Snapchat
Family Center shows who your teen talks to, not what they say. Talk about that before you turn it on.
Use the phone's purchase approval, not a Snapchat wallet limit
On your phone · about 3 min
Paid features, including Snapchat+ and Tokens, are for people 18 or older. There is no separate Snapchat spending cap in the feature list.
- Turn on Ask to Buy or Family Link purchase approval.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Join Family Center and review the friend list
Both of you together · about 8 min · Shows who they talk to, not the messages.
You can see friends and the last 7 days of conversations. You cannot read the messages. Tell your teen what you will see before you send the invite.
- You need to be 18 or older, and your teen 13 to 17.
- Talk first: this shows who they talk to, not the words.
- Send the Family Center invite, then review the friend list and the last 7 days.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Check that Snap Map is off or limited to friends
On your kid's device · about 4 min · Off by default for everyone, not only teens. It can only be shared with friends.
Snap Map sharing is off by default for every account, not only teens, and it can only be shared with friends. Parents can request the teen's location and set Place Alerts for arriving at or leaving home or school.
- On the teen's account, confirm Snap Map is still off, or shared only with friends you both know.
- If you want Place Alerts, set them and explain them first.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Confirm only friends and saved contacts can message them
Both of you together · about 2 min · On by default, and teens cannot turn it off.
Teens can only be messaged by accepted friends or saved phone contacts. Snapchat says this default cannot be turned off. The useful step is who they accept.
- Do not look for a switch that allows messages from anyone. Snapchat says teens cannot turn this off.
- Agree that new friends are people you know in real life.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Turn off My AI if you do not want it answering
Both of you together · about 3 min
From Family Center settings you can disable My AI. Snapchat says that then My AI will not reply to the teen or store their queries.
- Open Family Center, then Settings.
- Turn My AI off if you do not want an AI chatbot in the app.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Keep Public Profile off
On your kid's device · about 2 min
Ages 13 to 15 cannot use a Public Profile. Ages 16 to 17 can, and it starts off.
13- to 15-year-olds cannot turn a Public Profile on.
- Open profile settings and confirm a Public Profile is off.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Limit sensitive content
On your phone · about 2 min
Family Center includes a control to limit sensitive content in the app.
- In Family Center settings, turn on the limit for sensitive content.
Checked 30 Sep 2026