How to manage Instagram as a parent

1. 1

   Meta Family Center

   Go to familycenter.meta.com or Meta Family Center in the app. Invite your teen. You can see time spent on Instagram and Facebook and adjust some settings — not read private messages. Your child must accept the invitation.

2. 2

   Teen account and privacy

   Teens under 18 get teen accounts with limits on contact from adults they do not follow. Review Settings → Privacy → Private account, and who can send DMs and comment. A private account means new followers must be approved.

3. 3

   Followers and Reels

   Ask who they follow and whether they know them offline. The Reels algorithm shows a lot from people they do not follow. Reviewing the feed together works better than secret monitoring. Ask whether anything in the feed has made them unsure about their body or appearance.

4. 4

   Messages and requests

   Check for message requests from strangers. Agree rules for sharing photos, location in stories and meeting people from the app. Message requests sit in a separate folder — many teens forget to check it.

5. 5

   Purchases and ads

   Shopping and ads can lead to purchases via the App Store or Google Play. Lock purchases on the device. Instagram has no own parent spending cap. Sponsored content can look like recommendations from friends — talk about the difference.

For images shared without consent or grooming: SletDet, AnmeldDet or police 114. The App & Game Decoder gives a quick overview of Instagram. Save screenshots if you want to report — before content is deleted.