Social networks, apps and games
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Line

Line is a messaging app that lets you chat by text, audio and video message. You can also play games and post things to your timeline. Line don't give a minimum age you need to be to sign up, but they do say minors need parental consent.

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Official age rating

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Our safety ratings

Overall safety rating:

Our overall rating for Line

Average

Line does not have an official age rating and they don’t require users to enter a date of birth to verify their age. However, when you sign up you’re asked to tick a box stating that you’re over the age of 16.

If you let your child use Line, we would recommend only letting them speak to people they know offline, like school friends or close family members. You should also explore all the privacy settings available, so they can’t be contacted by people they don’t know on the app.

Be aware that there are a number of communication features on Line including, the ability to message in group and individual chats, voice and video calls, image and audio and video sharing and livestreaming. Make sure to talk to your child about what they’re sharing and who they’re talking to.

Check out our advice article on video sharing and livestreaming for more tips.

Safety features

There are some safety features available on Line that can help stop your child from talking to people they don’t know. We would recommend reading Line’s safety advice for parents.

You should be aware that Line does not use any age-verification tools to determine who can use an app, and it’s really easy for children to access. Without any of the privacy settings set up, there is a risk your child could be contacted by someone they don’t know.

If you let your child use the app we would recommend they only talk to people they know offline, like friends from school or clubs.

Privacy & location

Accounts on Line are set to private by default. This means you can only be contacted by friends on your contact list or someone who has your personal Line ID. Make sure to remind your child to not share their ID with anyone they don’t know.

Line doesn’t share your location with other users.

Before you let your child use Line you should make sure to explore all the privacy features available, including:

• Disabling ‘allow others to add me by my ID’
• Switch off ‘allow friend requests’
• Switch on ‘filter messages’

Reporting & blocking

You can easily report and block other users and individual pieces of content on Line. You might also want to check out Line’s Terms and Conditions which outline the ways they are trying to keep the app safe.

When you’re contacted by someone you don’t know on the app, you receive an alert that gives you the option to block or report the user. Show your child how to do this so they can stop any unwanted contact and remind them to come to you if someone they don’t know tries to send them a message.

When Line receives a report request, they’re automatically sent the last 100 messages sent on the chat to review.

Content

We didn’t come across any inappropriate content while exploring the app. However, because the content shared comes from individuals, there might still be a chance your child come across something that upsets or worries them.

O2 Guru top tip

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On Line blocking users

Show your child how to block other users. Go to the friends tab, tap and hold on the account you want to block and click ‘block’.

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Top tips for staying safe

Sitting down with your child and exploring their favourite app or game is a great way for you to learn more about what they like to do online.

You can ask them why they like to use an app or play certain games, as well as who they’re talking to and what sorts of things they’re sharing.

You can also read our Net Aware reviews for tips on how to keep kids safe on popular apps, sites and games.

Help your child think about what they share online and who sees it. Compare it to what they would be happy to share offline.

Use examples that are easy for them to understand: “You shouldn't give your number to somebody you don't know on the street. Is somebody online you don't know any different?”

Listen to their answers. And be positive and encouraging.

Remind them that they shouldn’t share private things, such as:

  • personal information, like names, emails, phone numbers, location and school names
  • other people's personal information
  • links to join private group chats
  • photos of themselves
  • photos of their body, such as sexual photos or videos.

Explain that you understand the internet is a great place to play, create, learn and connect. But remind them they can talk to you if anything upsets or worries them.

Reassure them that you won’t overreact – you’re just looking out for them.

It’s important to remind your child that they can talk you, another adult they trust, like a teacher, or Childline about anything they see online.

It’s important to check the privacy settings on your child’s Line account to make sure what they’re posting is kept private or shared only with friends.

We recommend only sharing things with friends and always keeping your location private.

You can visit Line for specific information on how to share posts with certain friends.

Your child might receive upsetting or negative things from other users on Line. If this happens, they might want to report or block them.

Line has specific guidance on how to report chats and how to block accounts.

And remember to let your child know that they can always talk to you about worrying things they see online.

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Talking to your child

Having open, regular conversations with your child will help you to really understand and explore the online world together. Our tips and advice can help you start these conversations.

Talk about staying safe online

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