TikTok has expanded its Family Pairing feature, giving parents more control over their teens' online activity. With these new updates, parents can now manage their children's screen time, restrict inappropriate content and even control who can send them messages.
The updates, part of TikTok’s commitment to online safety, enhance Family Pairing by providing parents with greater oversight while encouraging responsible and mindful screen time among younger users.
The latest updates include time away scheduling, which allows parents to set custom screen-free periods such as school hours, bedtime and weekends. According to the social media giant, even though teens can request extra time, parents have final approval. Another update is teen network visibility, where parents can now see who their teen follows, who follows them and any blocked accounts. The last update, proactive reporting alerts, ensures that when a teen reports content that may violate TikTok’s Community Guidelines, they will have the option to notify a trusted adult, even if Family Pairing is not enabled.
With these updates, Family Pairing now offers parents more than15 customisable safety, privacy and well-being features to tailor their teens' experience on TikTok.
In a statement, TikTok also said it is introducing a Wind-Down feature for users under 16, to help teens develop more mindful screen time habits. “If they remain active on TikTok after 10pm, their For You Feed will be interrupted with a full-screen reminder and calming music, encouraging them to log off. If they continue scrolling, a second, more persistent prompt will follow.
“Early trials indicate that most teens choose to keep these reminders enabled, reinforcing the feature’s effectiveness in shaping positive digital behaviours. Over the coming weeks, TikTok will test meditation exercises within the feature, as research shows that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality.”
Empowering young learners with STEM
TikTok’s commitment to educational content continues to grow. Since launching its dedicated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) feed, millions of teens worldwide have engaged with STEM-focused content, fostering curiosity and learning in a fun and accessible way. TikTok said the STEM feed is now available in over 100 countries, offering young users inspiration, innovation and expert-led learning resources on TikTok.
Meanwhile, as part of its commitment to putting young voices at the centre of platform improvements, TikTok is expanding its Global Youth Council for 2025. Following a successful first year, the council – originally launched in 2023 – was designed to amplify teen perspectives and enhance their experience on the platform.
This year, the council has nearly doubled in size, now featuring 28 members from 15 countries, including new representatives from Nigeria, Cameroon, Canada, Qatar and Australia. Returning members from Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the UK and the US will continue their participation for a second term. The Youth Council plays a vital role in shaping TikTok’s safety, well-being and inclusivity policies, ensuring the platform continues to evolve with the needs and experiences of young users worldwide.
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