Dangerous Apps for Kids

Some apps should be nowhere near a kid’s phone. We couldn’t sort through all 3 million apps on the market, but we’ve found well over 100 apps worth looking for on your child’s phone. We also talked to IT security expert Pete Canavan about going beyond the usual suspects (like social media) when compiling our list of dangerous apps for kids.

Today's kids' most popular social media apps are YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. Here’s why some parents find them concerning:

• YouTube videos aren’t screened before publication, allowing kids to find plenty of inappropriate content.
• Snapchat content disappears after 24 hours (sometimes sooner). Some kids (and predators) take advantage of this by sharing explicit photos or videos.
• TikTok has very loose content guidelines, so kids may run into offensive or explicit content.
• Research shows Instagram use worsens body image and mental health issues among young girls.¹ 

Social media platforms also open the door for cyberbullying from peers and online strangers alike. In our 2024 Kids Safety Survey, 42% of parents told us their kids had been exposed to dangerous content, and 20% said they don't monitor their kids' social media activity.

Some companion apps, like the video editor Zoomerang, include a dangerous location-tracking feature.

Watch for these potentially dangerous social media apps too:

Read more in our guides:

• Is TikTok Safe? Here's What You Need to Know
• How to Stay Safe on Instagram
• Best Parental Control Apps
• Guide to Parental Controls

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn how to protect your home, loved ones, and belongings.

Some chat apps, especially WhatsApp, take the place of text messages when a friend or family member lives abroad. Similar chat apps include Messenger, Line, and Discord, as these emphasize “invite-only” conversations. Strangers might still find a way to chat with your kid on these apps, so they’re worth monitoring regardless.

Chat apps pose a serious problem for kids when their main purpose is to connect with strangers. That’s exactly what many of these dangerous messaging apps do. Some also include video chat. Here are some to watch for on your kid's phone:

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Some mobile games feature mature images or storylines, like the weed-dealing simulation game Drug Grand Mafia. Others, like Zepeto, don’t seem threatening until you realize that strangers can talk to your kid through in-game chat rooms. Some games even let players use voice chat. Beware of online predators on these potentially dangerous apps:

Many dating apps aren’t meant for dating at all, but for casual hook-ups. Your teenager may not know why that's risky unless you tell them. You’ve got this.

A teen’s misguided curiosity could lead them to one of these dating apps, and that’s a sign that you should have some serious conversations about safe sex:

Check out our internet safety guide for teens for other tips.

Pornographic content isn’t allowed in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, but some apps still get published despite prolific sexual content:

These are romance/erotica story apps that let the reader choose what happens next. Because of the way the characters are usually drawn, younger kids might not realize what these stories are about until they’ve downloaded the app. Keep an eye out for these:

According to IT security expert Pete Canavan, deepfake apps “allow you to make someone appear to look or say something they did not” by putting “anyone's face on any body in pictures and in videos.” Some deepfake apps like iFake also let users send prank messages.

Kids can easily use these to bully one another, and there are also serious concerns about data collection and privacy among deepfake apps.

Canavan notes that “as the technology gets better, it will be harder to tell fake photos and videos from real ones, and that presents a massive problem.”

Popular deepfake apps include the following:

“Mining apps use your phone's CPU to mine bitcoins or other digital currency,” Canavan explains. “Some you may have put on your phone on purpose, but others may be lurking insidiously on your kid's phone using it without their/your knowledge.” 

Known fake crypto-mining apps include the following:

Secret storage apps allow the user to keep photos and other files in a password-protected location. The app icon often looks like a calculator or another inconspicuous app. Your child might use a secret storage app to hide inappropriate photos sent by or to a sexual predator.

An anonymous app lets users ask questions or share info, usually with strangers, without having to create an account or share identifiable info. Pete Canavan, IT security expert, warns of a “huge opportunity for people to bully others or spread disinformation.”

• Some kids use Google Docs and other real-time collaboration tools to write messages to each other without leaving a paper trail. They just delete the doc when they’re done.
• Teens may use real estate apps to find empty houses for parties and vandalism.
• Photo editing apps that let you share your creations, like VSCO.

Not every smartphone app is terrible for kids. They can be educational, connect kids with extended family, or offer a fun way to relax.

To make sure your child has access only to apps you approve of, we recommend three steps:

1. Evaluate your kid’s current phone apps.
2. Set up Ask to Buy (iPhones) or Purchase Approvals (Android).
3. Install a parental control app for app management, content filters, message monitoring, and much more.

Remember to explain what you’re doing and why. Without this guidance, your kids won’t know how to use apps safely once they’ve left the nest.

• Apps can be renamed. If your kid knows they’ve downloaded an inappropriate app, they might try to hide it by renaming it and changing the icon through the Shortcuts app on an iPhone. Once that’s done, they can remove the original icon from the home screen. The same thing can be done on an Android phone.
• Apps can be hidden. Apps don’t have to show up on the home screen. Your kid can cover their tracks by setting up a harmless-looking shortcut, using the App Library, or re-downloading the app on the App Store.

• Internet Safety Guide for Kids
• What Age Should Kids Get a Phone?
• Qustodio Parental Control Review
• Bark App Review
• Circle Home Plus Review

1. James Vincent, The Verge, “Instagram Internal Research: ‘We Make Body Image Issues Worse for One in Three Teen Girls,” September 15, 2021. Accessed August 14, 2024.