💬 Social apps and messaging · 🎬 Video, animation, audio and streaming
TikTok
By TikTok USDS Joint Venture (US); ByteDance elsewhere. Visit TikTok
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A short-video app built around the For You feed, which learns from every like, comment and rewatch. Teens 13 to 17 get preset protections: private accounts, a 60-minute daily screen-time prompt, no hosting LIVE, and no night notifications. Under 16s cannot send direct messages and their videos stay out of For You. Family Pairing lets a parent set time limits, filter keywords, control comments and messages, and see who the teen follows. In the US, under-13s get a separate view-only Under 13 Experience.
Our take: If a teen 13+ uses it, link Family Pairing and keep the defaults; younger children should not have a regular account.
| Ages it suits | 13+ (separate Under 13 Experience in the US) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Under 13 (under 14 in Florida) may not use TikTok, except the separate US Under 13 Experience. Under 18s should review the terms with a parent, and some features are restricted for them. TikTok bans accounts it finds are underage. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free with ads (Oct 2026); TikTok Coins, gifts and TikTok Shop purchases are optional. |
| Works on | iPhone and iPad, Android, Web |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | A recommendation system builds each person's For You feed from what they watch and interact with. |
What's good
- Under-16s cannot send DMs
- Teen accounts private by default
- Family Pairing covers time, messages, comments and keywords
- 60-minute daily prompt on by default
Watch for
- Highly engaging feed built to keep scrolling
- Teens can enter a passcode to keep going past 60 minutes unless a parent controls it
- US Justice Department COPPA lawsuit
- On Australia's under-16 restricted list
Data and privacy
TikTok's US privacy policy, now run by TikTok USDS Joint Venture, says it uses information about how people use the app to train and improve machine learning models and to personalize ads. For the Under 13 Experience it collects a username, password, birthday and device data, shows only contextual ads, and says it does not sell children's data. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
In August 2024 the US Justice Department, on the FTC's behalf, sued TikTok and ByteDance for collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent and breaking a 2019 consent order; TikTok disputed the claims. No independent study of Family Pairing was found.
Alternatives to TikTok
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Animaker
Animaker · ages 18+ by its terms (teachers, older students with a parent)
A tool for teachers making lesson videos, not for kids; families wanting a kids' animation app should look at Stop Motion Studio or FlipaClip instead.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Art for Kids Hub
Art For Kids Hub (Rob and family) · ages about 4-12
A great free start for kids who want to learn to draw; use the paid membership if YouTube's ads and autoplay worry you.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Audacity
Muse Group and contributors (open source) · ages about 10+
The standard free tool for a child recording a podcast or voice-over on a computer; tablet users should use GarageBand instead.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Blender
Blender Foundation (open source) · ages about 12+
Ideal for a motivated teen who wants to learn real 3D; younger kids should start with Tinkercad.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
CapCut
ByteDance (Bytedance Pte. Ltd.) · ages 13+ (teens)
A strong free editor for teens 13+ with a parent's OK; families who care about data and ads, and anyone under 13, should pick iMovie or another tool.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
FlipaClip
Visual Blasters LLC · ages about 10-17
Good for tweens and teens who want to animate drawings on a phone; parents of younger kids may prefer an ad-free paid app like Procreate Dreams.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/terms-of-service/en
- https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en
- https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/global/childrens-privacy-policy/en
- https://www.tiktok.com/safety/en/tools-and-guides/guardians-guide
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tiktok-videos-shop-live/id835599320
- https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-tiktok-and-parent-company-bytedance-widespread-violations-childrens
- https://heatleyss.eq.edu.au/support-and-resources/cybersafety/social-media-minimum-age
- https://www.wcax.com/2026/08/26/meta-reaches-17-billion-settlement-with-states-landmark-trial-over-teen-social-media-addiction/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.