Ask.fm Settings for Safety and Privacy: What Happened to ASKfm and What to Check Now

For a generation of teens, Ask.fm (later styled ASKfm) was where you went to answer questions about yourself, and where anyone could ask you anything without giving their name. For parents, it became one of the most worrying sites on the internet, linked in news reports to severe cyberbullying.

ASKfm no longer exists. It stopped new sign-ups in October 2024 and shut down on December 1, 2024, saying its user base had declined and its format no longer fit how people use social media. But the idea it popularized, anonymous questions directed at a specific person, is still very much part of teen online life. Here's what you need to know.

What Ask.fm was

ASKfm was a question-and-answer social network. Each user had a profile page, and visitors could post questions to them. The user's answers appeared publicly on their profile, building up a running record of their opinions, likes, relationships and secrets.

The key feature was that questions could be sent anonymously. Users could choose whether to accept anonymous questions, but many teens left it on because anonymous questions were more numerous and more exciting.

The settings that mattered

When ASKfm was active, parents who allowed it were usually advised to:

• Turn off anonymous questions.
• Avoid linking the profile to other social accounts.
• Keep real names, schools and locations out of the profile.
• Block and report abusive users.

The problem was that the site's appeal depended on the very feature that made it risky. A profile with anonymous questions turned off got far less attention.

Why parents worried

• Anonymity encouraged cruelty. Questions like "why are you so ugly?" or worse were common, and teens often answered publicly, keeping the exchange visible.
• Everyone could watch. Answers were public, so humiliating exchanges were seen by classmates.
• Pressure to keep answering. A steady flow of questions felt like popularity, even when many of them were mean.
• Contact from strangers. Adults could pose as peers and use questions to start personal conversations.

What took its place

Anonymous Q&A didn't disappear when ASKfm closed. It moved inside the apps teens already use.

Anonymous question links in Stories

Apps such as NGL let a teen share a link in an Instagram or Snapchat Story inviting anonymous messages. Responses land in the third-party app, and teens often screenshot and repost the answers. In July 2024 the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office settled with NGL's makers. The settlement banned the app from offering its service to anyone under 18 and required a $5 million payment, after the FTC alleged the app sent fake messages and charged users to "reveal" senders who were never actually revealed.

Question stickers

Instagram's question sticker lets followers send questions to a Story. Unlike ASKfm, these aren't anonymous to the account owner, who can see who asked. That's a meaningful difference, but answers are still shared publicly with followers.

Anonymous boards

Location-based anonymous apps, like Yik Yak, offer the same anonymity to a wider local audience.

Settings to check in 2026

ASKfm settings no longer matter, but these do.

Instagram

Teens under 16 are placed into Teen Accounts, which are private by default, limit who can message them, and filter offensive comments and messages with Hidden Words. Check that:

1. The account is private.
2. Messages are limited to people your teen follows or is already connected to.
3. Hidden Words is turned on to filter offensive comments and message requests.
4. Your teen knows how to restrict, block and report accounts.

Instagram's supervision tools let you see who your teen follows and set time limits. Our parent's guide to Instagram walks through the settings.

Snapchat

Keep contact settings to My Friends, keep Stories visible to friends only, and consider linking accounts through Family Center so you can see your teen's friend list.

Third-party anonymous apps

• Use app store controls so new apps need your approval: Ask to Buy on Apple devices, app approvals in Google Family Link on Android.
• Check your teen's Stories and bios for links to anonymous messaging apps.
• Explain that apps promising to "reveal" who sent a message usually can't, and may charge for nothing.

Talking with your teen

• Ask, don't accuse. "Have you or your friends ever done one of those anonymous question links? What kind of stuff do people send?"
• Talk about why anonymity draws cruelty. People say things they'd never say with their name attached.
• Agree on a plan. If a mean or creepy message arrives, the steps are: don't reply, screenshot, block, report, and tell you.
• Watch for changes. Withdrawal, anxiety about checking the phone, or sudden deletion of accounts can signal online harassment.

If anonymous messages turn into threats, sexual requests or sextortion, save everything and report it to the platform, the NCMEC CyberTipline and local police. Our guide to talking with kids about online safety has more conversation starters.

The bottom line

ASKfm is gone, but anonymous questions live on inside Instagram and Snapchat through third-party links. Focus your settings on what's current:

• Private accounts and restricted messaging
• Comment and message filters turned on
• App approvals so anonymous apps can't be installed quietly
• A clear plan for what your teen does when a cruel message arrives