Snapchat adds new Family Center tools to give parents more visibility

Snapchat has introduced new features in its Family Center aimed at giving parents greater visibility into how teenagers use the platform, as conversations around screen time and digital well-being continue to grow.

The update adds three key elements: insights into how much time teens spend on different parts of the app, additional context around new friend connections, and new safety and educational resources for parents.

Speaking on Snapchat’s approach to teen safety and parental involvement, Uthara Ganesh, head of Public Policy, APAC Snap Inc. said: “At Snapchat, supporting young people’s digital well-being is a core part of how we build our platform. With the latest updates to Family Center, parents can see clear, practical information about how their teens spend time on Snapchat. The feature is designed to help families have more informed conversations, while continuing to respect teen privacy. As digital habits evolve in India, we remain focused on building safety tools that are transparent by design, easy to use, and rooted in trust between parents and teens.”

Under the new update, parents can now view the average time their teen spends on Snapchat each day over the previous week. The data is broken down by activity, such as chatting with friends, using the camera, exploring Snap Map, or watching content on Spotlight and Stories.

Family Center already allows parents to see their teen’s friends list and any new friends added in the past week. The update now provides additional context for new connections, including whether there are mutual friends, saved contacts or shared communities.

Snapchat has also added new educational resources, including a video guide explaining how Family Center works and how parents can use its tools. The platform continues to position Family Center as a way to offer visibility and control over settings without providing access to private conversations.