New Features for Teens and Families on TikTok

TikTok is excited to announce new features that will benefit teens, families, and the wider community. The platform believes in the positive role of digital experiences in self-expression, idea discovery, and connection. With this in mind, TikTok is enhancing its screen time tool, introducing new default settings for teen accounts, and expanding Family Pairing with additional parental controls.

To help teens manage their time on TikTok, a 60-minute daily screen time limit will be implemented for all users under the age of 18. This limit is based on academic research and expert consultation. Once the limit is reached, teens will need to enter a passcode to continue watching, encouraging them to make an active decision about extending their screen time. Users under 13 will also have a 60-minute daily screen time limit, with an additional 30 minutes available when a parent or guardian sets or enters a passcode.

Research has shown that being aware of how we spend our time can help us make more intentional decisions. Therefore, TikTok will prompt teens to set a daily screen time limit if they choose to opt out of the default 60-minute limit and spend more than 100 minutes on the platform in a day. This builds upon a prompt introduced last year, which resulted in a significant increase in the use of TikTok's screen time tools. Additionally, a weekly inbox notification will be sent to every teen account, providing a recap of their screen time.

These new features complement the existing safety settings for teen accounts. For users aged 13-15, their accounts are set to private by default, allowing them to make informed choices about what they share and with whom. Direct messaging is only available to users aged 16 and older, and hosting a live stream requires members to be at least 18.

TikTok understands the importance of families in supporting teens, which is why three new features are being introduced to Family Pairing. Caregivers will now be able to customize the daily screen time limit for their teen, including different limits for different days of the week. This provides families with more flexibility to align screen time with school schedules, holidays, or family travel. The screen time dashboard is also being brought to Family Pairing, offering summaries of time spent on the app, the number of times TikTok was opened, and a breakdown of total time spent during the day and night. Furthermore, parents will have the ability to set a schedule to mute notifications for their teen, ensuring uninterrupted time when needed.

TikTok recognizes that every teen and family is unique, which is why the platform is committed to providing parents with the information they need. Partnerships with creators, industry experts, and advertising campaigns focused on safety features aim to educate parents and families. In-app educational videos featuring creators like @team2moms and @handsonfamily, as well as national and local TV and digital campaigns, provide tips and conversation starters for parents to initiate proactive discussions with their teens about online safety. Family Pairing information will continue to be highlighted within the app to help users understand the available options. The goal is to foster an ongoing dialogue about safety and well-being in the digital world.

In addition to the new features for Family Pairing, screen time controls will be introduced for all users. Soon, users will be able to set their own customized screen time limits for each day of the week and schedule notifications to be muted. A sleep reminder will also be rolled out to help users plan their offline time at night. When the set time is reached, a pop-up notification will remind them to log off.

TikTok is committed to continuously improving its existing features and introducing new tools to empower users to stay in control of their TikTok experience. The platform is a place for creativity, meaningful connections, and culture-defining entertainment.

"Family Pairing is an opportunity for parents and teens to collaborate on developing healthy online habits. It's not about parental control, but rather parental involvement and a chance for parents and teens to learn from each other." - ConnectSafely President & CEO Larry Magid