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How to Set Up ChatGPT Parental Controls and Understand Age Limits

Connect a parent and teen ChatGPT account, manage available safeguards and schedules, and understand age rules, verification, and privacy limits.
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To link a teen account, open Settings > Parental controls. Either the parent or the teen can send an invitation, but the person receiving it must accept. After linking, a parent can manage selected settings and schedules; the link does not provide access to the teen’s chats or live activity.

Link a parent and teen account

Use the web profile menu to open Settings > Parental controls. Either account can start the invitation.

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Parent or guardian invites the teen

  1. In the parent account, open Settings > Parental controls.
  2. Select Add family member, then choose Use phone or Use email.
  3. Enter the teen’s phone number or email address and select Send.
  4. The teen opens the invitation link and accepts it. The parent can then select the teen’s name under Family members to review or change supported settings.

Teen invites the parent or guardian

  1. In the teen account, open Settings > Parental controls.
  2. Select Invite a parent, choose phone or email, enter the adult’s contact information, and select Send.
  3. The adult accepts the invitation. The linked adult then appears under Family members.

If an invitation is already pending, its recipient can accept it from Settings > Parental controls. A teen can see which parent-managed controls are on or off, but cannot change those settings.

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What a parent can manage

Under Settings > Parental controls, select the linked teen under Family members. OpenAI lists controls for sensitive-content reduction, whether teen conversations can be used to improve models, saved memories where available, Voice Mode, image generation, study mode, study hours, and quiet hours. The listed controls also include certain ChatGPT Work settings: Codex network access and Cloud browser. Defaults vary by setting, so do not assume every feature is on or available for every account or region. See OpenAI’s parental-controls guide for the current options.

Study hours and quiet hours are different

Setting What it does Scope
Study hours Makes eligible new conversations start in study mode during the schedule. Does not block ChatGPT access; does not apply to GPT or Project conversations.
Quiet hours Blocks ChatGPT use during scheduled times. Includes ChatGPT Work; more than one time block can be added.

Configure quiet hours at Settings > Parental controls > [teen] > Quiet hours. A change may not take effect immediately: some settings apply only to new conversations, while an existing conversation may continue under its earlier settings.

ChatGPT Work controls have separate scopes

Turning off Codex network access does not also control search, plugins, connectors, or Cloud browser. Treat these as separate controls rather than a single switch for all online features.

Requesting a change in a conversation

A parent can ask ChatGPT to update supported controls in a conversation, then review the request and select Allow or Deny. Invitations, account linking, and some settings still need to be handled in Settings > Parental controls.

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ChatGPT age limits and teen protections

OpenAI says ChatGPT is not meant for children under 13 and requires parental consent for users aged 13 to 18. It also advises caution when children use the service. In an education context involving children under 13, OpenAI says an adult must conduct the actual interaction with ChatGPT. These are OpenAI’s stated service rules and guidance, not a complete account of the laws that may apply in every jurisdiction. Read OpenAI’s age guidance.

Eligible accounts identified as belonging to someone under 18 can receive ChatGPT for Teens automatically; users do not have to switch it on manually. OpenAI says identification may draw on account-provided age information, verified age, or age prediction. It describes teen-specific safeguards and features including learning-focused flows, study tools, reminders, and age-appropriate content safeguards. The experience is available to eligible teen accounts on Free and paid personal plans. Details are in OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Teens guide.

Check the age category or verify age

To review the account’s age category, go to Settings > Account > Age. This display does not let the user edit their date of birth. OpenAI says age prediction may consider signals such as general conversation topics, times and patterns of use, and how long the account has existed. It acknowledges that prediction can be wrong, but does not publish a full signal list, signal weights, or an accuracy rate. See ChatGPT for Teens.

If an adult believes they were mistakenly placed in the teen experience, they can use Settings > Account > Verify age if that option is available. Separately, OpenAI may require age verification in some locations for legal reasons; follow the instructions and deadline shown to the signed-in account. OpenAI names Italy as a location where verification uses Persona and may involve a live selfie, government-issued ID, or both. That process is location-specific, not a universal requirement or method. See the teen-experience guide and OpenAI’s age-verification guidance.

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What happens when a teen turns 18?

When ChatGPT identifies a linked teen account as belonging to someone 18 or older, teen protections are turned off by default and the parent link ends. OpenAI says this transition is gradually rolling out to eligible accounts and describes advance notification. If the account holder is still under 18 and believes the transition is a mistake, the teen can start age verification; the parent cannot complete it for them. A new invitation may be needed after the age is corrected. See OpenAI’s teen guide and parental-controls guide.

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What parents can—and cannot—see

Linking accounts does not let a parent or guardian read the teen’s conversations, chat history, or real-time activity. In limited safety-notification situations, OpenAI says it shares information it considers necessary to support the teen, not conversation transcripts. Either the teen or the linked adult can unlink at any time. The adult is notified if the teen unlinks; after that, the adult can no longer manage settings or receive teen safety notifications for that account. See OpenAI’s parental-controls guide.

Reduce sensitive content is on by default for teen accounts in the teen experience, and a linked parent may be able to turn that safeguard off. Doing so does not convert the account to an adult account or remove other teen protections, product limits, or safety systems. See ChatGPT for Teens and parental controls.

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