Age guide
What age is TikTok ok for?
TikTok’s minimum age is 13, so it isn’t designed for younger children. Many parents wait until 15–16 for an unrestricted account; from 13, link Family Pairing, keep the account private, and limit direct messages.
Minimum age
TikTok’s stated minimum age is 13.
Why age matters here
- Minimum age is 13 — below that the app isn’t designed for the user.
- An algorithmic "For You" feed surfaces content beyond accounts your child follows.
- Livestreaming is restricted to 16+ by TikTok.
If they do use TikTok — set these
- Switch the account to private so only approved followers see posts.
- Limit who can send direct messages to existing contacts only.
- Link the platform's family-pairing / supervision tool to a parent account.
- Turn off precise location sharing and location tags in posts.
- Restrict who can comment, or disable comments from non-contacts.
- Turn off account suggestions and find-by-phone/email so strangers can't discover the account.
- Enable restricted mode or the sensitive-content filter.
- Remove full name, school, age and identifiable photos from the public profile.
- Set daily screen-time or usage limits.
- Turn off activity status and read receipts.
- Turn off personalized ads and limit data sharing.
Check your child’s actual setup
Run the free scanner for a setup score on TikTok and the exact settings to change.