Snapchat

What is Snapchat?

Snapchat is a messaging app where photos and videos (snaps) disappear after they’ve been viewed. It also has Stories (shared with friends for 24 hours), a Discover section with content from media outlets and creators, and Snap Map which shows friends’ locations in real time.

Age rating: 13 (but many younger children use it).

Why do kids like it?

• The freedom to share without everything being permanent. No feed of old posts. It feels lighter and more private than Instagram.
• Streaks — sending snaps to each other daily builds a streak counter. For many children, this is a social currency. Breaking a streak feels like a social betrayal.
• Filters and lenses — fun face filters. It’s entertaining.
• Group chats — a quick, informal way to communicate with friends.

What are the real risks?

• Disappearing messages create a false sense of security. Snapchat notifies the sender if a screenshot is taken — but that is easily bypassed with a second phone, screen recording, or third-party apps.
• Snap Map shows where your children are, in real time, to all their friends. The default setting may share their location more broadly than they realise.
• My AI — Snapchat’s built-in AI chatbot. Children can have conversations with it about anything. It is designed to be engaging, not necessarily safe.
• Discover content is not always suitable for children — it includes news, entertainment and content that can be explicit.
• Contact with strangers is possible via Quick Add and other features.

Settings to check

1. Snap Map → Ghost Mode: Open Snap Map → the cog icon → select “Ghost Mode”. This hides your child’s location.
2. Who can contact me: Settings → Privacy → “Contact Me” → set to “Friends”.
3. Who can see my Story: Settings → Privacy → “View My Story” → set to “Friends” or “Custom”.
4. Quick Add: Settings → Privacy → turn off “Show Me in Quick Add”. This prevents strangers from finding your child.
5. Family Centre: Settings → Family Centre. Both parent and teen need Snapchat accounts and must be friends. The parent sends an invitation from Family Centre and the teen must accept it.
6. What Family Centre shows you: Once connected you can see your teen’s friends list, who they have messaged in the last 7 days, new friends added, and average daily screen time broken down by feature. You cannot see the content of messages or snaps.
7. Content and AI restrictions: Inside Family Centre you can restrict sensitive content in Stories and Spotlight, and control whether your teen can interact with Snapchat’s My AI chatbot.
8. Location sharing: Family Centre allows you to request location sharing with your teen on Snap Map. Both sides must agree. You can also set Place Alerts for notifications when your teen arrives at or leaves a specific location.

How to talk about it

“Snapchat tells you if someone takes a screenshot of your snap. But what about screen recordings or a second phone? What would you do if that happened to you?”

“Snap Map is cool, but it means your friends — and maybe others — can see exactly where you are. Let’s look at the settings together.”

“Have you ever received a message from someone you don’t know on Snapchat? What did you do?”

“I’d like to set up Family Centre so we can stay connected. It doesn’t let me read your messages — it just helps me know you’re safe.”

Last reviewed: April 2026