Guardian's guide

Teens don’t expect trusted adults to be experts on every app, but they value support to set up their accounts. This includes help with checking and understanding privacy and safety settings. They also told us parents shouldn’t be afraid to set boundaries; teens expect and even welcome them! Safety tools like TikTok’s Family Pairing features allow families to set parameters, which are especially important while teens are starting out online.

Teens want trusted adults to be interested in their digital life and to recognize how important it is to them. Teens feel supported when they know they have an ally that is available to talk to them. Don’t be afraid to initiate a conversation. They appreciate hearing you understand that things can go wrong online and you’ll be there to help if they do—no matter how big or small the problem.

Your teen has come to you for help—fantastic! They may be feeling vulnerable, scared, embarrassed, or upset, so let them know how happy you are that they’ve reached out. When they share their problem, be mindful of your reaction; teens told us being met with anger means they will avoid asking for help again. Equally, teens don’t want adults to minimize their worries—even if it’s hard to understand why it’s causing so much angst. Listen with an open mind, ask questions, and focus on solutions. If they’ve broken rules, teens expect there to be consequences, but they also want help to understand what to do differently to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

Teens get that trust has to be earned, and they expect adult oversight—especially for younger teens. Just as in the “real” world, teens feel greater autonomy online is appropriate as they get older. Every teen is different and the pace at which a teen moves toward independent use of technology will vary, but if your teen knows how to navigate platforms safely and they come to you when things go wrong, that’s a great foundation for trust.

Striking a balance between a teenager’s expectation of privacy and ensuring they are safe is one of the trickiest aspects of parenting—on and offline. It can be tough when a teen tells you they’d rather you didn’t follow them online. It’s natural to worry they’re up to mischief, when really it’s likely they just want some space to hang out with friends without being monitored. There may be good reasons why you feel following your teen’s account is necessary. If so, teens say they want to understand your reasons and to explore ways to build trust. Older teens told us they feel protective of younger siblings and cousins and naturally look out for them online, so consider whether there’s someone else who your teen might be happy to have follow them in your place.

• In most parts of the world, you must be 13 or older to use TikTok. In the US, we offer a curated, view-only experience for those under age 13 that includes additional safeguards and privacy protections.
• To support our efforts to provide an age-appropriate experience, we encourage you to talk to your teen about the importance of providing their real date of birth.
• TikTok has a 12+ rating in the Apple App Store and is listed as “Parental Guidance Recommended” in Google Play. If you don’t want your teen to download TikTok, these ratings mean you can prevent them from doing so using the parental controls available through these stores or platforms.

• If we believe someone under 13 (or 14 in Indonesia, Quebec and South Korea) has a TikTok account, we will ban their account. You also have the option to report an account if you believe it may belong to someone under the minimum age to use TikTok.

• If you are the parent, guardian, or other trusted adult of a teen whose account we ban for being under the minimum age to use TikTok, they may ask you to help them submit an appeal if they think we have made a mistake.
• If your teen decides to appeal their ban, we’ll give them some options for confirming their date of birth. To submit an appeal, your teen must open TikTok, tap “Appeal” and follow the instructions provided. If you would like to learn more about how to help your teen submit an appeal, click here.

• All accounts for teens under 18 start out as private. Teens can choose to make their account public, and if you've linked your accounts, you can change this choice by using Family Pairing.
• Direct Messaging is not available to accounts for teens under 16.
• Our Help Center has details on all of our privacy settings.

• You must be 18 to go LIVE on TikTok and to send and receive LIVE gifts. Learn more about LIVE safety here.

• No, you must be 18 or older to use TikTok Shop.