Apps That Match You With Strangers - What UK Parents Should Know
The app pairs users with strangers at random, or by swiping, to chat or meet.
Why it matters
Random matching is designed to put your child in front of people they have never met, often by video, with little time to judge who they are talking to.
What to check
Check the app's minimum age and its own guide below. For apps built around meeting strangers, the safest choice for a child is usually not to use them.
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.
Fortnite Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 12+ · We suggest 12+
being squadded with random players can put your child in live contact with strangers, including adults
From our Fortnite guide Epic Games & Fortnite Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 13+ · We suggest 13+
Many also play with strangers in random matchmaking
From our Epic Games guide Monkey App Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 18+ · We suggest 18+
Monkey is a random video-chat service that pairs users with strangers for short video calls
From our Monkey guide Omegle & Random Video Chat Safety
Official age 18+ · We suggest 18+
Omegle closed in late 2023, but the model — instant video chat with random strangers, no registration, no meaningful moderation — lives on through successors and copycats such as Monkey, OmeTV and Chatroulette.
From our Omegle guide Social Discovery & Friend-Making Apps
Official age 13+ · We suggest 18+
often by swiping through profiles or joining themed rooms similar to a dating app
From our Social Discovery guide Wizz Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 18+ · We suggest 18+
Wizz is a friend-making app that shows users a stream of stranger profiles to swipe through and message
From our Wizz guide Yubo Safety Guide for Parents
Official age 18+ · We suggest 18+
Yubo is a social networking app specifically designed for making friends through swiping profiles and joining live streams.
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.