Instagram launches “teen accounts” with selected restrictive features

Instagram has launched “teen accounts” to enhance safety for users under 18. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, announced the feature on September 17 via its blog.

All accounts belonging to users under 18 will automatically switch to private teen accounts. These accounts will only receive messages from people the user follows or is connected with. Sensitive content, including violence and cosmetic procedure videos, will be limited, and offensive language will be filtered from comments and messages.

Teens will get notifications to leave the app after 60 minutes daily, with a “sleep mode” that mutes notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Users under 16 will need parental approval to modify these settings, while 16 and 17-year-olds can disable them independently. Parents will also have tools to monitor and limit app usage.

The feature will roll out within 60 days in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, with global availability by January. Meta plans to extend teen accounts to its other platforms by 2025.