Snapchat rolls out new features to help parents monitor teen activity

Snapchat is updating its Family Center, giving parents new tools to monitor teen activity and encourage safe, responsible conversations online.

Snapchat has introduced updates to its Family Center, including tools that provide parents with greater insight into their teenager's activity while ensuring the security of private conversations. The global rollout, including India, comes as concerns over online safety and teen well-being continue to rise.

Snapchat updates Family Center to give parents more oversight while keeping teens’ private messages secure. (Snapchat )

By MD Ijaj Khan

Ijaj Khan is a technology journalist and Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, with over three years of experience covering the consumer technology industry. His work spans smartphones, laptops, wearables, gaming, appliances and AI - from hands-on reviews, comparison and buying guides to breaking news and in-depth features that help readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions. Before joining HT Tech, he worked with Jagran New Media, where he sharpened his instincts for fast-paced digital reporting. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Whether he's testing the latest flagship smartphone, tracking a major AI announcement, or putting a gaming laptop through its paces, Ijaj approaches every story with the same goal - making technology feel relevant and easy to understand for everyday users, not just enthusiasts. When he's not in front of a screen for work, he's usually travelling to a new city, hunting for great food, or keeping tabs on what's next in tech before everyone else catches on.

Read moreRead less

The company said the updates are designed to promote conversations between parents and teens rather than direct surveillance. Family Center is positioned as a guidance-focused tool, helping families engage in discussions about safe online behaviour.

New Insights Into Teen Activity

A major addition to Family Center is the ability for parents to see which friends their teen has interacted with most frequently over the past week. Snapchat emphasised that the content of messages remains private. Instead, this feature highlights overall communication patterns, helping parents identify unusual changes or potential concerns early. The company described this approach as a balance between transparency for parents and privacy for teens.

Location Sharing and Safety Alerts

The update also improves the transparency of Snap Map. Parents can now check if their teenager is sharing their live location with friends. The feature does not track real-time movement but provides information on location-sharing preferences, which may allow families to discuss safe boundaries around location visibility online.

Snapchat has also added proactive safety prompts. Parents may receive alerts if certain activity patterns indicate potential risks, encouraging discussions with teens instead of relying on automated interventions.

Teen Safety

Snapchat said these updates are part of a broader commitment to teen safety, alongside content moderation, age-appropriate settings, and in-app reporting. The company has faced growing scrutiny worldwide over protections for young users, especially concerning exposure to harmful content and interactions with strangers.

By expanding Family Center, Snapchat seeks to provide parents with oversight tools that support safety and well-being while preserving trust with teen users.

Availability

The new Family Center features are gradually becoming available across regions. Parents and teens must link their accounts within the app to access the updated tools. Snapchat aims to make the process straightforward so families can start using the features to guide conversations and promote safe online habits.