Apps and Websites Parents Should Look Out For in 2026

Every few months a new app shows up on kids' phones and parents scramble to figure out what it is. The specific names change constantly. Ask.fm, ooVoo and Omegle were the names parents worried about a decade ago, and all three have since shut down. What has not changed is the short list of features that tend to cause trouble. If you learn to spot those features, you can size up any app in a couple of minutes, including ones that haven't been invented yet.

Here are the categories we would look out for in 2026, with examples and what to do about each.

Anonymous question and message apps

Anonymous Q&A was the original problem child. Ask.fm let anyone send questions to a teen's profile without revealing who they were, and bullying followed. Ask.fm closed for good on December 1, 2024. The idea lives on in apps such as NGL, where users post a link in their Instagram or Snapchat story and receive anonymous messages.

In July 2024 the Federal Trade Commission and the Los Angeles District Attorney settled with NGL's makers over claims that the app sent fake messages to trick users into paying to "reveal" who sent them. As part of that settlement, NGL agreed to stop offering the app to anyone under 18 and to add an age gate.

Why it matters: anonymity removes accountability, and teens tend to read anonymous messages as the truth about what their classmates think. If you find one of these apps, talk about why it is appealing before you delete it. For background on older anonymous apps and the same pattern, see our piece on Whisper, which followed the same pattern.

Random video chat with strangers

Omegle paired strangers for text or video chat for more than 14 years before shutting down in November 2023. Its founder cited the cost and stress of fighting misuse. Copycat sites and apps still exist, often with similar names and the same basic mechanic: press a button, see a stranger's camera.

There is no safe version of this for a child or young teen. Adults use these services to find kids, and inappropriate content can appear within seconds. If your child is curious, explain plainly what tends to happen on them. Our article on what Omegle was and why it was risky covers the conversation in more depth.

"Make new friends" apps

Apps built around swiping through profiles to find new friends, such as Yubo and Wizz, are listed for older users in the App Store but are popular with younger teens. The model looks a lot like a dating app: you see someone's photos and age, swipe, and if you match you can chat. Age checks have improved on some of these apps, but no system is perfect, and the whole point is to connect with people you have never met.

If your teen wants to meet people with shared interests, steer them toward moderated spaces tied to something real: a club, a team, a school group chat or an interest community with active moderators.

Live streaming

Going live on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or a dedicated streaming app means broadcasting in real time to whoever is watching, with comments and virtual gifts arriving as you go. Platforms have tightened the rules: TikTok requires hosts to be 18, YouTube requires creators to be at least 16 to stream, and Instagram requires parental permission for teens under 16 to go Live. Our guide to live streaming risks explains why gifts and real-time requests from viewers are the part to watch.

Messaging apps with hidden corners

Most messaging apps are fine for teens with the right settings. The trouble is in the details: public servers in Discord, group chats where an older stranger gets added, or apps that let anyone message you by username. Kik, a long-time favorite of predators, has been the subject of years of warnings for exactly this reason; see our separate guide on whether Kik is okay for kids.

What to check: who can message your child by default, whether strangers can add them to group chats, and whether the app shows their location.

AI companion and chatbot apps

This is the newest category, and it is moving fast. Companion apps let users chat with an AI character that remembers them and responds like a friend or partner. After lawsuits and regulatory pressure, Character.AI stopped letting users under 18 have open-ended chats with its characters in late November 2025. Many other companion apps have weaker protections.

The concerns are emotional dependence, sexual or self-harm content, and kids sharing personal details with a system they believe is a confidant. Ask your kids which AI tools they use, including the assistants built into apps they already have, and talk about what an AI is and is not.

Apps that look harmless but aren't

A decade ago the classic example was a jokes or game app with a hidden "chat with strangers" tab. That pattern still exists. Before approving any app, look past the icon and the screenshots:

1. Check the age rating in the App Store or Google Play listing, and read why it has that rating.
2. Scroll to the description and search for words like chat, live, nearby, meet, anonymous or random.
3. Look at the in-app purchases section for coins, gems or "boosts".
4. Read a few one-star reviews; they often mention strangers or bullying before anyone else does.

The bottom line

You don't need to memorize every app. Use this checklist on anything new:

• Can strangers contact my child, by default or with one tap?
• Is anyone anonymous?
• Is there live video?
• Does it show location?
• Does it sell coins, gifts or boosts?
• Does content disappear?

If the answer to two or more is yes, sit down together before saying yes. And make app approval automatic by setting up app restrictions by age rating plus purchase approval, so new downloads come to you first.