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A safer place for teens to learn, create, code and explore with AI. Built for ages 8â18, with parents able to read the chats.
Quick answer
Most teens use AI for information and schoolwork first, then fun and creative projects. A smaller share use it for advice or emotional support.
That is why the AI a teen uses matters: it should teach rather than just answer, and parents should be able to see what is happening.
AI should help teens think, not think for them.
What teens say
Most teens use AI for information and schoolwork first. Emotional support is a small share of how they use it.
Share of teens who say they use AI for each purpose.
Top use
57% of teens use AI to find information, ahead of homework help at 54%.
Built for teens
AI will be part of school, college, work and creativity for this generation. Most AI products were built for adults, then given limits for teens.
It should be designed for them. HeyOtto was built with these needs at the center.
Read how safety worksWhat general AI often leaves out
Adapted to the age a parent sets.
Including chats parents can read.
Built in, not bolted on.
Topics, features and limits.
When something may need a parent.
Explain first, answer second.
The landscape
Most teens already use AI somewhere. These are the three kinds parents usually find.
Essays, sources, study prep and coding. The best ones build skills instead of handing over a finished paper.
Look for: explains, not answers
Built for ongoing chat with characters, usually without transcripts parents can read.
Look for: who can see the chats
ChatGPT for Teens adds limits and optional controls, but parents can't read the chats.
Look for: what parents can see
What teens can do
With HeyOtto, teens use AI across learning, creativity, coding and exploration, not just one chat box.
Otto explains at their pace and checks understanding, instead of just giving the answer.
Ask and explore
Questions, new topics and follow-ups
Study for a test
Practice questions and quick quizzes
Work through problems
Step by step, with hints
Otto helps teens organize their thinking without taking over.
Project ideas
For school, clubs or just for fun
Plan a presentation
Outline, structure and talking points
Develop characters
For stories, games and comics
Otto gives feedback and asks questions, so the ideas and words stay theirs.
Develop stories
Plot, voice and dialogue
Improve a draft
Feedback on clarity and structure
Find a topic
Narrow a big idea into a strong one
Images, storybooks, comics and posters, made with AI and their own ideas.
Characters and illustrations
From a description to an image
Storybooks and comics
Words and pictures together
Posters
For school projects and events
In HeyOtto, teens build games, apps and websites in real code, with Otto explaining each part.
Games
JavaScript games they design themselves
Apps and websites
React apps and HTML and CSS pages
Debug
Otto helps find the bug; they fix it
AI becomes a tool for learning and making things, not just a place to ask questions.
Build with AI
With HeyOtto, teens turn their own ideas into games, apps and websites. Otto asks questions and explains the code, so they understand what they built and can keep improving it. ⢠Describe an idea and build a first version with Otto ⢠Read and change the real code: HTML, JavaScript, CSS and React ⢠Otto helps find bugs; they do the fixing ⢠Same filters, controls and alerts as the rest of HeyOtto ⢠Parents can see every project and every question
Platformers, puzzles and arcade games in JavaScript.
Explore â
Trackers, tools and creative apps with React.
Explore â
Portfolios, club pages and fan sites in HTML and CSS.
Explore â
Ideas to remix when they are not sure where to start.
Explore â
Homework that teaches
A teen can ask AI for an answer to almost anything. Otto guides with questions, hints and next steps, so their thinking stays in the work.
Teen says
"Give me the answer to number 4."
Otto
"Let's solve it together. What is the question asking you to find? Write the first step and I'll tell you if you're on track."
Teen says
"Write my essay conclusion."
Otto
"What is the one thing you want your reader to remember? Start with that sentence and I'll help you tighten it."
Teen says
"Summarize this chapter for me."
Otto
"Sure. Then try three questions on it, so you know you've got it before the test."
Homework help that builds skills, not a paste-ready paper.
For parents
Giving a teenager AI shouldn't mean giving up visibility. HeyOtto gives parents tools to stay involved while leaving teens room to explore.
Read the conversations
Review conversation history without sitting beside them.
Real-time safety alerts
Know when something may need you.
Topic and feature controls
Set boundaries that fit your family.
Privacy by design
No ads, and data is never sold.
