Snapchat Gives Parents New Tools to Monitor Teen Use
Snapchat just rolled out features that let parents see exactly how their teens spend time on the app and learn more about their online friends. The updates come as social media companies face growing pressure to protect young users.
Parents can now peek inside their teen's Snapchat world in ways that might actually start helpful conversations instead of arguments.
The social media app announced new features for its Family Center that show parents how much time their teen spent on Snapchat each day over the past week. The breakdown reveals whether teens are chatting with friends, snapping photos, exploring Snap Map, or scrolling through Stories and Spotlight content.
Even better, parents can now understand how their teen knows new friends they've added. The app shows "trust signals" like whether the new friend shares mutual connections, is saved in the teen's contacts, or belongs to shared communities like a school group.
"These trust signals make it easier for parents to understand new connections and have greater confidence that their teen is chatting with someone they know in real life," Snapchat explained. If a parent spots an unfamiliar name, they have real information to start a conversation rather than just worry.
Snapchat launched Family Center back in 2022 after regulators started demanding social media companies do more to protect minors. Since then, the company has added features like viewing recent interactions, setting time limits, and blocking access to the My AI chatbot.
The timing matters. Just two days before this announcement, Snapchat settled a lawsuit filed by a 19-year-old who accused the platform of fueling addiction and harming mental health. Court documents from ongoing cases reveal Snap employees raised concerns about risks to teens nine years ago, though the company says those examples were taken out of context.
The Bright Side
While lawsuits and pressure drove these changes, the result is actually useful for families. Instead of choosing between total access or a complete ban, parents now have middle ground tools that respect privacy while keeping communication open.
Other platforms like Meta, YouTube, and TikTok face similar lawsuits but haven't settled yet. By moving first, Snapchat is showing that transparency and parental partnership can work alongside features teens love.
These tools won't solve everything, but they're giving families a fighting chance at navigating social media together.
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Based on reporting by TechCrunch
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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