Is Yubo really that bad? Some adults use it normally.

Adult use of Yubo exists but the platform's history with UK minors is poor — repeated cases of adults reaching children, age verification only partially effective, and a live-stream model that has been used for grooming. For under-16s it is not a recommended app, and for under-13s it is off the table (it is 13+ in its own terms).

My child says they only use NGL with school friends. Is that fine?

Anonymous-by-design messaging is rarely fine even among friends. The anonymity tends to disinhibit cruelty even from people your child actually knows. School-friend group chats turning nasty via NGL is the most common pattern. It is better off the phone.

They will just redownload it as soon as I'm not looking.

Possibly. That is why the install-block at OS level matters — Screen Time / Family Link can stop reinstalls of named apps. Pair that with the conversation, not just the block. If they keep trying to reinstall, that itself is the conversation to have.

Urgent

Your Child is Using Anonymous Messaging Apps

NGL, Tellonym, Yubo, Wink, Hoop — what they are, why they're a problem, and how to handle it without shaming.

If your child is in immediate danger, call 999

For urgent reports of online grooming, sextortion, or contact with an unknown adult, you can also report to CEOP. For child sexual abuse imagery, report to IWF.

What might be happening

You have found NGL, Tellonym, Yubo, Wink, or Hoop on your child's phone. These apps let strangers send anonymous messages to your child, or pair your child up with strangers for chat — often on the back of a Snapchat or Instagram link. They are popular precisely because they feel exciting: anonymous compliments, anonymous questions, new people. They are also where some of the worst bullying, harassment, and unsolicited sexual content reaches UK children.

How serious is it?

Higher than most apps your child uses. The anonymity removes the social cost of being cruel, and the matchmaking-with-strangers design makes adult contact easy. Yubo in particular has been linked to multiple UK safeguarding cases. NGL prompts a wave of anonymous "questions" that frequently turn nasty. Tellonym similar. These are not normal social apps with risks attached — the risk is much of the point of the app. Treat this as a higher priority than, say, finding TikTok.

What to do first

Step 1

Look at the app together. Ask your child to show you their inbox, who they have paired with on Yubo, what NGL questions they have received. If they are reluctant, that is information.

Step 2

Read recent messages carefully. Look for sexual content, threats, anyone asking to move to Snapchat or Telegram, anyone asking their age, school, or where they live.

Step 3

Take screenshots of anything worrying before changing settings or deleting anything.

Step 4

Have the why-this-one conversation. "Anonymous apps are designed so people can be cruel to you without consequences, and so strangers can reach you without me seeing. That is the bit I'm not OK with."

Step 5

Uninstall the app together, not behind their back. Block the underlying app from being reinstalled (Screen Time / Family Link).

What to say

Phrases that help

"I'm not embarrassed that you have it and I don't think you're stupid for downloading it. I do think these apps are designed in a way that's bad for you."
"If anyone said anything mean to you on this — anonymous or not — I want to know. It is not your fault and you are not in trouble."
"We are going to take this off the phone today. We can talk about whether there's a safer version of what you wanted from it."

What not to say

✗"Only weird kids use those apps." — guarantees they will not tell you what they saw on it.
✗"What did you expect, downloading something like that?" — blames the victim of any harassment they received.
✗"You're banned from the internet." — disproportionate and unworkable.

Settings to check

•iPhone: Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allowed Apps / App Store → set to 12+ or 9+ to block these apps from being installed.
•Android: Family Link → Controls → Apps → block specific apps (NGL, Yubo, Tellonym, Wink, Hoop, Whisper, Sendit, Honk) and require approval for new installs.
•Check Snapchat and Instagram for linked anonymous-app stickers or links — these apps usually piggyback off a Snap/Insta profile.
•Review followers/friends added in the past month on Snapchat and Instagram; anonymous-app users often pick up adult contacts that migrate across.
•Re-tighten DMs on Snapchat (Privacy → Contact Me → My Friends) and Instagram (Privacy → Messages → Only people you follow).

When to escalate

If your child has been sent sexual content, threatened, asked for images, blackmailed, or has been contacted by an adult who has tried to move them off-platform, preserve the screenshots and report to CEOP (https://www.ceop.police.uk). For bullying that has affected their mental health, talk to the school's safeguarding lead and consider Childline (0800 1111) for your child directly. If they have shared an intimate image and someone is threatening to spread it, contact the Internet Watch Foundation's Report Remove tool (https://www.iwf.org.uk/our-technology/report-remove/) and the NSPCC (0808 800 5000). If your child is in immediate danger, call 999.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 · This page is educational guidance, not a substitute for emergency services, safeguarding professionals, or legal advice.

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.