Snapchat

Snapchat is a free messaging app that allows users to exchange pictures and videos called ‘snaps’. The idea is that these images can appear temporarily before disappearing, though they can be captured via screenshots. Snapchat allows users to edit their pictures and videos through the use of augmented reality (AR) and filters, lenses, emojis, text or other effects, which they can then share with friends. Users can choose how long their snaps stay on the app, from one second to no time limit. Recipients of the snaps can also have the ability to replay a snap they receive. Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms globally, especially with young people, and has 332 million daily active users worldwide. It is available to download on most mobile and PC devices and can also be accessed through the web via the Snapchat website.

Official age rating

The minimum age restriction for Snapchat users is 13 however, Snapchat does not have any rigorous age verification methods. Users are unable to change their date of birth once an account has been created.

All accounts default to a ‘Friends’ setting, where content can only be viewed by friends you’ve added on the platform. It is worth checking that your child’s account settings reflect this.

Find out more about age ratings in our ‘A parent and carer’s guide to age ratings of apps and games’.

How children and young people use the app

Snapchat is an extremely popular app for children and young people. The different ways users can edit pictures and the key feature of making messages temporary give the app a fun and playful feel. Users can choose to put a time limit of between 1-10 seconds on the ‘Snaps’ they send directly to their contacts or in group chats . Each snap shared with your followers as a ‘Story’ is also temporary and is available for 24 hours, unless you delete it before then. The app also has a multitude of other features including bitmojis, games, subscriptions and a discovery page with various types of news and curated content to scroll through. A big incentive for the continuous use of the app is the ‘Snapstreak’ feature where a number is presented next to a user’s name to signify the number of days in a row that they have been messaging. This is sometimes seen as a reflection of their friendship and if the users forget to message for a day, the number goes back down to zero which can be upsetting to some users and provides further incentive to use the app daily.

“I like to use Snapchat because you can send pictures without them saving to your camera roll and it tells you when someone screen shots or saves something. I mostly like using the filters. Sometimes I’ll just post stories about my family and friends. I also like to use the maps to see where people are too.” (Child, aged 13)

Key features and terminology

A ‘Snap’ is a picture or video you send through the app to one or more of your friends. Users have the option to add a time limit of 1 to 10 seconds on images they share, and a video snap can last up to 60 seconds in a series of six, 10 seconds clips. Once the snap has been viewed by its recipient it is deleted unless you add it to your ‘Story’, in which case they disappear after 24 hours.
A ‘Story’ is a collection of snaps that play in the order they were taken. They are displayed for 24 hours for your friends to view but can also be made private so users can choose who sees them.
This feature is a newsfeed featuring content from news outlets.
This shows an extended session of snaps between friends for three consecutive days. The app will show the number of days the streak has been going for.
This is a list compiled of the users you most frequently contact within the app.
This refers to a chat function where users can text each other without having to take a snap.
A Snapchat filter or special effect that you add to picture or snaps. There are also Snapchat lenses that allow you to add animations and special effects while you are taking a snap.
Snap Map allows users to share their location in real time and is disabled by default. Once enabled, users can select which people they want to see their location.
This is an additional feature which can be added to Snap Maps, which allows users to get directions to their friend’s exact location by sharing live location details. The map will then display the route and information on how long it will take to reach them.
Users can use ‘Ghost mode’ to avoid sharing their own location with others, as it removes all live location features from the app.
A tool to promote viral videos from public profiles.
Users can call or video call their friends using Snapchat.
Users can create and personalise their own avatar which can be used on their profile and Snapmaps.
Users can save snaps that they take to their memories.
This is where users can save snaps and memories privately, needing a pin or password to access them.
An AI Chatbot that users can interact with. My AI uses ChatGPT technology developed by OpenAI. Users can ask the chatbot questions and receive immediate responses, generated by AI technology.
A ‘Snap Token’ is virtual currency bought with real money which can be used to buy gifts that users can send to their friends or popular creators in a reply to their story.
This is a subscription service that allows users to access exclusive in-app features such as custom app icons and data insights.

