Instagram Teen vs Regular account: 10 important features parents should know
Social media is a big part of teenagers’ lives, and Instagram has made changes to help keep younger users safe. If you’re a parent, it’s important to understand how Instagram’s teen accounts differ from regular profiles and features you can use to ensure the kids’ safety on the platform. Here’s a list.
Private by default –When a teen creates an Instagram account, it’s automatically set to private. This means only approved followers can see their posts and stories. Regular accounts let users choose between public and private settings.
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Stricter messaging rules – Teens can only get direct messages from people they already follow. This helps prevent strangers from reaching out. Regular accounts allow messages from anyone unless the user changes their settings.
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Stronger content filters – Instagram automatically applies the highest level of content filtering to teen accounts, reducing exposure to sensitive material. On regular accounts, users have to adjust these settings themselves.
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Limited tags and mentions – Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow. Anyone can tag regular users unless they change their settings.
Hidden Words filter – This feature blocks offensive comments and message requests on teen accounts by default. Regular users have access to this tool too, but they have to turn it on
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Time limits and break reminders – Instagram reminds teens to take a break after an hour of use. While regular users can also set up reminders, they have to enable them on their own.
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Sleep Mode – Teen accounts come with a feature that mutes notifications during bedtime hours. Regular accounts can manage notifications, but they don’t have an automatic sleep mode.
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Parental supervision – Parents can link their accounts to their teen’s profile to monitor activity, set time limits, and approve changes to privacy settings. Regular accounts don’t have this option.
Activity insights for parents – Parents can see which accounts their teen interacts with the most. Regular accounts don’t provide this level of visibility.
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Age verification measures – Instagram requires all users to confirm their age and is working on ways to detect accounts where the age may have been misrepresented.
