Snapchat has introduced new parental oversight features in its Family Center in India, allowing parents to track how much time teenagers spend on the app and gain additional context around new social connections, as concerns around teen screen time and online safety intensify.

The update enables parents to view the average daily time their teen spends on Snapchat over a seven-day period, along with a breakdown of activity across key features such as chat, camera, Snap Map, Spotlight and Stories. The data is presented in aggregated form and does not include access to private messages.

The platform has also expanded visibility into new friend connections. Parents can now see indicators such as mutual friends, whether a contact exists in the teen’s phone book, and shared communities when a new friend is added. Parents already had access to a full list of their teen’s friends and recent additions.

“With the latest updates to Family Center, parents can see clear, practical information about how their teens spend time on Snapchat, while teen privacy continues to be respected,” said Uthara Ganesh, Head of Public Policy, APAC at Snap Inc.

Expanded safety tools and parental controls

Snapchat has also introduced new educational resources aimed at parents and caregivers, including a step-by-step explainer video on how to use Family Center. Beyond the newly launched features, the tool allows parents to set content controls, share location within the family, report potentially concerning accounts, and restrict access to Snapchat’s My AI chatbot. The company said it will also allow parents to disable access to its AI-powered search engine, Perplexity, in the near future.

Family Center does not provide parents access to the content of private conversations. Instead, the platform said the design is intended to mirror real-world parenting by offering visibility into usage patterns and connections, rather than direct monitoring.

India is a key market for Snapchat, with a significant proportion of its user base made up of teenagers and young adults. The latest update comes as technology platforms face increasing pressure from parents and policymakers to introduce safeguards that address excessive screen time and online risks for younger users.

The new Family Center features are being rolled out to parents and guardians who are already connected to their teens on Snapchat.