Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
How to set up a Teen Instagram account
In This Article
Having teenagers on Instagram can be a worry as parents and guardians can’t keep an eye on the content they’re seeing or how long they’re spending on the social media platform.
Fortunately, Meta has created new Teen Instagram accounts which are designed to provide parents and guardians with peace of mind that their teenagers are automatically placed into safe, built-in protections.
These protections limit who can contact your children, the content they see and how long they can spend on Instragram, with the intention being to create a safer network for them to explore.
Setting up a Teen Account is incredibly simple and isn’t too dissimilar from just setting up a regular Instagram account. Read on to learn how to do it.
What you’ll need:
The short version:
Step1
Open Instagram
We’ll be demonstrating the process using an Android handset, however the steps are exactly the same with an iOS device.
Step2
Tap Create new account
You’ll find this at the bottom of the screen.
Step3
Follow the on-screen instructions
You can either set up your teen’s account with a mobile number or email address, depending on what you prefer. To avoid Meta thinking you’re creating a spam account, we’d recommend using your teen’s own email address or mobile number.Depending on your preference, you’ll either receive an email or a text message with a code that you’ll be prompted to enter next.
Step4
Create a password
Make sure your teen makes a note of the password they’ve chosen.
Step5
Decide whether you want to save login information on the device
If you’re setting up your teen’s account on your own device then you might not want to save their log-in information. Regardless, this is down to your personal preference.
Step6
Set the birthday of the account holder
This is the most important part of setting up a Teen Instagram, as the birthdate you set will enable the extra protection that comes with the account. Remember, anyone under 13 won’t be able to create an Instagram account.
Step7
Enter the name of your teenager
Although it does say “full name” here, a first name or nickname is fine if you’d rather not have your teenager’s full name appear online.
Step8
Create a username
A username shouldn’t contain any sensitive information, nor does it need to include a full name. It can also be changed at any time too.
Step9
Read through the terms and policies
Read through Instagram’s terms and policies and, if you’re happy, tap ‘I agree’.
Troubleshooting
By default, Instagram will automatically place teens aged 13-17 years old into a Teen Account, with under 16s needing a parent’s permission to alter any settings themselves.At the time of writing, Meta is currently beginning to roll-out Teen Accounts in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, with global access set for in 2025.
Meta has said that it is building new technology to find teenagers that may have lied about their age to automatically place them in protected settings.Meta explains that account users will also need to verify their age too, which should enable Instagram to determine whether a teen has previously lied about their age.
Yes, with Instagram’s parental supervision enabled. Supervision is a set of tools that parents and guardians can use to ensure under 18s stay safe on Instagram. These tools include setting up a sleep mode, time limit, checking which accounts your teen is following and more.This tool is optional and requires both the parent and the teen to agree to participate, via their respective accounts.To enable parental supervision, you’ll need to send an invite from your own Instagram to your teen’s account. To do this, visit your Instagram Settings, then tap Family Centre and follow the on-screen instructions to send an invite to your teen.Remember, your teenager will need to accept the invite for you to have access.
You might like…
Jess joined the Trusted Reviews team early in 2024, after working for almost three years in lifestyle and technology PR. Using the skills gained from her previous role, Jess has taken on a new challen…
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
