Choose who can contact your child
Look for settings for messages, comments, tags and friend requests. A private profile does not necessarily control every kind of contact. Review each setting and use the platform’s current help if names or options have changed.
Leave out unnecessary details
Review the profile description and earlier posts. School, phone number, address and regular routes do not need to be public. Discuss why a stranger might ask for information and how your child can reply without revealing it.
Check automatic location sharing and the app’s permissions too. Only give access you understand and need. A post from a recognisable place can reveal a location even without an address.
Check the audience for each post
Check whether a post is public, for friends or for a smaller group. Settings and defaults can differ between posts, stories and messages. Avoid sharing something that would be difficult to handle if a recipient made a copy.
Practise blocking and reporting
Find these features together before they are needed. Agree that your child can end contact without explaining or defending the decision to that person. An adult can help with a report and review settings afterwards.
Settings reduce some risks but do not replace human support. Sprout’s web apps do not automatically change your child’s profiles or privacy settings in other services.