Potential risks

Content

As with other apps that encourage users to share their personal stories and pictures, a lot of unmoderated content is shared on Snapchat. Due to the ways that the algorithms work on platforms like Snapchat, videos will be shared because they are popular and have high engagement rather than because they are necessarily safe or appropriate for your child. It is also possible your child may stumble across inappropriate content in the form of bad language or mature content in their messages. By restricting who your child can access on the platform, your child is less likely to experience language or behaviour that is not suitable for their age. However, it should be acknowledged that your child may still be exposed to inappropriate content by their known contacts.

The disappearing text also presents a risk, as users could feel disinhibited and inclined to share content which they assume cannot be viewed again. This could apply to a range of situations, including the sharing of nude images, racist or hateful comments or engaging in bullying and harassment. Users should be reminded that any content they share on the platform can be easily captured in a screen shot and shared, so encourage your child to think carefully about the content they choose to share.

Users should also note that My AI, the new chatbot created by Snapchat, uses a modified version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology. Similar to ChatGPT, My AI has its own set of content filters and an ability to generate a near-instantaneous response to any question prompt by the user. However, My AI may produce misinformation due to its nature as a ‘Large Language Model’ or ‘LLM’, which means that it forms responses based on the probability of words in a sentence about a topic. You should make sure your child knows that they should always fact-check responses by My AI. Snapchat additionally collects user data from conversations with My AI, so it is important that your child knows not to share private or sensitive information with My AI as these may be seen by a human AI trainer.

The augmented reality feature ‘Lenses’ has been available on the platform for a while, but the growth and uptake of artificial intelligence tools has been rapid in more recent years. Using this tool, Snapchat users can modify images in a variety of ways including adding or removing features, altering backgrounds and artificially zooming out. These vary based on the type of augmentation and are interactive, allowing a recipient to see what changes have been made to the image that they receive. Watermarks will be applied to any artificially altered images detected by the platform however ss this is a rapidly evolving area, it is possible that not all augmented reality will be recognised, particularly if an image is created outside of the app. Speak to your child about being critical of images and raise their awareness of AI and its use in image doctoring.

Connecting with others

Snapchat is a highly social app encouraging interaction and engagement that is lively and fun. There have been cases of children and young people being contacted, solicited and harassed through this app. This app is likely targeted because it is so widely popular with children and young people but also because the disappearing messages feature may be attractive to those who are seeking to harm children. While Snapchat has taken several measures to limit young users from being discoverable by people they do not know, it is still important that children and young people know how to limit their contacts in settings to those who are known friends. Speak to your child about the risks of connecting with strangers and explain the importance of not sharing any personal or identifiable information on their profile or within chats. Encourage them to tell you if they have been asked more personal questions or to chat privately using a different app. Changing the privacy settings to sharing only with friends is recommended.

Whilst it is recommended that your child only interacts with people they know on the platform, they also need to be aware of some of the new features within the app that could put them at further risk. The recent introduction of the ‘Meet up’ feature on Snapchat means a user can get directions to a friend’s exact location via the ‘Snap map’. Like other map apps, this feature then shows the route and how long it will take to reach them. Whilst the intention behind the feature is to make it easy for offline family and friends to find each other and meet up, it is possible that the feature can be misused by others on the platform. Further updates to the Snap Map feature allow users who share locations to interact directly through the map. Examples of this could be to ‘wave’ to a passing user who is close by on the map or to send ‘hearts’ when arriving at a destination. Ensure your child is only connecting with known friends on Snapchat and remind them that they should only ever share their location details with people they know and trust. Talk to your child about the risks of sharing their location with people they do not know and encourage them to talk to you if they have been asked to share their location or have experienced unwanted visits from people on the platform.

User behaviour

In common with other popular social apps, Snapchat has a range of features which allow users to share content in a range of ways. Have a conversation with your child to help them understand what is and is not appropriate for them to share online and the lasting impact that anything they post may have on themselves and their future. The ‘My eyes only’ and ‘Disappearing message’ feature that Snapchat is known for can also give children a false sense of security about sharing. It is important to explain to children that all content can be screenshotted, saved and widely shared. If a ‘Story’ or a ‘Snap’ is screenshotted, the user who made or sent the post is alerted but this does not prevent the other user from being able to save the image. Users must therefore really think about the content they share and consider whether they would be happy for everyone they know to see it.

