloads from your own device.

Step 1 — Set up Google Family Link

Your main parental control tool for Android devices

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Download Google Family Link from the Play Store on both your phone and your child's device

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On your phone: open Family Link → Add child → follow the setup steps

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This links their Google account to yours and gives you remote management of their device

Step 2 — Set screen time limits and bedtime

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Family Link app → your child → Daily activity → Set limits

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Set a daily screen time budget (e.g. 2 hours)

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Set Bedtime — the device locks automatically at the time you choose

Step 3 — Approve or block app downloads

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Family Link → child → Controls on Google Play

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Set Approve all purchases and free downloads — you'll get a notification and must approve before any app installs

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Set an age rating limit for apps, games, films and music

Step 4 — Turn off location in photos

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Open the Camera app → tap Settings (gear icon)

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Find Location tags or Geotagging → toggle Off

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This prevents GPS coordinates being embedded in every photo your child takes

What next

More tools for families

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Roblox, Fortnite, GTA V and 7 more — per-game risks, PEGI ratings and action steps. Cited from Ofcom, NSPCC & CEOP.

Cited research
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Screen time guide

NHS-backed daily limits by age and how to introduce them without conflict.

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Conversation guide

Scripts for talking to your child about what you've just set up — and why.

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Family tech contract

Turn your rules into a shared family agreement everyone helps create.