TikTok, the leading platform for short-form videos,  introduces new features to enhance family safety and help teens develop balanced digital habits. With these updates, parents and caretakers can now view and adjust more than 15 safety, well-being, and privacy features for their teens through the TikTok application.

First introduced in 2020, TikTok’s Family Pairing feature allows parents to link their accounts with their teens, improving parental oversight and control over their teen’s TikTok experience. Building on its existing features such as screen time limits and privacy controls, TikTok’s latest updates have been constructed with feedback and guidance from families and leading experts. 

In an effort to increase parental oversight over their teen’s screen time, TikTok introduces the Time Away feature, allowing caregivers to block access to TikTok during specified periods, such as family time, school hours, or bedtime. With this feature, parents are now able to set recurring schedules to limit their use, and grant extra time at their discretion by way of a passcode set by the parent or guardian. This additional feature builds upon TikTok’s default screen time restrictions, where all users under 18 are automatically set to a 60-minute daily limit unless adjusted by a parent or guardian.

Another significant update that improves parental oversight is the ability to see who their teen follows, who follows them, and which accounts their teen has blocked. With this increased visibility, parents will be better aware and better equipped to manage their teens’ TikTok experience.

In recognizing the importance of regular sleep and healthy nighttime routines, TikTok also introduces a wind-down feature for users under 16. If a teen remains active on TikTok after 10 p.m., their For You feed will be interrupted by recurring full-screen reminders with calming music and prompts that become increasingly harder to dismiss, encouraging them to log off. 

This feature is part of TikTok’s broader commitment to promoting mindful screen time habits, and future updates will introduce guided meditation exercises to improve relaxation and sleep quality. TikTok has already disabled nighttime push notifications for teens to further reduce digital distractions before bed.

In addition to these safety measures, parents can now re-enable TikTok’s STEM feed if their teen has turned it off. First launched in the U.S. and Europe last year, this dedicated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) feed helps teens discover a variety of inspiring and educational content across the platform. With almost 10 million STEM-related videos published globally over the last three years, the STEM feed is now available in over 100 countries and will continue to roll out in more markets across the globe, featuring local language content. Today, the STEM feed has gained traction among millions of teens worldwide as a valuable learning tool, inspiring and educating them on topics such as geology and ancient history. 

These latest enhancements reflect TikTok’s ongoing commitment to online safety and digital well-being, and the global platform will continue to develop its features with the help and feedback from parents, guardians and experts. By continuously evolving its Family Pairing and Teen Safety features, TikTok aims to empower families with the tools they need to foster responsible digital habits while ensuring a safer and more positive experience for young users.

For more information regarding TikTok’s commitments to user safety, please click here