Design, data and costs

As with many other apps, Snapchat collects significant data from children and does serve adverts and influencer content. It can be compulsive for children, particularly concerning the ‘popularity contest’ feature of the app known as ‘Snapstreaks’. This feature allows children to share and demonstrate the strengths of their friendships with each other based on how often they communicate via the app. It is important to talk to children about real friendships and how ‘Snapstreaks’ are simply designed to keep users on the platform, rather than to gauge the quality of a friendship.

Whilst Snapchat is a free app, Snapchat users are invited to subscribe to Snapchat+. For a fixed monthly amount, users can access additional features such as being able to pin best friends and see users who have rewatched your story. This may be very compelling for keen Snapchat users who want to experience the additional features. Remind younger users that Snapchat subscriptions are just another way to try and keep users on the platform and make money.

Snapchat additionally encourages users to buy ‘Snap Tokens’ to purchase in-app gifts as a way of supporting their favourite creators, or alternatively in-app goods. This may also prove very tempting for young people who may want to feel noticed by a particular creator. Remind your child that like Snapchat subscriptions, Snap Tokens are another way that Snapchat makes money.

Tips for keeping your child safe

Whilst there isn’t a simple public or private option within Snapchat, users can still use the settings to determine who can view any content they share.
To manage who can contact you:
- go to your profile and then choose the settings menu and scroll down to ‘Privacy Controls’
- select ‘Contact me’ from the options given and choose ‘My friends’
- select ‘View my story’ and choose ‘Friends only’
Snapchat has developed features to help keep younger users safe. Many of these are reliant on users signing up with the correct age as the measures will only apply to accounts of ‘teen’ users. It is important that you encourage your child to sign up with the correct age as this will mean that content filters and other safety measures will be applied to their accounts.
Users can navigate through the settings menu to help manage who can contact them and the information they choose to share with others. Live location is shared by default, so disabling this feature is recommended.
Teens will not be suggested in ‘Quick Add’ or ‘Search’ unless they share connections with the other person by default.
Messages from unknown users:
- Teens automatically receive a warning if they receive a message from someone not already on their friend list in-app or in their phone contacts.
- They will now receive warnings if they receive messages from a user who has been blocked/reported by other people or is from an area/region outside of the typical network for the user.
Unknown friend adds:
- Teens will be unable to send or receive friend requests to users without mutual friends and in unfamiliar locations.
To manage ‘Quick add’:
- go to your profile and choose the settings menu
- scroll down to ‘Privacy Controls’ and select ‘See me in quick add’
- toggle this option off - this will prevent your profile from being suggested as a possible friend to others on the platform
To disable location sharing:
- go to your profile and choose the settings menu
- scroll down to ‘Privacy Controls’
- select ‘See my location’ from the options given and choose ‘Only me’
To turn on ‘Ghost mode’:
- within ‘Snap maps’ select the settings icon
- toggle on ‘Ghost mode’ and select how long you want to remain in this mode from:
  - 3 hours
  - 24 hours
  - Until turned off
- when ‘Ghost mode’ is enabled, your friends can’t see your location
Snapchat has launched Snapchat Family Centre within the app, where parents and carers can link their account to their child’s. The aim of the ‘Family centre’ is to help support teens as they begin their social media journey. You can view your child’s friends list, see who they have recently messaged, limit access to My AI and sensitive content, and request their location in the app. You can work with your child to turn on parental controls and make choices together about how you can best support your child on Snapchat.
To enable ‘Parental Controls’ on Snapchat:
- Register for an account on Snapchat.
- Add your child as a friend on Snapchat. Your child will also need to add your account as a friend.
- Go to your profile and then choose the gear icon on the top-right corner of the screen to access the settings menu.
- Navigate to the ‘Family Centre’ and select the child you wish to invite. Then choose ‘Send Invitation’ at the bottom of the screen.
- Your child will need to select ‘Accept’ on their account. You will both be notified that the invitation has been accepted.
To restrict content for your child:
- Go to your profile and then choose the gear icon on the top-right corner of the screen to access the settings menu.
- Choose ‘Family Centre’ and select your child’s account. Choose ‘Content settings’ to access their content settings.
- Toggle on ‘Restrict Sensitive Content’. It will turn blue to show that it has been turned on.
- Note: This will only affect content on Stories and Spotlight and not in private snaps between users.
To view your child’s friends:
- Go to your profile and then choose the gear icon on the top-right corner of the screen to access the settings menu.
- Choose ‘Family Centre’ and select your child’s account.
- Select ‘View friends’.
To turn off ‘My AI’ on Snapchat:
- Go to your profile and then choose the gear icon on the top-right corner of the screen to access the settings menu.
- Choose ‘Family Centre’ and select your child’s account.
- Under ‘Recent Conversations’ find ‘My AI’ and switch the toggle. It will turn from blue to grey to show that it has been turned off.
To report a user that is talking to your child:
- Go to your profile and then choose the gear icon on the top-right corner of the screen to access the settings menu.
- Choose ‘Family Centre’ and select your child’s account.
- Under ‘Recent Conversations’ find the user you wish to report and select the flag icon. Follow the report prompts to complete the report.
To request your child’s location on the Family Centre:
- Go to your profile and then choose the gear icon on the top-right corner of the screen to access the settings menu.
- Choose ‘Family Centre’ and select your child’s account.
- Select ‘Request Location’. Your child will need to accept your request.
- Note: You can also select ‘Share my location’ after requesting your child’s location to share your location with your child.
Users can report and block other users who may be bothering them or behaving inappropriately on the platform. Blocked users are prevented from creating a new account on the same device, or trying to re-add the reporting users.
To report a user:
- select the user you wish to report from the ‘Chat’ list
- tap and hold down their name and select the ‘Manage friendship’ option
- tap ‘Report’ and choose your reason from the listed options
To block a user:
- go to your profile and choose ‘My friends’
- tap and hold down their name and click on the ‘Manage Friendship’ option
- click ‘block’
To ‘remove friend’:
- select the user you wish to remove from the ‘chat’ list
- tap and hold their name and select ‘manage friendship’
- select ‘remove friend’
There are lots of prompts and invitations on Snapchat, including friend suggestions and prompts about unopened snaps or mentions. You can manage the notifications in the settings menu.
To manage notifications:
- go to your profile and choose the settings menu
- scroll down and select ‘Notifications’ and choose which features you would like to be notified about (there is an extensive list of notifications available so work with your child to choose the notification settings that are suitable for them)
Users should be advised that a Snapchat account takes 60 days to delete. The process begins with deactivation, which lasts 30 days. In this period, a user can stop the account deletion process by logging in if they change their mind. However, if the user does not log-in to the deactivated account for 30 days, the account will become irrecoverable. The next 30 days involves the deletion process.
To delete a Snapchat Account (PC/Android):
- log-in to your Snapchat account on your web browser of choice
- go to the delete account section
- write in your Snapchat username and password and follow the prompts to delete your account
To delete a Snapchat Account (iOS):
- access your profile by choosing the avatar icon on the top-left corner
- select the gear icon in the top-right corner to open ‘Settings’
- scroll down to ‘Account Actions’
- choose ‘Delete Account’
- enter your password in order to verify account deactivation
- choose ‘Continue’ (your account will be deactivated for 30 days and deleted after these days)

