Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1.4 billion monthly active users¹. It allows users to share photos and videos, follow their favorite celebrities and influencers, and discover new content and trends. However, Instagram also poses some risks and challenges for young users, such as exposure to inappropriate or harmful content, cyberbullying, privacy issues, and excessive screen time. That’s why many parents and guardians are concerned about their children’s safety and well-being on Instagram.

Fortunately, there are some ways to make Instagram safer for kids and teens. One of them is to use the parental controls that Instagram offers. These are tools that allow parents and guardians to supervise their children’s accounts, set limits on their usage, and access resources on how to communicate with them about internet use. In this article, we will explain how to enable Instagram parental controls on your kid’s phone, and what features they include.

How to enable Instagram parental controls on your kid’s phone There are two methods to enable Instagram parental controls on your kid’s phone: using a third-party app or using the inbuilt supervision tools offered by Instagram.

Using the inbuilt supervision tools Another option is to use the supervision tools that Instagram provides in its new Family Center³. This is a place where parents and guardians can access supervision tools and resources from leading experts. Supervision tools are available on Instagram today in the US, and will begin rolling out globally in the coming months.

To use the supervision tools on Instagram, you need to follow these steps:

• Ask your kid to initiate supervision in the app on their mobile device. They need to go to their profile, tap the settings menu in the upper right corner, tap Settings, then Family Center. Then, they need to tap Supervise Account and enter your phone number or email address.
• You will receive a notification on your phone or email with a link to set up supervision. Tap the link and follow the instructions to create a Family Center account and link it with your kid’s account.
• Once you set up supervision, you can access the Family Center dashboard on your phone or online, where you can see your kid’s Instagram activity and adjust the settings according to your preferences.

What features do Instagram parental controls include? The parental controls that Instagram offers include the following features:

• View how much time your kid spends on Instagram and set time limits. You can see how long your kid is spending on Instagram each day, on average, and in total. You can also set daily reminders for your kid to take a break from the app, or mute push notifications during certain hours.
• Be notified when your kid reports someone. You can see when your kid reports an account or a post for violating Instagram’s community guidelines. You can also view the details of the report and the outcome.
• View and receive updates on what accounts your kid follows and who follows them. You can see who your kid is following and who is following them back. You can also get notified when your kid follows or unfollows someone, or when someone follows or unfollows them.
• Manage sensitive content. You can limit your kid’s exposure to potentially sensitive content by adjusting the Sensitive Content Control setting. This setting filters out content that may be upsetting or offensive from Explore and Reels. By default, new teens under 16 are set to the “Less” option, which shows less sensitive content. You can also change this setting to “More” or “Limit Even More” depending on your preference.

In addition to these features, Instagram also offers some other tools that can help your kid have a safer and more positive experience on the app. These include:

• Setting their account to private. This means that only approved followers can see their posts and stories. They can also block or report abusive accounts.
• Managing comments. They can use comment controls to restrict who can comment on their posts, or hide offensive comments automatically. They can also block or report abusive comments.
• Using Restrict mode. This is a feature that allows them to quietly protect themselves from unwanted interactions without blocking someone. When they restrict someone, their comments will only be visible to them, unless they approve them. They will also not be able to see when they are online or when they have read their messages.
• Using Safety Center. This is a place where they can find resources and tips on how to stay safe and secure on Instagram. They can also learn how to report or block someone, or get help if they are experiencing bullying, harassment, or abuse.

Conclusion Instagram is a fun and creative platform for kids and teens, but it also comes with some risks and challenges. That’s why it is important for parents and guardians to be involved in their children’s online activities and help them navigate Instagram safely. By using the parental controls that Instagram offers, you can supervise your kid’s account, set limits on their usage, and access resources on how to communicate with them about internet use. You can also encourage your kid to use the other tools that Instagram provides to protect themselves from inappropriate or harmful content, cyberbullying, privacy issues, and excessive screen time. By doing so, you can help your kid have a safer and more positive experience on Instagram.

This article is from About.Instagram.com and partially AI generated