Meta's New Rules for Teens on Instagram and Facebook: Quick FAQ
06 Oct, 2026
3 minute read

Meta's New Rules for Teens on Instagram and Facebook: Quick FAQ

Meta has changed rules for teens on Instagram and Facebook. So what do parents and professionals need to know?

What's changed?

Firstly, nothing has changed for UK teens. These new rules only apply in the US, and Meta has no plans to roll them out anywhere else. UK teens' Instagram and Facebook accounts work the same as before

Meta has agreed to a legal settlement with a bipartisan group of US state attorneys general over how it protects children on Instagram and Facebook.

As part of the deal, a set of safety features that were previously optional will be switched on by default for under 18s in the US. A US court approved the agreement in August 2026, and most of the changes are due to take effect by early 2027.

What are the new default settings for teens?

  • Time limit. A two hour daily cap across Facebook and Instagram combined. Teens can only turn it off with a parent's permission.
  • Night Mode. Teens are blocked from posting or viewing content between midnight and 6am.
  • School Mode. Notifications are muted between 8am and 3pm on school days.
  • Screen time prompts. Teens get a check in prompt every 15 minutes of continuous use, plus extra prompts at 60 and 90 minutes.
  • Hidden likes. Like and reaction counts are hidden from teens by default, on their own posts and others'.
  • No cosmetic filters. Extreme filters and cosmetic surgery style filters are no longer available to under 18s. 

Direct messages are not affected by the Time Limit, Night Mode or School Mode, so teens can still message friends and family at any time.

What's new for parents?

  • Parents can set a non-algorithmic (chronological) feed for their teen, instead of one shaped by Instagram's recommendation system.
  • Parents can set autoplay to be switched off.
  • Parents get alerts if their teen links a second account, interacts with a potentially suspicious account, or tries to change their protective settings.
  • Parents get periodic updates on their teen's usage.

Does this apply everywhere?

No. It only applies to under 18 accounts in the US states and territories that are part of the agreement. Meta is not rolling these changes out outside the US.

How long do these protections have to stay in place?

Most terms must remain in place for 10 years. The Time Limit and Night Mode features start with a 5 year commitment, extending to 10 years, with even stricter defaults, if TikTok and YouTube agree to adopt similar measures.

Do I need to do anything?

UK teens won't get these new settings, but there are still protections you can use:

  • Check your teen is on a Teen Account. Under 18s on Instagram are placed in a Teen Account, which comes with built-in protections such as private accounts by default and limits on who can message them.
  • Set up supervision. Through Meta's Family Centre, you can link to your teen's account to see how much time they spend on the app, set daily time limits and schedule breaks.
  • Agree some ground rules together. The US rules are a useful starting point for a conversation. Could you agree on no phones after a certain time, or during school hours?
  • Keep talking. Settings help, but regular, relaxed conversations about what your teen sees and does online make the biggest difference.

Is this the same as age verification?

Not exactly. Meta has also committed to strengthening how it identifies underage users and teen accounts, but age verification is a separate, ongoing part of the agreement rather than a single new feature.