How Old Do You Have to Be for TikTok, Snapchat, Roblox and ChatGPT? Every App's Minimum Age
The minimum age in each company's own terms for 28 apps and games and 10 AI chatbots, what younger children can use instead, and where the law sets it higher.
Most social apps set 13 as their minimum age, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Discord, X and WhatsApp. Roblox and YouTube Kids allow any age with a parent, Zoom says 16, Netflix and PlayStation need an adult account holder, and Claude, Replika and Character.AI chat are 18+. National laws can go higher: in Australia no one under 16 may hold an account on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube or X.
"How old do you have to be?" is one of the most-searched questions about every popular app. The answer is in each company's own terms of service, which few parents read. We read them: the tables below give the minimum age from the company's own terms or help centre for 28 apps and games and 10 AI chatbots, checked in October 2026.
Two things to know before you read the tables:
- 13 is a legal floor, not a readiness test. Most apps choose 13 because the US law COPPA requires parental consent to collect data from younger children.
- Countries can set a higher age. Australia bans under-16s from holding accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit, Twitch, Threads, Facebook and Kick. Malaysia and Brazil have their own under-16 rules, and the UK has announced a ban. See which countries ban social media for children.
Apps and games
| App | Minimum age | For younger children | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 13 | Under 13 in the US: a separate limited "under 13 experience" | 14 in Florida; higher where local law says so. |
| 13 | No account under 13 | Under-16s get a private Teen Account by default (under-18s in some countries); adults cannot start private chats with teens they are not connected to. | |
| 13 | No account under 13 (Messenger Kids is the separate children's app) | Higher in some countries. | |
| Messenger | 13 | Messenger Kids, run from a parent dashboard | Same age rules as Facebook. |
| Threads | 13 | No account under 13 | Runs on an Instagram account, so Instagram's Teen Account rules apply. |
| 13 | Parent-managed accounts, where available | Higher where a country requires it. | |
| Snapchat | 13 | No account under 13 | Teens can only message accepted friends, location is off by default, and parents can see friends (not messages) in Family Center. |
| YouTube | 13 | A parent-supervised experience through Family Link, or YouTube Kids | Under-18s need a parent's permission. |
| YouTube Kids | Any age | A parent sets it up | Only where it is offered. |
| X (Twitter) | 13 | No account under 13 | Can be higher depending on where you live. |
| Discord | 13 | No account under 13 | Up to 16 in some countries; teens get filtered content and alerts about first messages from strangers. |
| 13 | No account under 13 | 16 in Australia; mature content is off for under-18s. | |
| 13 | No account under 13 | Ages 13 to 18 need a parent's permission; new terms take effect 12 November 2026. | |
| Twitch | 13 | No account under 13 | 16 in Australia; minors only under a parent's supervision. |
| BeReal | 13 | No account under 13 | A parent may need to consent below the local consent age. |
| Signal | 13 | No account under 13 | Higher in some countries. |
| Roblox | Any age with a parent's consent | Roblox Kids (5 to 8) and Roblox Select (9 to 15) accounts with parental controls | Chat needs an age check; some games need a checked age of 16 or 18. |
| Fortnite (Epic Games account) | 13 | A restricted "cabined" account: play, but no chat or purchases until a parent consents | Higher where the local digital consent age is higher. |
| Minecraft (Microsoft account) | 13 in the US and UK | A parent consents and manages it through Microsoft Family Safety | Microsoft's country list runs from 13 up to 18, for example 14 in Canada and Spain, 15 in Denmark and Greece, 16 in Portugal and Japan, and 18 in Germany, France, Italy and Australia. |
| Xbox | 13 in the US and UK | A parent consents and manages it through Microsoft Family Safety | Same country list as Minecraft: up to 18 in some countries. |
| PlayStation Network | 18 for a full account | Under 18: a Child Account set up by a parent, who controls spending and settings | Or the local age of majority if higher. |
| Nintendo Account | 13 (US) for a general account | A parent adds the child to a family group as a supervised account | The cut-off follows local parental-consent laws. |
| Steam | 13 | No account under 13 (Steam Families has parental tools) | Extra restrictions in some countries. |
| Spotify | 13 | A kids experience inside a Family plan, in some markets | Under-18s need a parent's consent (US terms). |
| Netflix | 18 to hold the account | Children use profiles: Kids profiles, maturity ratings and profile PINs | Or the local age of majority if higher. |
| Zoom | 16 | Only through a school's Zoom for Education account | |
| Google Account | 13 in most countries | A parent creates and manages it with Family Link | 14 in South Korea, Spain, Italy and Austria; 15 in France and Vietnam; 16 in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. |
| Apple Account | 13 | A parent creates it through Family Sharing | Or the local minimum age. |
AI chatbots
| Chatbot | Minimum age | Teens and younger children |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 13; under 18 needs a parent's permission | Teen safeguards when an age is stated or predicted; if unsure, ChatGPT defaults to the teen experience. Parents can link accounts and set quiet hours. |
| Gemini | 13 (or the local age) | Under 13 only if a parent turns it on in Family Link, on mobile, and not in the EU, Switzerland or UK. Extra filters for minors. |
| Microsoft Copilot | 13 (higher in some countries) | Some features may be turned off or limited for under-18s. |
| Meta AI | 13 | Answers for teens follow 13+ movie-rating guidelines. Teen access to Meta's AI characters has been paused worldwide since early 2026. |
| Snapchat My AI | 13 (Snapchat's age) | Parents can stop My AI responding to their teen in Family Center. |
| Grok | 13; 13 to 17 need a parent's permission | 18+ content is gated. |
| Perplexity | 13 | A parent must accept the terms for a minor. |
| Character.AI | 18 to chat | Verified under-18s are in a read-only mode with no chat. The company filed for Chapter 11 on 12 October 2026 to sell itself. |
| Claude | 18 | Not offered to under-18s. |
| Replika | 18 | Under-18s may not use it at all. |
Common Sense Media advises against AI companions for under-18s. California has required companion chatbots to remind known minors every three hours that they are talking to AI since 1 January 2026, and New York has a similar law for all users.
What younger children can use instead
Several companies offer a parent-managed version for children below their minimum age:
- Google (YouTube, Gemini, Android): a supervised account created and managed by a parent with Family Link, plus YouTube Kids.
- Apple: a child's Apple Account created through Family Sharing.
- Meta: Messenger Kids, run from a parent dashboard; Instagram Teen Accounts from 13.
- Microsoft (Xbox, Minecraft): a parent consents and manages the account in Microsoft Family Safety.
- Epic Games (Fortnite): a restricted account with chat and purchases off until a parent consents.
- Roblox: Kids and Select accounts with parental controls; see our Roblox parental controls guide.
Check any app quickly
Type an app name into the How old do you have to be to use it? tool, or see every row sortable in the app age requirements chart and the AI chatbot age limits table.
Sources
Each app and chatbot above links to the company's own terms of service, help centre or announcement, checked in October 2026. Telegram is left out because its terms could not be loaded for checking. Pinterest's new terms take effect on 12 November 2026.