Safety
Teenagers deserve technology that respects growing independence. Safety is built into how HeyOtto works, not added after.
Built for kids and teens, not a filter on an adult product.
Young people's information gets extra care.
See how every request is checked.
Compare
The question isn't only "does this AI work?" It's "was it built for my teenager, and can I see what's happening?" Categories vary by product; check each tool's own help pages. Example from OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens help page, checked October 16, 2026.
| Feature | HeyOtto | General AI with a teen mode | Roleplay and open-chat apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for kids and teens 8â18 | Yes | An adult product with teen limits | NoRarely |
| Who creates the account | YesA parent | Often the teen | Usually the teen |
| Parents can read the chats | YesYes, every conversation | NoOften no; ChatGPT's parent controls don't show chats | NoUsually no |
| Parent controls | YesTopics, features, limits and quiet hours | Varies; optional linking | NoRarely |
| Real-time safety alerts | YesYes; high and critical are always on | Varies; limited notices | Varies |
| Learning-first answers | YesExplains and asks questions | Optional study modes | NoNot the product |
| Coding and projects | YesGames, apps and websites in HeyOtto | Writes code; no project space for kids | NoRarely |
Use these seven questions to compare any app that says it is built for teens.
Who creates the account?
A parent, or the teen on their own?
Can you read the conversations?
Alerts without the chat are not the same.
Does homework help teach?
Or does it hand over finished answers?
Do answers adapt to age?
A 13-year-old and a 17-year-old need different answers.
Are there real-time alerts?
For moments that may need a parent.
Can you set topic controls?
Tighten or loosen them as your teen grows.
Is it built for young people's privacy?
No ads, and no selling data.
AI literacy
AI is a tool, not an authority. These habits help teens use it well for life.
Check important facts against a good source.
AI can be wrong
Names, addresses, passwords and photos stay out.
Privacy first
Say when AI helped with their work.
Academic honesty
Some questions need a person, not a chatbot.
Trusted adults
For parents
You don't need to be an AI expert. Start with these questions, then explore AI together.
Try: "What do you think AI gets wrong?" or "If you're stuck on homework, how should we use AI so you still learn it?"
More conversation startersFive questions to start with
Chatbots, creative and coding tools, roleplay apps and adult apps with teen modes.
Features, policies and safety controls differ by product.
Talk about why personal information stays out of AI.
Or only alerts? Who owns the account, and can my teen unlink me?
The best answer explains why, not just what.
FAQ
Straight answers for families choosing where a teenager uses AI.
It depends on what they need and how involved you want to be. HeyOtto is built for ages 8â18, with age-adaptive answers, parent controls, safety alerts, learning and creative tools, coding, and conversations parents can read.
It depends on the product, its safeguards, what a teen shares and how it is used. Look for age-appropriate design, privacy protections and real parent visibility, not just a "teen" label.
In Pew Research Center's 2026 survey, 57% of US teens said they use AI chatbots to search for information and 54% for schoolwork. 12% use them for emotional support or advice.
Yes, to understand concepts, brainstorm, study and work through problems. The line is between AI supporting learning and AI doing the work. Otto is built to explain, not hand over answers.
Check the age rules, privacy, safety and whether you can see chats. ChatGPT's parental controls don't let parents read teen conversations. Compare the options in our ChatGPT for teens guide.
Yes. In HeyOtto, teens build games, apps and websites in real HTML, JavaScript, CSS and React. Otto explains the code and helps them find bugs, and parents can see every project.
Yes. Teens can brainstorm stories, develop characters, create images and storybooks, and turn ideas into projects they can share.
Yes. A parent creates the account and can read conversation history, with real-time alerts when something may need attention. Teens 13â18 have the same protections as younger kids.
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It depends on what they need and how involved you want to be. HeyOtto is built for ages 8â18, with age-adaptive answers, parent controls, safety alerts, learning and creative tools, coding, and conversations parents can read.
Still need a hand?
Compare
Side-by-side guides for the tools teens ask about.
Keep exploring
They shouldn't have to choose between curiosity and safety. Teens explore, question and build with AI, and parents stay in the loop.
