Apps With Group Chats - What UK Parents Should Know
Users can join conversations with several people at once, such as groups, servers or channels.
Why it matters
Group chats can add people your child does not know, move fast, and are a common setting for bullying and for sharing images more widely than intended.
What to check
Check whether your child can be added to groups without agreeing first, and talk about leaving a group that makes them uncomfortable.
Apps with this feature
Features are based on what each of our app guides says. Apps change often, so check the app's own settings too.
FaceTime Safety Guide
No minimum age · We suggest 8+
It supports one-to-one and group video calls of up to 32 participants
From our FaceTime guide Minecraft Online Play Safety Guide
Official age 7+ · We suggest 8+
online multiplayer introduces risks including unmoderated chat, community servers with user-generated content, and contact with strangers.
From our Minecraft guide iMessage Safety Guide
No minimum age · We suggest 10+
it supports group chats, photo/video sharing, and contact with anyone who has the child's phone number.
From our iMessage guide Roblox Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 5+ · We suggest 10+
Friends chat controls chat and parties with friends.
From our Roblox guide Setting: Chat SettingsWhere: Settings → Parental controls → your child → Settings you manage → Communication
Gacha & Loot-Box Games: Genshin, Brawl Stars & Clash
Official age 7+ · We suggest 12+
Clash of Clans has both a general chat and clan chat
From our Gacha Games guide Setting: In-game chatWhere: In-game settings
Facebook Messenger Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
Group chats for school projects and social groups are common.
From our Messenger guide Group Chat Apps — Safety Overview
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
Group chat apps are the primary way children and teenagers communicate with friends outside of school.
From our Group Chat Apps guide LINE, KakaoTalk & WeChat Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
voice notes, photos of school events, and family group chats are the most common patterns.
From our LINE / KakaoTalk / WeChat guide Marco Polo Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
group chats can include people invited by other family members rather than your child directly.
From our Marco Polo guide Meta Quest VR Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 10+ · We suggest 13+
because they put children into rooms with strangers using voice chat.
From our Meta Quest guide Microsoft Teams Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
Group chats between pupils can be created within the Teams environment and may be used for bullying, sharing inappropriate content, or excluding classmates.
From our Microsoft Teams guide Signal Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
Signal supports shareable Group Links, which let anyone with the link join a group
From our Signal guide Steam Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
Steam has a significant social layer: user profiles, friend lists, community forums, group chats, and a marketplace for in-game items.
From our Steam guide Instagram Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 14+
communicate through direct messages and group chats.
From our Instagram guide Snapchat Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 14+
The platform is also used for group chats and communicating with people met through other apps.
From our Snapchat guide WhatsApp Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 14+
It also supports group chats, status updates, and file sharing.
From our WhatsApp guide Setting: Group InvitationsWhere: Settings → Privacy → Groups
Discord Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 15+
Servers contain text channels (for typed messages) and voice channels (for real-time voice or video chat).
From our Discord guide Facebook Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 15+
joining Groups around hobbies, fandoms, or their local area
From our Facebook guide TikTok Parental Controls and Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 15+
Your teen may still encounter a blocked person in multi-host LIVE, shared group chats, or the reuse of content by others.
From our TikTok guide Twitch Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 15+
The live nature of the platform means content is unfiltered and unpredictable, and chat rooms can move extremely quickly.
From our Twitch guide Reddit Safety Guide
Official age 13+ · We suggest 16+
Reddit is a discussion platform organised into communities called 'subreddits'.
From our Reddit guide Viber Safety Guide
Official age 16+ · We suggest 16+
Communities are large public groups that can hold enormous numbers of members, including strangers.
From our Viber guide Setting: Who can add me to groupsWhere: Settings > Privacy > Allow to add to groups
Kik Messenger Safety Guide
Official age 18+ · We suggest 18+
They may join public groups by interest or be invited by strangers.
From our Kik guide Social Discovery & Friend-Making Apps
Official age 13+ · We suggest 18+
Teenagers use social discovery apps to find new friends, join interest groups, or take part in live video lounges
From our Social Discovery guide Telegram Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 18+ · We suggest 18+
Telegram is a messaging platform known for large group chats, public channels, and strong encryption.
From our Telegram guide Setting: Who Can Add Me to GroupsWhere: Settings → Privacy and Security → Groups & Channels
Yubo Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 18+ · We suggest 18+
can be added to group chats by people they have matched with
From our Yubo guide
Related risk guides
Other features
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.