Learn more about helping teens use these programs safely and responsibly.

Direct messaging is one of the main features of this app.are super popular with kids and teens but they're not always safe.Kids love them because they offer richer multimedia experiences than regular SMS texting.Many messaging apps come with additional features that let users do way more than chat and share photos and videos: Kids can collect points to trade for stickers and emojis, stream additional news and content, play games, and even gain access to other chatting apps with different (not always age-appropriate) functionality.But these extra features, plus the privacy and safety issues, make messaging apps better suited for social-media-savvy teens.Privacy is definitely an issue, but kids can change their usernames to something more anonymous than their Facebook or Google identities.clearly forbids nudity, sexual content, and bullying in its community guidelines, but there's no promise of oversight. Users can report violators as well as block specific viewers, but live streaming is totally unpredictable -- there's no way to ensure teens won't encounter objectionable live content.Check out: , age 12 : This monosyllabic texting app uses one word -- "Yo" -- to convey whatever you need it to, such as "I made it home OK, " "I need a ride," or "I'm thinking of you." Do you know of a safe messaging apps for kids? They have a dedicated messaging app which will allow you to control who they text, will send you alerts based on keywords, and, of course, provide reports with the entire conversation.Our daughter has had a phone for the past eight years. Using this feature, along with MMGaurdian's ability to block OTHER messaging apps, is a perfect combination.[Disclaimer - I am Co-Founder of Maily] Maily is a safe platform for kids to exchange messages with their beloved.From there, teens see images and posts created anonymously by other students or can create anonymous posts themselves.The app was removed from the app store after complaints from school administrators about bullying incidents and has since been updated with moderation and tighter age-verification.A live moderator reviews every post and tags each with the type of content it contains.Teens 13 and up can register, but to see posts tagged with "sex," "drugs," "profanity," or "gross," teens must verify they're over 17 by scanning the code on their ID cards. Sign-up requires linking to Facebook account, which verifies user has friends at chosen school and is the right age.Also, in addition to the standard display ads and in-app purchases, many companies are testing new marketing methods that meld advertising and content, such as's "promoted chats" (in which brands text with users).