TikTok screen time limits: New rules for users under 18

TikTok has rolled out new features that will limit screen time for teenagers under the age of 18 — here’s everything you need to know.

The social media giant is introducing new settings that are meant to reduce how much time teens are spending in the platform.

On March 1, TikTok revealed that it will automatically default users under the age of 18 to a daily screen time limit of 60 minutes.

Teens can still bypass the daily limit, but they’ll be required to enter a passcode, “requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time.” TikTok said that in first month of testing, this approach increased the use of its screen time management tools by 234%.

Additionally, if users under 18 opt to turn off the screen time limit altogether, TikTok will further prompt them to set a limit if they spend more than 100 minutes in the app.

TikTok introduces new parental control feature 

Unsplash: Alexander Shatov

TikTok has also updated its ‘Family Pairing’ feature introduced in 2020, giving parents the ability to monitor their children’s activity’s on the platform.

With the new feature, parents will be able to set their own custom screen time limits, and view a dashboard that details stats about their child’s time in the app.

The dashboard will provide them with summaries of how often they use the app, the number of times TikTok was opened, and a breakdown of the total time spent during the day and night.

Parents can also set a schedule for when their kids can receive notifications, and choose to filter topics they don’t want to appear in their For You Pages.

In addition, the app is also introducing a sleep reminder that lets parents and regular users turn off notifications, and receive a pop-up reminding them to log off at bedtime.

TikTok has not yet confirmed an exact date for the rollout, but said it would be “in the coming weeks.”