Snapchat Security: A Parent’s Guide
Snapchat, a real-time photo and video sharing app with an average of 210 million snapshots sent per day. We provide you with everything there is to know about the application.
What’s on the page: Snapchat Security: A Parent’s Guide
- What is Snapchat?
- How does Snapchat work?
- What is the minimum age of Snapchat?
- Does Snapchat have any privacy or security features?
- Snapchat games
- Latest Snapchat updates
What is Snapchat?: Snapchat Security: A Parent’s Guide
Snapchat is a popular messaging application that allows you to send and receive images and videos (called Snap) to users. Snap Inc is the developer of the app and also creates other products like Snapchat Spectacles.
It is available for Android and iOS users and can be downloaded for free.
Credit: TechCrunch
How does Snapchat work?
It was initially a private photo sharing app, but has since grown to include short videos, games, video chat, messaging, a place to store photos, and more.
Each Snap shared with your followers is temporary and available for 24 hours, or unless you delete it and can set the Snaps between a limit of 1 to 10 or no limit. You can also add different filters, lenses, emojis, and text to your Snap.
In addition to the above, Snapchat has a ‘Discovery’ and ‘Featured’ area.
- The discovery feature – works as a newsfeed with content from news publishers and also known people.
- The Spotlight Feature – Functioning like TikTok, Spotlight is a dedicated tab on Snapchat for promoting short viral videos. The Spotlight feature will use an algorithm to recommend the ‘hottest’ posts to view based on what interests the user.
Learn how to set privacy and security settings on the Snapchat social platform to help your child have a more secure experience.
SEE GUIDE
What is the minimum age of Snapchat?
The minimum age to use Snapchat is 13 years old.
Does Snapchat have any privacy or security features?
Snapchat introduced a Safety Advisory Board that ‘educates, challenges, raises issues and advises Snapchatters on how to keep the Snapchat community safe.’
In addition to the usual location-blocking, disabling, and reporting features, Snapchat has also introduced the following:
- Here for You – a mental health feature that provides proactive in-app support to Snapchatters who may be experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis, or who may be curious to learn more about these issues and how they can help their friends with deal with them
- Safety Snapshot – a Snapchat digital literacy program aimed at educating Snapchatters on data, privacy, security, and online safety issues
- Updated Privacy for Under 18s – There are no public browsable profiles for Snapchatters under 18.
- Default chat features – By default, you cannot chat or contact someone directly unless both of you have been added as friends
Visit our Snapchat Parental Privacy Controls for information on how to enable certain settings.
Snapchat games
The Snapchat game feature ‘Snap Games’ has various competitive and non-competitive games to play with friends. It also has a voice and chat feature where you can send text messages or via live audio. Users can also receive in-game rewards such as coins or items when viewing an ad, however Snapchat has stated that video rewards may not be available to all Snapchatters but does not specify what criteria you would have to meet.
Snap Games can be accessed from the Snapchat app.
Latest Snapchat updates
As of February 2021
Bitmoji Wheelchair Rendering Project for Inclusion
Snapchat emojis, called Bitmoji, have introduced a selection of accessible Bitmoji for use by Snapchatters, such as a wheelchair Bitmoji.
Coming
Checkup friend
As part of the Day Safer Internet (9 February 2021), Snapchat presented the Friend Check Up feature. This feature will make Snapchatters review their buddy lists and ensure that they are made up of people with who still want to be connected. Friend Check Up is available for Android devices and will be available for iOS devices in the coming months.
