How to Block SnapChat's MyAI Companion on iPhone
Completely disable and block SnapChat's MyAI companion on an iPhone or iPad. Protect against a child re-enabling MyAI.
If you're a parent who's concerned about your child's exposure to Snapchat's MyAI feature, you've likely wondered if it's possible to disable it entirely. Parents really only have one option when it comes to restricting MyAI, which is to basically use Snapchat's Family Center/parental controls to limit the feature. However, we still recommend the more effective approach of monitoring Snapchat instead, since Snapchat's Family Center doesn't give parents the full picture about how their child is using their device.
MyAI is enabled by default for every Snapchat account and can usually be re-enabled fairly easily (or even accidentally). The easiest way to block MyAI is by using Snapchat's Family Center, although parents might consider alternatives that monitor or block Snapchat instead.
Choosing an Effective Approach to Block SnapChat MyAI on a Child's iPhone
There is only one approach that actually disables MyAI, and this requires parents to set up Snapchat's Family Center. However, this isn't always practical; parents need to create a Snapchat account for themselves, and even if they've followed all of the steps to set it up correctly, their teen could still leave Family Center at any time.
Parents also get a very limited picture of what their child is doing, so we really only recommend Family Center if you can already monitor your child's iPhone and would like to disable specific features on Snapchat instead.
Restrict and Hide MyAI Using Snapchat's Built-In Settings
We only recommend this approach if you can already monitor your child's iPhone effectively; Snapchat's Family Center/parental control features basically limit parents to disabling some features and a general overview of their child's activity.
Once these are configured, the in-app layer is as locked down as Snap currently allows. The next (and most comprehensive) step is to actually see what messages your child is sending and receiving, and we'll address that in the next section below.
Step 1: Link Family Center and turn on "Disable My AI"
Parents will need their own Snapchat account so they can invite their child to Family Center. Check out our dedicated parents' guide to Snapchat for a walkthrough on how to set this up.
Once Family Center is set up:
- Open Snapchat, tap your Bitmoji, and open Family Center.
- Scroll to Settings at the bottom of the page, then tap to expand it.
- Toggle Disable My AI to on.
Step 2: Hide MyAI from the Chat feed (cosmetic)
Family Center disable stops MyAI from responding, but the pinned chat entry can still be visible to your child. To clear it from view — or as a fallback when Family Center isn't linked:
- On your child's phone, in the Chat tab, long-press the My AI entry at the top of the chat list.
- Tap Chat Settings > Clear from Chat Feed.
On free accounts, this clears the visible conversation but tends not to prevent the entry from reappearing the next time MyAI is interacted with. Historically, A Snapchat+ subscription has been required for a permanent unpin; this is a Snap product behavior that has shifted before, so verify the current state in the app before paying for it. Most parents who get this far have already enabled Family Center disable, so this step is about reducing visual prompting rather than blocking functionality.
Step 3: Turn off MyAI in group chats
Open Snapchat on your child's phone, tap the gear icon on the profile screen to open Settings, and look in the Privacy section for the MyAI controls. If you see one (this could change as Snapchat updates), turn off the option that allows MyAI to be added to group chats.
This prevents anyone in a group chat your child is in from pulling MyAI into the conversation, which is otherwise a way for the chatbot to surface even after Family Center disable is on. Snap moves these settings around with product updates, so the exact menu names may differ from what's described here. It should generally be found under the Privacy section.
Step 4: Clear MyAI conversation data
In the same My AI section of Snapchat's privacy settings, use the option to clear MyAI conversation data. This wipes the existing chat history with MyAI on that account. It is worth doing once when you first set up the rest of the controls so the child starts from a clean slate; it does not stop new conversations from being created on its own.
Monitor MyAI Conversations with the LivingRoom App
The single biggest gap in Snapchat's Family Center and parental controls is that no setting in the app lets a parent see what their child is actually saying to the chatbot or what the chatbot is replying. Family Center lets parents see general information about who their teen is contacting, but this doesn't actually help parents see the full picture if their goal is to monitor Snapchat as well as restrict features.
The LivingRoom for Families app closes this gap by capturing what is on screen at the device level rather than at the app level. It takes periodic screenshots on a child's iPhone and surfaces them to the parent regardless of which app is open. While you might go and disable My AI in Snapchat, if something changes in the future, you might not realize unless you could see exactly what your child sees.
