What it is
Wizz is presented as a way for young people to make friends, often by swiping through profiles. The people on the other side of a match are strangers. Being aimed at teenagers does not keep adults out.
Parent groups and news reports have raised serious concerns about predatory contact on friend-making apps of this kind. This is not an app to tidy up with a setting. It is an app to remove, and then to ask a calm question about who they have already been talking to.
What to look out for
- Matches they talk about but have never met.
- A profile that shows their school, town, or age.
- Requests for photos, secrecy, or a move to Kik, Snapchat, or a similar app.
- Gifts, game currency, or money from someone online.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Wizz. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Remove the app and keep the app-store password.
- Ask who they matched with and whether anyone asked for photos or a meeting.
- Write down usernames before threads disappear.
- If an adult has been sexual or has tried to meet, use the help page. Do not arrange your own confrontation.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Criminals are using private messaging to groom children The NSPCC’s 2025 figures are about grooming on private messaging apps. NBC’s report is the one about sextortion on Wizz.
- Wizz offered a safe space for teens. Sextortion soon followed The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children told NBC it was getting reports about minors on Wizz.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "Apps that introduce you to strangers are where adults pretend to be teenagers. Tell me who you have been talking to. Telling me is the safe move."
Video
Wizz parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.