How to Use TikTok’s Parental Controls

First, set your child’s account to Private.

To do this, tap the menu icon in the upper-right corner of the profile and select Settings and Privacy and choose Privacy.

On the next screen, tap the button text to Private Account.

There’s more in the Settings and Privacy menu.

In the Screen Time section, you can set daily time limits on using TikTok, schedule mandatory breaks that lock your child out of the app and see a summary of how much time was spent using the app.

Within settings, go to Content Preferences to set the app to block videos containing certain keywords or enable the password-protected Restricted Mode.

The Family Pairing feature allows you to link your own TikTok account to your child’s for remote supervision and management.

You can control who can send your child direct messages and who can comment on videos.

Even with the in-app controls, algorithms and filters aren’t foolproof. Software should never be considered a babysitter, and it’s important to keep personal tabs on a child’s account to make sure the TikTok experience is as safe as it can be.