How it works
Popular features include Direct Messaging, Reels (short videos), Stories (24-hour disappearing posts), and Live broadcasting. Users can apply ‘filters’ to their photos and videos to change the way they look and share their current location. A personalised feed shows content from followed accounts and advertisers. Adult users can pay a monthly subscription to remove adverts and stop their data being used for advertising.
Meta AI, a digital assistant, provides text chat, information, and image creation. For 18+ accounts, Meta uses public posts and AI interactions to train its models unless a user objects via the Privacy Centre.
Teen Accounts are Instagram accounts for teens aged 13 – 17. They are automatically set to more protective safety settings. They claim to offer these features:
• Their account will be private by default when they sign up (16 – 17 year olds can change this)
• They can only receive messages from accounts they follow or have previously connected with
• They are automatically set to blur images in messages detected as containing nudity (although this is not supported on desktop, web browsers or Meta Quest)
• They only allow ‘tags’ and ‘mentions’ by people who they follow
• Potentially offensive comments and message requests are hidden
• They only see content, profiles, comments and channel updates supposedly aligned with content ratings for ages 13+
• They automatically have sleep mode turned on from 10pm to 7am
• They automatically get a reminder to close Instagram after a total of 60 minutes is spent on the app each day
• The ability to start a live broadcast is off by default
Parental controls or safety settings available
Parents can use the Instagram Family Centre to set up Supervision. This enables them to:
• View who their child follows and who follows them
•See blocked accounts
• Receive notifications if their child reports content
• Set daily time limits
• Schedule Sleep Mode to mute notifications at night
• Manage whether their child can share their location or go Live (off by default for under-16s)
Supervision also allows parents to:
• See who their child has messaged in the last seven days (without reading content)
• Restrict their child’s ability to view, leave or receive comments
• See the topics their child has discussed with Meta AI and be alerted if these chats (or searches) repeatedly include known suicide or self-harm terms