Additional tips

Snapchat offers a ‘Here for you’ service which provides in-app support to users who may be experiencing mental health issues. This can be found in the ‘Support’ section within the settings menu.

Snapchat has produced a ‘Guide for Educators’ to develop understanding on how young people use the platform and the protections that are available. Included in this is a toolkit designed to provide knowledge on how to support the safety and well-being of their students online – both generally and on Snapchat.

Snapchat has published its own guidance about My AI. More information can be found in the ChatGPT guide.

Snapchat is currently testing sharing public content for ages 16 and 17 in limited countries, though this may soon expand to include the UK. To go alongside this, Snapchat will also add a feature to ‘Family Pairing’ that will allow parents and carers to see whether their 16 to 17-year-old has an active public story or has public content shared to their account.

Official age rating

How children and young people use the app

Key features and terminology

Snap

Stories

Discovery

Snapstreak

Best Friends list

Chat (Blue Chat)

Filter

Snap Maps

Meet up

Ghost Mode

Spotlight

Calls and Video Calls

Bitmoji

Memories

My eyes only

My AI

Snap Token

Snapchat+

Potential risks

Content

Connecting with others

User behaviour

Design, data and costs

Tips for keeping your child safe

Managing privacy

Managing interactions and content

Family Centre

Reporting and blocking

Managing time and purchases

Account deactivation or deletion

Additional tips