# Should a 10-year-old have Snapchat?

No, wait a little longer. The age limit is 13, and it's there for a reason. Here's what sits behind it and what to say when the arguing starts.

By Øyvind Østmo · Published 18 Jul 2026 · https://www.balansebarn.no/en/answers/should-a-10-year-old-have-snapchat

[Snapchat](https://www.balansebarn.no/en/app-guide/snapchat)'s own rule is that you have to be 13 to use it. That number wasn't plucked out of thin air. It comes partly from American children's privacy law and partly from what the app is actually built to do. Three things are worth knowing before you decide:

- Messages delete themselves. That makes it easier to send things you'd never say otherwise and much harder to untangle what happened if something goes wrong.
- Snap Map can share your child's location with friends. [The default settings](/en/articles/guide-to-kids-and-social-media#kontekst:Every%20new%20app%20gets%20set%20up%20side%20by%20side%3A%20private%20account%2C%20messages%20from%20strangers%20off%2C%20location%20sharing%20off) weren't designed with a 10-year-old in mind.
- Streaks reward showing up every single day and nudge the app from self-chosen use towards dependence.

> None of this makes Snapchat “dangerous”. It makes it an app designed for teenage social life, full of mechanics a 10-year-old simply hasn't had the practice to handle yet. My general advice is to hold off as long as you can, on Snapchat and on social media in general. And when the time does come, [this guide walks you through setting it up with your child](/en/app-guide/snapchat).

> “The age limit on Snapchat is 13, and there are good reasons for it. It's not that I don't trust you. The app is built for older teenagers, with disappearing messages, location sharing and a feed that even grown-ups get stuck in. I know plenty of friend groups only use Snapchat for messaging, so I'll talk to the other parents at school and we'll agree on when we think it's okay. Then you'll get Snapchat too, and we'll set it up together and agree the rules for how you use it.”

## Something you can do today

Ask your 10-year-old: “Why do you want Snapchat?” and just listen, without correcting a thing. What you learn will help you shape your own version of the words above, and explain why the answer today is still no.

**Read also:** [Kids and social media, a parent's guide](https://www.balansebarn.no/en/articles/guide-to-kids-and-social-media) — For the day the answer becomes yes: how to set the app up together, what to turn off first and the agreement that means your child comes to you when something feels off.

## Sources

- [Snap Inc.: Terms of Service, minstealder 13 år](https://snap.com/terms)
- [Medietilsynet: Barn og medier, undersøkelser om barns mediebruk](https://www.medietilsynet.no/digitale-medier/barn-og-medier/)