What restrictions apply to using Snapchat in Australia?
Due to recent changes to laws in Australia, if you are under 16 years old, you will not be able to use Snapchat after December 10, 2025, even with a parent or guardian’s permission.
Though the impact of these changes can feel disappointing in situations like this one, the changes are the result of an evolving legal and regulatory landscape that unfortunately impacts your experience. For more information on the Australian laws prompting this change, please see here.
What will happen to my Snapchat account if I’m under 16 years old?
If you are under 16 years old, your account will be locked on December 10, 2025. Once your account is locked…
- You will not be able to maintain or create a new Snapchat account.
- We encourage you to download your data as soon as possible. You will be given three years to download your data from the time your account is locked.
- If you have subscriptions for Snapchat+ or Memories+, we suggest you cancel them in the App Store or Play Store to prevent any billing issues.
- After your account is locked, it will be preserved in a locked state for three years. If you turn 16 any time during the three years, you can verify your age to reinstate your account. After that, it will become deactivated.
- If you have Streaks with friends, these cannot be preserved while your account is locked.
When you turn 16, log back in to your Snapchat account. You should see a prompt in the app to verify your age. Once you successfully verify your age, your account will be reinstated. See below for more information on age verification options.
If you think your account was locked by mistake (e.g., because you do not live in Australia), and you have been unable to gain access by verifying your age, you'll see more information about support and appeal options in the Snapchat app.
How can I verify my age if I’m 16 years old or older?
If you are 16 or older, you can verify your age to secure access to your Snapchat account. Make sure you are logged in to the app. You should see a prompt to verify your age to continue using Snapchat.
Check your Chat screen header for an info banner to help you verify your age. Tap ‘Verify Your Age’ to begin the process. Depending on service availability, you should see a few different options from our third-party provider, k-ID:
- Photo ID: You can scan your government-issued photo identification and k-ID will validate your ID document and age. Your ID scan is only used to verify your age, and is deleted once the process is complete. Please note birth certificates are not supported.
- Facial Scan: You can take a selfie and k-ID will estimate an age range. Facial scan data is only processed locally and never leaves your device.
- ConnectID: You can verify your age through a connection with your Australian bank account. Please note not all banks are supported.
- AgeKeys: AgeKeys are tokens you receive after verifying your age through k-ID. If you already have an AgeKey, you can use it to maintain your access to Snapchat without additional age verification steps. Otherwise, once you successfully verify your age using one of the methods listed above, k-ID will issue you an AgeKey token that you can use across Snapchat and other participating services.
Please note that approval from a parent or guardian is not an option for age verification in Australia.
Snap will only collect a “yes/no” result on whether someone is above the minimum age threshold. We will not receive your facial scans, bank account details, or any other personal information you provide during age verification.
For more help with k-ID, please visit their help center here.
Can I change my birthday if I had the wrong birthday set?
If you’re under 18 according to your current birthday in Snapchat, you can’t change your birthday. You can also only change your birthday a limited number of times if you’re over 18.
I want to verify my age, but I dismissed the notification in the app and now I can’t find it again.
To enter the age verification flow, follow these steps:
- Restart the Snapchat app
- Check the top of your Chat screen for a banner with information about requirements to access Snapchat in Australia
- Tap the info banner to be redirected to your options for age verification
What if I tried verifying my age, but I think the result was not accurate?
If you think the age verification method you tried didn’t provide correct results, you can try again or switch to a different method. If you still have issues with verifying your age, you’ll see more information about support and appeal options in the Snapchat app.
How can I learn more about this situation?
If you want to better understand the situation in Australia and are looking for support resources, please see headspace and ReachOut.