Articles
The conversations around the apps
The guides are about a named product. These are about how to talk, what predatory contact looks like, how to stay safer, and when a discovery needs outside help.
What predatory contact looks like
The same patterns show up on very different apps. This is what parents can notice, with links to the guides. It does not describe how that contact is carried out.
How to stay safer
House rules you can say out loud. They work across apps: who may message them, what a stranger does not get, and what to do if it has already gone wrong.
Talk before you take the phone
A raid on the device gets you a snapshot and a child who hides the next app better. Start with a conversation that can happen more than once.
Disguised apps and secret folders
A calculator, a notes app, a file tool, or an app lock can be a second, hidden layer. Here is how to notice one without turning the house into a search party.
When to get help
Some discoveries are a settings change. Some are a report. This is how to tell the difference, and what not to do in the first hour.
A calmer phone setup
Five decisions to make before a new app is allowed: who can message them, whether anything disappears, where the device sleeps, and who holds the app-store password.
No card on their device
Free mobile games still sell lives, dice, and passes. The house rule is simple: your card details do not go on your child’s phone or tablet.