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Family Pairing

Guardian control panel that links an adult's TikTok account to a teen's to manage screen time, content, and privacy settings.

Definition​

Family Pairing is TikTok's optional supervision tool that lets parents or guardians link their profile to a teen's account. Once linked, the guardian can adjust screen-time limits, enable Restricted Mode, control direct messages, approve content levels, and review safety alerts.

Why it matters​

  • Compliance: Helps TikTok satisfy youth-protection rules in the UK, EU, and multiple U.S. states without forcing teens off the platform.
  • Peace of mind: Guardians receive weekly summaries of watch time, searches, and reported content.
  • Feature gating: Teens need guardian approval to unlock DMs, livestreaming, or TikTok Shop before their 18th birthday.

Notes​

  1. Linking requires both devices to scan a QR code inside Settings - Family Pairing.
  2. Guardians can manage multiple teen accounts from one dashboard and revoke access at any time.
  3. Teens retain appeal rights-if they believe a setting is unfair, they can submit a review through in-app support.