Instagram's Teen Accounts feature is coming to Facebook and Messenger soon

Meta is rolling out its Teen Accounts protections—first introduced on Instagram—to Facebook and Messenger, as part of a broader push to offer safer, more age-appropriate experiences for young users across its platforms.

Initially launched last year, Instagram Teen Accounts were designed to give teens aged 13-15 a safer experience by default, while addressing key concerns from parents. These accounts come with built-in restrictions, including limits on who can message teens, filters for age-inappropriate content, and nudges to take breaks from the platform. Teens under 16 require parental permission to relax any of these default settings. According to Meta, 97% of teens in this age group have kept the built-in protections in place.

Now, Meta is extending the same protections to Facebook and Messenger. Starting this month, Teen Accounts will begin rolling out in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, with a global expansion expected soon. These new accounts will similarly feature automatic safeguards to restrict exposure to inappropriate content and unwanted contact, and will encourage healthy screen time habits.

In addition to the expansion, Meta is also introducing new updates to Instagram Teen Accounts. Teens under 16 will soon need parental approval to go Live or to disable a feature that blurs suspected nude images in direct messages. These updates will be rolled out in the coming months.

Meta says these measures are grounded in feedback from parents. A recent Ipsos survey commissioned by the company found that 94% of US parents believe Teen Accounts are helpful, and 85% say the protections make it easier to ensure their children have positive experiences online.

There are currently over 54 million active Teen Accounts globally, and Meta says it is committed to enhancing safety across all its apps. “We’re encouraged by the progress, but our work to support parents and teens doesn’t stop here,” the company said in its latest update.