Is Snapchat My AI Safe for Kids? Can You Get Rid of It?

Powered by ChatGPT and Gemini technology, Snapchat My AI can also answer questions, give suggestions, and chat with users just like a friend.

So, if your teen uses Snapchat, chances are they've already talked to My AI.

For many parents, however, the bigger question isn't what Snapchat My AI can do. Instead, it's whether children should use it.

Quick Answer: Is Snapchat My AI Safe for Kids?

Snapchat My AI is not completely safe for minors.

Since My AI is built directly into Snapchat, the risks are real: it stores and shares users' conversations and locations, generates dangerous or outdated responses, and is designed to feel like a reliable friend.

Then, at what age is Snapchat My AI appropriate?

• 🔴Under 13: Not appropriate. Snapchat's age minimum is 13.
• 🟡Ages 13–15: Not recommended without parental monitoring. This age group is most vulnerable to content risks and emotional dependency.
• 🟢Ages 16+: Generally safer, but guidance and open communications are still recommended.

For parents who are concerned, try turn off Snapchat My AI through the Family Center or other tips.

How Snapchat's My AI Differs from ChatGPT and Gemini

A UK nonprofit Internet Matters report found that the most popular AI chatbots used by surveyed children were ChatGPT, Gemini, and Snapchat's My AI.

At first glance, Snapchat My AI may seem similar to ChatGPT and Gemini. Because all of them can answer questions and hold conversations. However, they're fundamentally different, especially when it comes to children's safety:

Snapchat My AI Safety Review: 5 Aspects We Evaluated

To help parents better understand whether it is appropriate for children, we break down Snapchat My AI across five dimensions with a clear verdict:

1Data & Privacy

• Does Snapchat AI save messages? Yes.

We all know that one of Snapchat's core features is disappearing messages. However, Snapchat My AI is the opposite. It keeps all conversations unless the user manually clears them.

According to Snapchat, this is designed to improve the AI model and personalize the experience across the app.

For young users, they don't realize this distinction and still treat Snapchat AI the same way they treat disappearing chats with friends. As a result, they may share their private and sensitive information with AI, just like this Reddit user.

Also, deletion isn't really deletion. Even when a user manually deletes their My AI data, Snapchat servers take up to 30 days to fully remove it. This is why a user complained, "Snapchat AI will store your information even if you clear AI data."


• Does Snapchat AI know your location? Yes.

Most parents assume that "Ghost Mode" can also stop the AI from tracking your children. However, the Utah lawsuit explicitly stated that My AI continues to collect location data even when Ghost Mode is active, and Snap never disclosed this to users.

During my test, Snapchat AI was able to reveal my actual city even when I was using a VPN and without any direct location-related prompt.

In addition, the state's complaint also confirmed that Snapchat shares users' data with third parties, such as My AI conversations. That means your child's "private" chats with their AI friend could be used to serve targeted ads.

2Content Safety

• It gives dangerous advice to minors

The same Utah lawsuit also uncovered chilling examples: My AI was found coaching minors on how to hide drugs and suggesting to a 13-year-old user how to "set the mood" for a sexual experience with an adult.


Stay Informed about Your Child's Snapchat Activities

AirDroid Parental Control sends immediate alerts when suspicious keywords appear in your child's Snapchat conversations without having to go through their phone.

Try It Free

• Snapchat's content filters can be jailbroken

Though Snapchat has implemented moderation systems and safety controls to reduce harmful or inappropriate responses from My AI, they can be easily bypassed with storytelling. A Cybernews experiment proved this vulnerability.

Also, during our own testing, we managed to use roleplay prompts to bypass it. When asked to play a "bad influence" friend giving a teenager advice about sex, My AI complied and provided instructions on how to lie to parents (below is the conversation screenshot).


• Snapchat itself admits My AI's limitations

Since My AI is powered by large language models, the internet's various information is unavoidable.

That's why Snap's official help page concedes: "While My AI was programmed to abide by certain guidelines so the information it provides is not harmful, it may not always be successful."

Also, its internal employees showed that the My AI chatbot was rolled out without sufficient testing, which can lead to hallucinatory answers. So, if its own creator can't guarantee safety, how can it be introduced for teenagers?

3Accuracy

Beyond dangerous advice, Snapchat AI may produce answers that sound right but are factually outdated. And this is a known limitation with large language models.

Our testing confirmed this firsthand: My AI can handle some questions well, but fails on real-time and factual information.

