13+
Minimum age according to Kik
This is Kik’s minimum age. What do you think is the right age for this app?Share your thoughts
Kik is an instant messaging app. It lets you create your own username and message others without using your mobile number. You can share photos, organise events, share games, news and anything of interest to you from the internet.
What do I need to know about Kik?
We've spoken to parents to find out what they think about Kik. We've also asked children and young people what they think. Here's what they said:
What do children and young people say to look out for:
22% of the children and young people who reviewed Kik thought that it can be risky. The main reasons they gave were:
Why young people like it:
The main things that young people told us they liked about this site were:
We asked parents whether they were asked to verify their phone number or email address to sign up to this site. We also asked them how easy or difficult it would be for a child to pretend to be older to sign up.
Parents say:
We asked parents how easy it was to find out how to report unsuitable content, to find out if the site is moderated, to block other users and to hide or report an unwanted message or picture.
Parents say:
Young people say:
More information:
Read Kik’s pages on blocking here and the reporting page here. You can also contact Kik here.
We asked parents how easy it was to find information about privacy and to change the settings to ensure the account is private.
Parents say:
Young people say:
More information:
We asked parents how easy it was to find out whether this site has rules or community standards, to find safety information for children and parents, and to find links to support services.
Parents say:
More information:
See Kik’s safety tips here and here.
Visit the guide for parents here.
Girl, 14
“Anyone can message you if they have your account name and hacking onto people’s account is easy.”
Boy, 15
“You can chat to other people privately and in a group.”
Girl, 12
“I like how we can use gifs in conversations from our favourite movies, songs etc. I like the emojis - there is all kinds of different emojis. It’s also good for communication with family and friends.”
Father
“Kik is an easy social network that doesn't require a lot of personal detail in order to set it up. However, from a safety point of view there is very little advice or guidance on best practice when it comes to a child being bullied or sexually exploited online." - Father of girls aged 11 and 16
Father
“Anyone can receive random messages in Kik. Anyone can pretend to be anyone else. It's always best to just give friends your screen name.” - Father of 9yr old boy
Mother
“It’s a good little app to use. I much prefer it than other chat apps out there - always make sure that you have your privacy settings up to date and you check up on what your child is doing from time to time.” - Mother of an 18yr old boy
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Kik
"Kik is way more than just messaging. It’s the easiest way to connect with your friends, stay in the loop, and explore – all through chat. No phone numbers, just pick a username."
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O2 Guru Paul says:
“Kik is a bit trickier than other messaging apps. On iOS you can block someone from their contact by clicking on 'Info'. With Android you click on the main menu, head to 'Chat info' and click on the top right hand corner to block.”
Our O2 NSPCC Online Safety Helpline can help you to set up parental controls, adjust privacy settings or get advice on social networks. Call them for free on 0808 800 5002.
You can also book a free in-store appointment with an O2 online safety guru here.
13+
Kik says
This is taken from Kik’s own guidelines and is accurate as of March 2017.
14+
Our panel of parents say
Based on our independent panel of nearly 700 parents, surveyed through YouGov in January 2017.
12+
Children say
Based on 1,696 responses from children and young people in December 2016 and January 2017.
14+
Net Aware visitors say
Based on 604 votes from visitors to the Net Aware site – you can vote too.
We asked young people and parents to tell us about the content they came across on Kik. Here are the types of inappropriate content that they reported:
Sexual
Violence and hatred
Bullying
Suicide and self-harm
Other
48% of parents reported seeing sexual content on Kik. 24% reported adult or illegal content, which could include alcohol, gambling, swearing or drugs.
19% of young people reported seeing violence and hatred on Kik. 17% reported either bullying or sexual content.
Father
“I found content discussing buying and using cannabis. I also found that men have posted nude pics of themselves without asking me, and people were using explicit language.” - Father of 10yr old girl
Mother
“Some one had taken a photo of their private parts and used it as a profile picture.” - Mother of 18yr old boy
Mother
"I saw a video of someone performing a sex act.” - Mother of a 10yr old girl
Girl, 14
“Some random people ask for nudes or send nudes to you.”
Boy, 17
“You can always get added by spam bots, or people who may not exactly be the most friendly.”
Girl, 14
“It can be risky because people you do not know can talk to you and send you a message. However you don't have to respond back.”
We know it can be awkward, but no amount of information beats talking to your children about their experiences online.
If something’s upset you, I can help. Where else could you find help? Let’s look together.Other relevant resources:
BBM
Blackberry's BBM is an instant messaging app. You have your own unique 4 digit pin and other people can only add you using this.
Tango
Tango is an app which allows you meet new people, make voice and video calls, have group chats and share content with other users.
Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts is a computer programme and app that lets you video call, phone or message other users.
Skype
Skype is a computer programme and app, which lets you send instant messages and make audio and video calls to other users around the world.
Omegle
Omegle is a social networking site that randomly connects you to another person who’s on the site. It lets you talk to others in a one-to-one audio or video conversation anonymously, or you can choose to share your personal information.See all
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We may use this information to tailor messages, or to send you information which may be helpful to you. We will keep this information confidential, but you do not need to provide a response if you’re not comfortable. If you wish to change the way that we contact you in the future please contact our Supporter Care team on 020 7825 2505 or email us at supportercare@nspcc.org.uk. We will never pass on your details to any other organisations to use for their own purposes and you can find out about how we use and look after your data at nspcc.org.uk/privacy-policy.
