Recognize this app
Not affiliated with any app listed. Store badges and the app's own terms sometimes disagree. Go by the stricter one. Google Play ratings weren't checked and may differ. New apps appear constantly.
Set the limit in Screen Time or Family Link, then require approval for free downloads too.
Set an App Store age limit
On your phone · about 5 min
One setting blocks downloads above the rating you pick. On iPhone or iPad: Settings, Family, your child, Content & Privacy Restrictions, Apps. Apple lets you choose Don't Allow, Unrated, Allow All, or a specific age rating. On Android: Family Link, Controls, Google Play, content restrictions, Apps & games. Google says content restrictions don't prevent restricted content as a search result or through a direct link. The child can ask for an exception. Apple lets you grant one per app. App Store pages now show 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+, and 18+. Older lists may still say 12+ or 17+.
- Set the rating below 18+ if you want the adult-only apps in this list blocked.
- For a younger child, use a lower rating so 13+ and 16+ apps are blocked too.
- Decline exception requests for anything rated 18+.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Require approval for free downloads
On your phone · about 5 min
Almost all of these apps are free, so a purchases-only switch will not catch them. Apple Ask to Buy covers downloading an app from the App Store. Apple may also notify you when an approved app introduces a significant change, such as a new feature or an updated age rating. That notice varies by region. On Google Play, set Purchase and download approvals to All content, not Only in-app purchases.
- Turn on Ask to Buy.
- On Family Link, set download approvals to All content.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Match the icon to what the app actually is
Both of you together · about 10 min
Anonymous Q&A: NGL is 18+ in its terms and on the US App Store. The FTC said NGL marketed the app to kids and teens despite knowing it exposed them to cyberbullying, alleged it sent fake messages, and a 2024 order bans offering it to under-18s. Sendit is 13+ in its terms, with parent consent under 18, and subscriptions are 18+ and US-only. The App Store badge is 13+. Its parents page describes blocking, not a parent dashboard. Meet-strangers: Yubo's terms say you are at least 18, with age estimation at sign-up, and the badge is 18+. Wizz's terms say 16+, and parts of the service require 18. The badge is 18+. Wizz says it uses ID verification. We didn't test that. Hoop's terms say 13+, and ages 13–15 need parent permission. The badge is 13+. Hoop describes a Parent Guide and strict age separation. We didn't test the separation. LMK's terms say 13+, and ages 13–17 need parent permission. The badge is 16+. Kik's terms say you must be at least 18. The badge is 18+. Monkey's sign-up says the person is at least 18. It is not in the US App Store. The reason isn't confirmed. Omegle shut down in November 2023. The domain now says Omegle is launching, and the new terms are 18+. The company named in the footer is RC Tech America Inc. Any link to the original Omegle isn't confirmed. AI companions: Replika, Chai, PolyBuzz, Nomi, and Janitor AI say 18+ in their terms, and the US badges are 18+. PolyBuzz says it strictly prohibits minors worldwide. Talkie's terms say 14+, or 15–16+ in some countries. The US listing from the same publisher is Talkie Lab – AI Playground, badge 18+. The original Talkie app is no longer in the US store. A removal date wasn't confirmed at an official source. Character.AI is 13+ (16+ in the EEA and UK). Under-18s get no open-ended chat since November 2025. The US badge is 18+. xAI's terms say 13+, and ages 13–17 need a parent's permission. The US Grok badge is 16+. A UK charity describes a Kids Mode with a PIN. No official xAI page we found describes it, so check in the app before you count on it. Tellonym's and Azar's own minimum ages weren't confirmed. Both have a US App Store badge of 18+. Don't treat that badge as the company's stated age.
- If the icon is one of the 18+ apps above, remove it from a child's phone.
- If the store badge and the terms disagree, use the stricter age.
- For Snapchat My AI, Meta AI, Discord, and Character.AI, use the guides for those apps. They have parent tools these apps don't.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Teach the pattern, not just the name
Both of you together · about 10 min
Blocking one app moves kids to the next. Anonymous apps can be used to bully, and the FTC said NGL sent fake messages. Meet-new-people apps connect them with strangers, and chats often move to Snapchat or another private app. AI companions are designed to feel like a friend. Most are adult-only for a reason. Using the website, typing an adult birthday, asking for a Screen Time exception, deleting the app, or using a second device are the usual ways around a block. iPhone web filtering is Limit Adult Websites, on by default under 18, or Approved Websites Only. This list can't be complete. Anonymous, plus strangers, plus private chat, is not for kids, whatever the app is called.
- Say that anonymous questions can be mean, and that some apps have faked messages.
- Say that meet-new-people apps are strangers, even when the profile looks young.
- Say that an AI companion is a product, not a friend.
- Put every phone and tablet in Family Sharing or Family Link, including old ones.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Look for the app when the icon is gone
On your phone · about 10 min
Web versions don't show on the home screen. NGL, Janitor AI, Azar, Monkey, Omegle, Talkie, and PolyBuzz also run in a browser, and an app-store limit doesn't reach those. Check Screen Time or Family Link for the names above and for heavy Safari or Chrome use. Check browser history for ngl.link, janitorai.com, omegle.com, monkey.app, azarlive.com, talkie-ai.com, and polybuzz.ai. An Instagram or Snapchat story that says send me anonymous messages usually means NGL, Sendit, or something like them. Apple says purchase history shows a list of apps, subscriptions, music, and other purchased content. Apple's page doesn't say whether a free app still appears there after it is deleted.
- Open Screen Time or Family Link activity and browser history.
- Look at App Store purchase history on your child's Apple Account.
- Don't treat a missing icon as proof the app was never used.
Checked 30 Sep 2026
Use the parent tools on the big apps
On your phone · about 10 min
Snapchat Family Center can disable My AI. Meta supervision shows topics teens discuss with Meta AI, not the chats, and Meta says you can move a teen to a more restrictive setting that further limits how Meta AI responds. Discord Family Center covers activity, filters, a spending cap, and downtime. Character.AI limits under-18s to non-chat features after age assurance. Telegram's terms say 18+ in the EU, UK, and Australia, and they don't state a global minimum. The US App Store badge is 13+. No parent tools are documented for Telegram.
- Open Family Center for Snapchat, Meta, and Discord if your child uses those apps.
- On Character.AI, expect age assurance and no open-ended chat under 18.
Checked 30 Sep 2026