• When asked about the latest iOS version currently (2026), My AI returned an outdated answer, iOS 17, which was released in 2023.
• While on academic problems, My AI performs reliably. It solved algebra equations correctly and provided steps, which is genuinely useful for students.

However, this inconsistency is precisely the core issue. Adolescents' prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for critical thinking, is still developing until they turn 25. That means they rarely question the AI responses' accuracy and source. And in these cases, teenagers can be misled.

4Emotional Impact

Kids are replacing real-life friendship with AI. Though Snapchat My AI isn't an AI companion tool, this risk cannot be overlooked.

According to the same Internet Matter’s report, over a third (35%) of surveyed children said talking to AI feels like talking to a friend, and 12% said they chat with AI because they have no one else to talk to.

Dr. Jenny Radesky, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan, also noted about this: "Kids are wired to want to attach to other humans...And the AI companions are exploiting this."

Since Snapchat AI always agrees and never pushes back, acting like a constant companion, children may start relying on AI for emotional support instead of talking to parents or friends. And over time, it may reshape children's understanding of what a real relationship is.

5Parental Control

Well, given those risks, you may wonder "Can I turn off AI on Snapchat?" or "How to get rid of Snapchat AI?"

The answer is: yes.

Snapchat now allows parents to limit children's access to My AI. This option is called "Disable My AI Replies" and can be found in Snapchat's Family Center settings. When enabled, My AI can no longer respond to the teen's messages or store new conversations.

To turn off AI on Snapchat:

After that, whenever your child asks My AI, it won't reply with anything but, "Sorry, I can't chat since I've been disabled in Family Center."

However, the built-in parental controls over My AI still come with limitations:

• Parents cannot see how much time their child talks to My AI.
• Parents cannot review the content of past interactions with My AI.

That is, Snapchat's Family Center functions more as restricting rather than monitoring. For parents, they cannot understand how their child is using AI and get alerts when something is wrong.

What Snapchat Says vs. What's Actually Happening

When introducing My AI, Snapchat claims it implements additional measures to make it safe to use. However, the truth tells a very different story. The table below summarizes the biggest gaps between Snap's public promises and what we uncovered across the five risk areas above:

How Parents Can Protect Kids When Using Snapchat AI

After covering risks around privacy, content accuracy, and emotional dependency, you, as a parent, might be wondering, "What can I actually do?" Here are practical ways parents can reduce potential risks and guide safe usage.

Set Up Snapchat AI Monitoring, Not Just Restricting

Not every parent wants to block My AI entirely through Family Center. Limiting full access sometimes leads to fights and resistance, and teens often find workarounds anyway.

That's why a more balanced approach is often more effective: monitoring and guidance instead of full restriction.

For this, Snapchat parental monitoring apps like AirDroid fill the native tool's gap. It helps parents:

Limit What My AI Can Access

As we stated above, My AI retains and shares conversation history and can access your child's real-time location. Hence, you can do these to limit what your teen's info Snapchat AI can access:

• Turn off location access for your teen's Snapchat

Go to phone "Settings > Apps > Snapchat > Permissions > Location > Never or Deny."


• Clear My AI conversation data

Open "Snapchat > Profile > Settings." On iPhone, tap "Delete Data" to find the "Delete My AI Data" option. On Android, tap "Delete My AI Data."



Note: Fully deleting retained data may require 30 days.

Set Clear Rules about What Kids Should Not Share

Kids often treat Snapchat's My AI like friends and naturally assume that AI conversations are disappearing messages.

Due to this, children may share things they would never post publicly. Therefore, the parents' job is to tell what children should avoid sharing:

• Home address or school name
• Phone, ID numbers, or account passwords
• Daily routines or location details
• Photos or recordings of themselves
• Personal struggles that require professional support

Alternatively, you can simply guide them: "What you wouldn't tell a stranger online, you shouldn't talk to Snapchat AI either."

Watch for Emotional Dependency

Because My AI is 24/7 and never judges, some children may frequently talk about their feelings with AI and rely on it for emotional support. Given the AI companion risks, parents should be aware of these warning signs:

• Your child starts avoiding real relationships
• They use it to vent or seek comfort
• They ask personal or emotional questions frequently
• They naturally and regularly reference advice from AI
• They talk about AI "friends" as if they're real people

If you noticed 2 or more signs, consider giving them active emotional presence (e.g., having conversations without judgment, being available when they want to talk, and showing interest in their life).

APA's experts also recommend parents maintain strong, supportive relationships with their adolescents. When teens feel they already have someone they can talk to in real life, they are far less likely to rely on AI.

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