If your primary concern is comprehensive visibility into iMessage, FaceTime, and other on-device communication on your child's iPhone, the same family of tools is covered in our broader guide on iPhone screen monitoring . LivingRoom is the recommended starting point for AI-companion monitoring specifically because it is content-agnostic — anything visible on the screen is captured.
Block Snapchat Entirely if MyAI Is the Line in the Sand
If you have decided that MyAI is unacceptable on a child's iPhone and the in-app restrictions plus monitoring still aren't enough, the remaining option is to remove the surface entirely by blocking Snapchat itself. The MyAI chatbot only exists where Snapchat exists — block the app and the website, and MyAI is unreachable.
There are two pieces:
- Block the Snapchat app on iPhone: Use Apple's Screen Time to disallow Snapchat. The general iPhone setup is covered in how to put parental controls on iPhone — turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions, set an unknown-to-the-child Screen Time passcode, and either remove Snapchat through Allowed Apps or block it via App Limits. Screen Time alone is not bypass-proof, but combined with a passcode the child doesn't know, it stops the casual reinstall path.
- Block Snapchat domains at the network level: A Screen Time app block only covers the app itself; it doesn't stop a browser from loading Snapchat domains if any browser-based version is reachable. A DNS Content Policy closes that loophole by blocking Snapchat at the network layer regardless of which browser is used or whether the child is signed in. The Tech Lockdown Content Policy includes a Snapchat block as a single category toggle, and it applies system-wide on iPhone.
This is the heaviest layer in the guide, and most families don't need it. Very likely, MyAI isn't your only concern with the Snapchat app, so if your concerns outweigh any potential for your child or teen to use Snapchat safely, then blocking Snapchat is worth considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fully disable MyAI for my child without paying for Snapchat+?
Yes.
On a parent-linked teen account, Snapchat's Family Center includes a Disable My AI toggle that stops MyAI from replying to your teen, processing their messages, or storing them. This is free and is the strongest in-app control Snap currently exposes for parents. Snapchat+ is a separate matter that has historically been required to permanently unpin the MyAI entry from the chat feed — that's a cosmetic concern, not a functional one, since a disabled MyAI doesn't reply regardless of whether the entry is visible.
Snapchat Family Center is free and disables any future MyAI use for your child. If you'd like to hide the MyAI icon on your child's device, you might consider Snapchat+.
Does Snapchat's Family Center let me read my child's MyAI conversations?
No. Family Center lets parents see activity metadata about their child's activity, such as general information about who has contacted their child or teen, but nothing more.
We still recommend Family Center because parents can use it to disable some Snapchat features, but a more effective approach is to monitor Snapchat instead.
Does the LivingRoom app capture MyAI chats specifically?
Yes. LivingRoom takes periodic screenshots at the device level, so anything visible on the child's iPhone is captured — MyAI conversations in the official Snapchat app, MyAI summoned into group chats by other kids, and MyAI on any other surface a future Snap product update introduces. Because the capture is content-agnostic, it works the same for MyAI as it does for any other on-screen content, which is what makes LivingRoom the ultimate catch-all monitoring layer when individual app settings don't cover everything.
Can my child bypass these restrictions by using Snapchat outside the official iPhone app?
Yes. This is one of the most common ways teens might bypass Snapchat.
The device-level app settings on the iPhone and the Family Center disable apply to the official Snapchat app on the linked account; they don't follow the child to a friend's phone, to a different Snapchat account the parent isn't linked to, or to any other surface where Snapchat might be accessed. To close the bypass, either block Snapchat domains at the network layer with a DNS Content Policy or rely on device-level screenshot monitoring as the catch-all that captures conversations regardless of which surface they happen on.
Does monitoring MyAI also cover regular Snapchat messages and other apps?
Yes. This is one of the practical reasons parents pick a device-level monitoring tool over chatbot-specific ones.
Once an app like LivingRoom is installed, the screenshot capture covers anything on screen on the child's iPhone: MyAI conversations, regular Snapchat chats, snaps and stories, and other social media apps as well. The same approach applies if your primary concern is text messages rather than AI (see the dedicated guide on how to monitor text messages on iPhone for the iMessage-specific workflow).