How to Monitor Kid's Snapchat: Best Methods for Parents

Snapchat has been quite successful since it was launched around 2011. It gained millions of fans due to its self-deleting messages, funny filters, and entertaining stories. Considering that there are millions of teenagers in the USA who use Snapchat, it is not surprising that it has found a place among the younger generation.

However, the very same popularity of Snapchat poses a problem for kids. Things like scams, adult material, and sexting have made Snapchat to be a two-edged sword for children. As a parent, it is important that you know how to monitor your child's activities on Snapchat and the tools available for Snapchat monitoring.

In this guide, we walk you through the best methods to understand how to monitor your kids’ Snapchat and keep your kids safe on Snapchat.

Part 1. Understanding Snapchat and Its Risks

Snapchat is a multimedia app where users can send images and short video clips called “snaps” which are designed to vanish within a specific period of time which is set by the user.

Snapchat requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account, relying on self-reported age verification. Users under 13 will have their accounts terminated if discovered, and Snapchat prevents 13–17-year-olds from editing their birth year to appear older. Despite these measures, younger children can easily bypass these rules, leaving them exposed to risks. So what are the potential risks on Snapchat?

• Cyberbullying

The fleeting nature of Snapchat content makes it a hotspot for cyberbullying. Snaps can be used to send abusive messages or pictures and threats towards children and rampantly intimidate them. Also, the vanishing stories, which leave no evidence, can contribute to this. Without strong privacy settings, kids may feel defenseless against such attacks.

• Exposure to inappropriate content

Snapchat’s unfiltered content can be a concern for parents. Children are able to view pornographic images or videos via the Discover section or receive them from other users.

• Privacy concerns

Snapchat’s disappearing messages encourage impulsive sharing, as kids may believe there’s no permanent record of what they send. However, Snaps can be screenshotted or saved in chats, often without the sender’s knowledge. Additionally, parents may find it hard to monitor who their kids are interacting with or what personal information they’re sharing.

• Stranger threats

If privacy settings aren’t configured, strangers can send your child messages or Snaps. It may cause harmful experiences or the pressure to divulge private information.

• Pressure to share personal details to fit in

Snapchat’s culture of maintaining Snapstreaks, sharing Snaps regularly, and participating in viral challenges can lead to unhealthy habits. However, this can create pressure to share information that you are not comfortable with. Children may feel pressured to share more than they should or do things online that may not be safe just to fit in.

• Mental health impacts

The constant comparison to curated, filtered images of peers can take a toll on kids’ self-esteem. The fleeting yet addictive nature of Snapchat can also lead to compulsive use, sleep deprivation, or feelings of anxiety when they’re not keeping up with notifications or Snapstreaks.

Part 2. How to Monitor Kid's Snapchat-4 Proven Methods

Monitoring your kid's Snapchat is very important, this will help you ensure that they’re using the platform safely. There are effective methods for you to oversee your child's Snapchat. Let’s talk about four of them.

Method 1. Using Snapchat’s built-in parental controls

So you might ask: Are there parental controls on Snapchat? Yes, there are!

Snapchat has its own built-in parental controls known as Family Center. You can use Snapchat’s free and easy-to-use monitoring feature to keep an eye on your child’s Snapchat activity and privacy settings. Although it is not the most sophisticated monitoring tool, it does provide safety features for worried parents. Here are some features of Snapchat Family Center;

• View chat connections: See who your child is communicating with without accessing the content of their chats.
• Privacy management: Customize settings to block unwanted contacts and restrict visibility through Ghost Mode.
• Content control: Limit sensitive or inappropriate content in Stories and Spotlight.
• Reporting options: if you come across any suspicious or harmful content, you can report it straight to our Trust and Safety team.

Here is how to use Snapchat’s Built-in Parental (Snapchat Family Center) control to monitor your kid’s Snapchat;

Step 1. Use the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to download Snapchat.

Step 2. Simply create a new Snapchat account or log in to your already-existing account.

Step 3. Ask your child for their username and send them a friend request.

Step 4. Access the Family Center by going to Snapchat’s settings menu.

Step 5. Send an invitation to your child through the Family Center.

Step 6. Once your child accepts the invite, you’ll gain access to monitoring and privacy tools.

Method 2. Try Msafely Snapchat monitoring for parents

If you need more comprehensive monitoring, Msafely is a third-party parental control app designed to give you complete oversight of your child’s Snapchat and overall device activity. This tool runs discreetly in the background, providing Snapchat parental monitoring while staying invisible to your child.

