OurDot vs Instagram Teen Accounts
Instagram Teen Accounts add strong protections to a public network teens already use. OurDot is a private family space with no public side at all.
Instagram Teen Accounts (13+) default teens to private accounts, limited messaging, stricter content and a sleep mode, and under-16s need a parent's permission to loosen settings. It's still a public, ad-supported network with algorithmic feeds. OurDot is for families of every age, with no public profiles, no ads, no algorithm and no like counts.
| OurDot | Instagram Teen Accounts | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | Any age, with a guardian | 13 |
| Ads | None | Ad-supported |
| Visibility | Only your invited family | Private by default for teens, on a public network |
| Who can message | Family only; adults other than guardians never one-on-one with kids | People the teen follows or is connected to |
| Feed | Family only, newest first, then it ends | Algorithmic; "13+" content setting by default since late 2025 |
| Like counts | None; hearts are private | Shown by default; hiding is optional |
| Sleep mode | Guardian-set; 8:30 pm–7 am by default | 10 pm–7 am |
| Parent view | Everything shared with family; weekly summary | Who the teen messaged in the last 7 days (not content), time limits, topics followed |
What Teen Accounts do well
Strong defaults, announced in September 2024: private accounts, messaging only from people a teen follows, the strictest sensitive-content setting, Hidden Words, a 60-minute daily reminder and sleep mode. Under-16s need a parent's permission to change these. In 2025, Teen Accounts expanded to Facebook and Messenger, and Instagram added a PG-13-style "13+" content default. And teens' friends are already there.
Where they differ
Instagram is a public network built on algorithmic feeds and advertising, with a 13+ minimum. OurDot has no public side, no algorithm, no ads and no like counts, and it works for younger kids and grandparents too. Many families may use both: OurDot for family, and a supervised Teen Account when a teen is ready. See what age for social media.