What Parents Need to Know About the Monkey App and Its Risks

Monkey is a live video chat app that connects users with random people worldwide or nearby for brief conversations. After downloading the app, users provide their name, age, gender, and phone number, which helps match them with others in similar age groups. The app then pairs users for 15-second video chats, which can be extended if both participants enjoy the interaction by tapping the countdown timer on their screens. Users can choose to skip or accept connections, and hashtags are used to find people with shared interests.

Since the shutdown of Omegle in November 2023, Monkey has quickly gained popularity, with its user base doubling within a month. While the platform promises a fun, fast-paced environment for meeting new people, it also faces many of the same safety concerns that plagued similar apps like Omegle.

What makes Monkey app unique is the real-time video interactions rather than text-based chats - the thrill of random video calls provides an engaging and unpredictable experience for users.

Is Monkey Safe for Children?

Although the Monkey app is meant for users aged 18 and over, it lacks a proper age verification process, making it easy for younger users to sign up.

Once registered, users are presented with two main screens: one showing their chat history, private messages, and profile, and another prompting them to start a video chat. Users can begin a solo chat with a stranger or invite a friend to join, where the two of them chat with a stranger together. Customizing chat preferences is available but only through a premium subscription called Monkey Plus.

To start chatting, users must allow camera and microphone access. Monkey then matches users with random people to chat with. After each match, users can swipe to the next connection, learn more about the current match, or report inappropriate content. Recent connections are stored in the 'Recent Connects' list, making it easy to revisit past chats.

Chats can happen through video or text, and users have the option to send gifts using in-app Coins, which require real money.

Risks of Using Monkey

1.     Inappropriate Content

Despite Monkey's claim to use AI and a moderation team to detect and block sexual or harmful content, explicit material is still common on the platform. This can expose users, especially children, to inappropriate content that the app may fail to filter out.

2.     Contact with Strangers

While some users may just want to chat, others could be scammers or predators. Since you can never be sure who is on the other end of the video call, this poses a significant risk.

3.     In-App Purchases

Monkey is free to download, but it encourages in-app purchases for premium features. For example, the 'Knock Knock' feature, which allows text-based messaging instead of random video chats, requires payment. These purchases can add up, especially if children are using the app without supervision.

4.     Privacy Concerns

Monkey collects a large amount of personal data, including names, profile pictures, dates of birth, browser information, and IP addresses. This data is shared with third parties, as outlined in their privacy policy. Additionally, any content a user contributes—photos, videos, or messages—can be used by Monkey or its affiliates for any purpose, including advertising.

5.     Random Matching Risks

The biggest danger with random video chatting is not knowing who or what you'll encounter. Connecting with strangers can be risky, particularly for children who may be targeted by predators. Since users can search for others based on location, there's a real risk of meeting someone in person, which could lead to dangerous situations.

6.     Lack of Online Privacy

Once something is shared online, it may never truly be private. Conversations on Monkey could be recorded or screenshot by others and used maliciously, including for cyberbullying or harassment.

7.    Tinder-Like Swiping

Monkey offers a swiping feature similar to dating apps like Tinder, where users can swipe left or right to accept or dismiss others. Matches are made when both users swipe right on each other's profiles. Although Monkey doesn't label itself as a dating app, it borrows many elements from these platforms, including location-based matching and profile sorting by gender.

Privacy and Security Settings in the Monkey App

Unfortunately, Monkey offers very limited privacy and security options for its users. Aside from the ability to change your location or delete your account, there are no advanced privacy settings available. Here's how to make these changes:

How to Change Your Location in Monkey

1. Go to Settings on your phone.
2. Select Apps and find Monkey.
3. Go to Permissions and choose Location.
4. Tap Don't Allow to stop the app from using your real location.

How to Delete Your Monkey Account

If you've decided to delete your Monkey account, follow these steps:

1. Tap your Profile icon in the bottom right corner (it looks like a monkey head outline).
2. Tap the Settings icon (a gear icon) in the top right corner of your profile page.
3. Scroll down and tap About Monkey (next to the app's logo).
4. Select Delete Account (this is next to an "x" icon).
5. Confirm by tapping Delete My Account.
6. Type DELETE (all caps) in the prompt box to confirm.
7. Once your account is deleted, you can uninstall the app from your device.

It can take up to 30 days for your account to be deleted.

How to Keep Children Safe on Monkey

The risks of using a roulette-style video chat app like Monkey are clear, and parents should carefully assess whether their child is prepared to handle these dangers before allowing them access. Unfortunately, there are limited tools available to protect kids directly within the app, but there are some steps parents can take:

1. Review the Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines: Read through the app's policies together and stress the importance of following the rules. Encourage your child to end chats with anyone who doesn't respect these guidelines.
2. Report Inappropriate Content: Teach your child how to recognize and report any inappropriate or harmful content they encounter while using the app.
3. Discuss Boundaries for Video Chats: Have open conversations with your child about what's appropriate during video chats, including the importance of not showing or asking others to show body parts.
4. Reinforce Stranger Danger: Remind your child about the risks of talking to strangers and emphasize that they should never share personal information or agree to meet someone from the app in real life.
5. Encourage Meaningful Conversations: Help your child focus on building fewer but more meaningful connections with people they already know and trust, instead of chatting with random strangers.
6. Limit In-App Purchases: If your child is using Monkey, restrict their ability to make in-app purchases to avoid unnecessary spending or access to premium features that may put them at further risk.
7. Monitor Activity with Parental Controls: Set up Parental control to monitor your child's app usage.  Bitdefender Parental Control helps you filter out inappropriate content, set screen time limits, and monitor their activities for any red flags —all without intruding on their personal space. Available with all paid Bitdefender products, it’s easy to set up and ensures your child’s online experience is as safe as possible.

FAQs

Is the Monkey app safe for children?

No, the Monkey app is not considered safe for children. Although the app requires users to be 18 or older, there is no strict age verification process in place, making it easy for younger users to join. The app's random video chat feature can expose children to inappropriate content, contact with strangers, and other potential risks. Parents should carefully consider these dangers before allowing children to use the app.

Can people see your location on Monkey?

Monkey collects users' location data, but it doesn't directly share precise location details with other users. However, the app can match users based on their general location, which increases the risk of connecting with people nearby. For privacy reasons, it's recommended to disable location sharing within the app's settings.

Is Monkey safer than Omegle?

While Monkey claims to have more moderation and AI tools to detect inappropriate content compared to Omegle, it still faces many of the same risks. Users can encounter explicit material, inappropriate behavior, and unsafe interactions with strangers. Neither platform is safe for children or teens without close parental supervision.