How to Keep Your Kids Safe on Instagram

ByJim Miller

Instagram is a popular social media platform used by millions of people to share all kinds of content. However, if your child is using Instagram without supervision, it can be a source of frustration and anxiety. To address this concern, Instagram has introduced a new feature called Supervision, which allows parents to monitor their child's activity and protect them from potential bullying, harassment, and other threats. In this article, we will explore what Supervision is and how you can set it up to keep your kids safe on Instagram.

What Is Supervision on Instagram

Supervision is a recently introduced feature on Instagram that enables parents to monitor their child's social media presence. With Supervision enabled, parents have access to various types of data about their child's account activity. Additionally, it provides tools to limit your child's access to Instagram. Here are some things you can do with Supervision on Instagram:

  • Set a time limit for Instagram usage
  • Set scheduled breaks
  • View how much time your child is spending on Instagram
  • View which accounts they're following
  • View accounts that are following your child
  • View which accounts are blocked by your child
  • View their privacy settings and content sensitivity settings
  • See who can message your child
  • See who can add your child to a messaging group

Parents will also receive notifications in their own Instagram activity feed every time these settings are changed by their child. On the other hand, kids can see a preview of what parents can see in the Family Center, a preview of what parents see when supervising, and report someone on Instagram and notify their parents.

Set up Supervision on Instagram

To set up Supervision, both parents and kids need to send and accept an invitation. Here's how you can do it from both perspectives:

Send Invitation From Parent's Instagram Account (and Accept from Kid's)

If you are a parent who wants to invite your kid to set up Supervision on Instagram, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Instagram app on your smartphone and go to the profile tab.
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines).
  3. From the list of options, tap on Settings.
  4. Now tap on Supervision.
  5. Tap on Add account under the “Accounts that you supervise” section.
  6. Tap on Create invitation.
  7. Share the invitation link with your kid by copying it and sending it via DM or other messaging apps.
  8. Your kid needs to open the DM on Instagram, paste the link, and tap on Send.
  9. Your kid will then need to tap on the invite link and tap on Next to accept the supervision request.
  10. Finally, tap on Allow to confirm the supervision setup.

Send Invitation From Kid's Instagram Account (and Accept from Parent's)

If you are a kid who wants to invite your parent to supervise your account, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Instagram app on your smartphone and go to the profile tab.
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu.
  3. Tap on Settings.
  4. Tap on Supervision.
  5. Tap on Next.
  6. Tap on Create invitation to create a new invitation.
  7. Share the invitation link with your parent by copying it and sending it via DM or other messaging apps.
  8. Your parent needs to open the DM from you, tap on the invite link, and tap on Next.
  9. Tap on Accept Invitation to accept the supervision request.
  10. Tap on Done to complete the setup.

Cancel Supervision Invitation on Instagram

If you mistakenly sent the invitation to the wrong person, you can cancel the Supervision invite. Here's how:

From Kid's Account

To cancel the Supervision invite from the kid's account:

  1. Open the Instagram app and go to the profile tab.
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu.
  3. Tap on Settings.
  4. Tap on Supervision.
  5. Tap on Cancel invitation.
  6. Confirm the cancellation by tapping on Cancel invitation.

From Parent's Account

To cancel the Supervision invite from the parent's account:

  1. Open the Instagram app and go to the profile tab.
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu.
  3. Tap on Settings.
  4. Tap on Supervision.
  5. Tap on Add account under the “Accounts that you supervise” section.
  6. Tap on Cancel Invitation.
  7. Confirm the cancellation by tapping on Cancel Invitation.

Instagram Supervision: A Much-Needed Feature

Supervision is a much-needed feature that helps parents be aware of their child's presence on Instagram. It provides access to valuable information and insights about their child's account and account activity. By following the steps mentioned above, you can set up Supervision for your child's Instagram account and ensure their safety. Stay informed and keep your kids safe on Instagram!

Instagram Supervision

Image source: TechWiser