(1) What is Msafely

Msafely is an efficient parental control app that enables you to monitor various activities on your kid’s mobile device including Snapchat.

One of the best parts is that Msafely works secretly, so your kid won’t even have a clue that you are keeping tabs. It is essential for parents who want to keep their children safe without being too intrusive.

Msafely is compatible with both iPhone and Android smartphones and is always up to date with the most recent iOS versions. This makes it a suitable monitoring software for Snapchat.

All of your children's Snapchat activity will be accessible via the Msafely control panel, which is simple to use. Since Msafely is cloud-based, no physical installation is necessary, making it ideal for concealed surveillance.

(2) Big advantages of Msafely in monitoring kid's Snapchat

•  Monitor Snapchat messages

Msafely allows parents to be able to monitor their child’s Snapchat text conversations.

•  Snapchat call monitoring

This feature provides you with records of every incoming and outgoing call made on Snapchat, including the duration of the call and the contact name.

•  Photo and video monitoring on Snapchat

This feature allows parents to view photos and videos including media on Snapchat that their children possess. Parents can even spy on media sent through Snapchat despite it being deleted.

•  Track Snapchat location in real-time

With Msafely, you can track your kid's location on Snapchat remotely.

•  View friends list

Msafely allows you to easily view your child's Snapchat friends list. This helps you understand who your child is connecting with and ensures they're not engaging with strangers or potentially risky individuals.

(3) Steps to use Msafely to monitor your child's Snapchat on iPhone & Android

Follow these steps to start using Msafely to monitor your child’s Snapchat;

Step 1. Visit the website and register a free account using a valid email address.

Step 2. Choose the device type (Android or iOS).

Step 3. Select the plan that suits your monitoring needs and activate your subscription.

Step 4. Once the device is connected, sign in to the Msafely Control Panel, where you can access your kid’s Snapchat activity and other monitoring features.

(4) Msafely’s other key features

Msafely offers a robust set of features, making it one of the most comprehensive tools for monitoring your child’s Snapchat. Here are some of its amazing features:

•  Social media monitoring

With Msafely, you can easily track Snapchat messages and posts and call logs in real time. There is also the possibility to monitor Media on Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter, amongst other social media.

•  Geofencing

With Msafely, parents can create virtual boundaries for school or home and get notifications when their child’s device goes beyond a certain zone. This allows parents to know that their child is in a safe place.

•  Browser history tracking

This feature summarizes the websites your kid visits, making it easy to track internet usage.

•  GPS location tracking

This feature not only gives real-time photos of the location but also gives past places the child visited.

•  Monitor emails

Track sent and received text messages and emails on the target device.

•  Monitor all installed applications

You can also view details about apps installed on your child’s device, including capacity, version, and creation date.

Method 3. Monitot your child’s Snapchat using iCloud backup

You can also monitor your kid’s Snapchat using iCloud backup. Snapchat removes old posts, but if your child’s iPhone is backed up to iCloud, you can recover deleted Snapchat activity by restoring a previous backup.

This method is ideal for accessing past Snaps, messages, and other media. You can access all data stored in the backup, including Snapchat activity, app data, contacts, and more.

Follow these steps to monitor your kid’s Snapchat using iCloud backup:

Step 1. Choose an iPhone to restore your child’s iCloud backup. If the iPhone is already set up, erase all content by going to: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

Step 2. Use your child’s iCloud credentials to sign in to iCloud. Select the appropriate backup to restore and wait for the process to complete.

Step 3. Follow the setup instructions until you reach the Apps & Data screen. Select Restore from iCloud Backup.

Method 4. Monitor your child’s Snapchat by restoring media cache files on Android

You can monitor your child’s Snapchat activity by recovering media cache files on an Android phone.

Snapchat deletes pictures and videos from stories automatically. However, these pictures are stored on your device’s cache folder temporarily, which can be retrieved.

To monitor Snapchat by restoring media cache files on Android, follow these steps:

Step 1. Install a file manager app on your child’s Android device from the Google Play Store. File manager usually comes with many Android devices.

Step 2. You need to open the file manager app and move to the Android folder on the phone’s internal storage.

Step 3. Open the Data folder and look for a folder named com.snapchat.android.

Step 4. Inside the Snapchat folder, locate the cache folder.

Step 5. To view received Snapchat photos, open the received_image_snaps folder within the cache. Recover the images and other media stored here.

