Safety guide
Is TikTok safe for kids?
TikTok requires users to be at least 13, so it isn’t designed for younger children. For teens 13 and up it can be used far more safely once the account is private, direct messages are limited, and Family Pairing links it to a parent account.
Recommended age
Minimum age 13. Accounts for under-16s get stronger privacy defaults, and livestreaming is restricted to 16+.
Main risks
- 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.
Safety settings checklist for TikTok
- 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.
Talking to your child
- Ask what they like about the app before talking about risks — lead with curiosity, not a lecture.
- Agree the settings together at the same screen, so it feels like a shared decision, not a punishment.
- Make it normal to tell you about anything uncomfortable — no blame for messages they didn’t ask for.
- Revisit the settings every few months; apps change defaults and your child’s use changes too.
Get a free safety score in 2 minutes
Answer a few questions and see exactly which settings to change on TikTok — and get the option of a full report.