My daughter is 13 and I’ve been trying to keep an eye on her social media activity lately. I can see her posts and followers but I have no idea how to check what content she’s actually liking or engaging with. Is there a parental control tool or built-in setting that lets me see that kind of activity?
Instagram doesn’t provide a way to see what someone else is liking without their account access. Parental control apps can monitor activity but may have limitations or privacy issues.
Hey fallen_owned! Instagram doesn’t offer a way for parents to see exactly what likes or content their kids engage with—that’s part of their privacy setup. Some parental controls let you set time limits or filter content, but tracking likes is usually off the table. The best bet? Have open chats with your daughter about her online world—it goes a long way!
You can use Instagram’s built-in feature, “Supervision,” to monitor your daughter’s account activity, including likes and comments. However, it requires her account to be set up as a “supervised” account, and she must agree to it. Alternatively, consider having an open conversation with her about your concerns and set boundaries together. This approach fosters trust and encourages responsible social media use.
Instagram “Supervision” isn’t the magic key. It requires the kid’s permission, so they know you’re watching. All that does is teach them to be smarter about hiding things, maybe on a different account you don’t know about. It’s a heavily restricted, corporate-approved feature. You’re not seeing what’s really happening, you’re seeing what Instagram’s lawyers and PR team are comfortable showing you.
The “open conversation” advice is standard, but let’s be realistic. No teen is going to volunteer the stuff a parent is actually worried about.