Part 3. How to Protect Your Child on Snapchat

Parents should know what dangers their kids can face on Snapchat. This app is fun and a great way for children to connect with their friends. However, it could land them in trouble.

As a parent, there are things you can do to help your child use Snapchat safely. Following six important steps can greatly reduce the power social media has over your child while boosting their self-confidence.

Have a conversation about Snapchat safety and explain the risks of sensitive content

Begin by talking with your child about the significance of online safety. Ensure they know the risks of using Snapchat, how to set personal boundaries and manage uncomfortable situations.

Even if Snaps are designed to disappear, remind your child that they can be screen-grabbed or recorded. For instance, a funny picture of a close friend may end up going viral without their consent.

Teach them to think twice before sharing sensitive or personal content and to assume that “temporary” online actions can become permanent.

Disable the option to be found by phone number

Snapchat allows people to search for users using their phone numbers, which can expose your child to strangers. To disable this:

• Open your child’s Snapchat profile.
• Tap the gear icon (Settings).
• Go to Mobile Number and uncheck the option to let others find me using my mobile number.

Disabling this option ensures that strangers can’t find your child’s account through their phone number.

Turn off “Quick Add” suggestions

Snapchat's Quick Add feature suggests users as friends, potentially exposing your child’s profile to people they don’t know. Turning this off reduces the chances of strangers adding your child based on mutual connections. To turn this off:

• Open your child’s profile.
• Tap the gear icon (Settings).
• Click on See me in the Quick Add option and uncheck the option.

Monitor your kid’s friend list closely and set up Snapchat's built-in parental controls

While you're with your child, look through their friend list to make sure they're only following people they know and can trust. For instance, talk to your child if you see usernames you don’t recognize. If in doubt, talk about their removal or blocking of contact.

To make this process easier, consider using parental control apps like Msafely or similar tools to get alerts about new friends or unusual activity.

You should also make sure you set up Snapchat Family Center which is SnapChat’s built-in parental control so you can monitor their Snapchat usage.

Teach them to report and block inappropriate users

Show your child how to report and block someone who sends them unwelcome messages that make them feel uncomfortable. Explain when it’s appropriate to take these steps and assure them that it’s okay to protect their boundaries.

• To block a user, tap and hold their name in the chat list, click on Manage friendship, then select Block.
• To report inappropriate content, tap the message or Snap, select Report, and follow the prompts.

Restrict contact to friends only

By default, Snapchat allows anyone to contact users, but you can change this setting to limit contact to friends only. This guarantees that your kid won't receive texts or snaps from strangers. Here is how to go about it;

• Open your child’s profile.
• Tap the gear icon (Settings).
• Select Contact Me and choose My Friends.

Enable "Ghost Mode" for location privacy

Snapchat’s location-sharing feature can let friends (or strangers) know your child’s current whereabouts. To protect their privacy, enable Ghost Mode:

• Go to your child’s profile.
• Tap the gear icon (Settings).
• Select "See My Location" and activate "Ghost Mode."

With Ghost mode enabled, your child’s location will not be shared with anyone, reducing the risk of being tracked.

Part 4. FAQs about Monitoring Kid's Snapchat

Q1. How important is it to keep track of my child’s activity on Snapchat?

Very important. Snapchat has disappearing messages, which can make it harder to spot inappropriate content. Monitoring helps safeguard your child from multiple risks present in the online world, such as cyber intimidation.

Q2. Is it possible to monitor my kid's Snapchat without them knowing?

Yes, certain software enables covert surveillance notably Msafely but such measures should be taken with great caution, meaning discussion with the child is a must.

Q3. Are there free ways to monitor Snapchat?

You can use Snapchat’s Family Center or tools like iCloud backups for limited insight, but these may not cover everything.

Q4. What’s the best app for monitoring Snapchat?

Msafely is one of the best because it offers detailed monitoring, including chat and media tracking.

Q5. How can I bring up the subject of monitoring with my child?

Be open and explain why it’s important to keep them safe online. Make it about teamwork rather than spying.

Part 5. Conclusion

You should keep an eye on your child’s Snapchat. When you combine Snapchat's Family Center, advanced tools like Msafely, and methods such as iCloud backup, you can gain insights into your child's online activity while respecting their privacy.

Msafely is highly recommended because it is a very robust monitoring tool built especially for parents. Open communication with your child is equally important to build trust and guide them toward safe and responsible social media use.

Teach your child to open up and discuss their issues and work together to build safe online habits. Certainly, with the right amount of trust and oversight, you can help your child enjoy Snapchat safely and responsibly.