What Parents Need to Know Before Letting Their Kids Use Kik

Kik is a messaging app that lets users send text messages, videos, photos, and audio messages to friends, brands, and strangers. It also offers a range of other features like playing games, making memes, listening to music, watching videos, and browsing the web. While similar to other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Kik has some unique features. Users can join live streams, access a dating section, or click a "meet new people" button that instantly connects them with a random person.

One key difference is that Kik users create accounts using usernames instead of phone numbers. This makes it easy for people to stay anonymous. Besides chatting with friends one-on-one or in group chats, users can also join public groups based on shared interests—anything from sports and video games to dancing and politics. Kik even allows users to interact with "bots," which are automated accounts run by developers or brands to engage in conversations with users.

Kik also includes a feature called "New Chats," where users can talk to strangers in a separate section of the app. Each Kik user has a unique code associated with their account, which others can scan to quickly start chatting.

Is Kik Appropriate for Children?

Kik requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account; however, there is no age verification process in place. As a result, younger children can easily sign up without any proof of their age. Although Kik recommends that teens aged 13 to 18 obtain parental permission before creating an account, there is no system to enforce this rule or verify compliance.

How Does Kik Work?

When a user sets up a new Kik account, they are greeted with two main options: they can join a public group to connect with people who share similar interests or use the 'meet new people' feature to be paired with a random stranger.

If they choose to join a public group, they can search for groups that match their hobbies. However, even searching for innocent terms like "football" might lead them to groups containing inappropriate or sexual content.

The 'meet new people' option immediately pairs the user with someone random, and there's no way to verify if that person is who they say they are. Since Kik doesn't have a verification process, this feature can increase the risk of users being exposed to harmful interactions. Users are limited to how many random chats they can join each day, and once they reach that limit, they must pay real money to access more chats.

 What Makes Kik Dangerous?

The main danger for kids on Kik arises because the app makes it easy to connect with strangers.  After several reported incidents of children being asked for nude photos by predators, the app gained a bad reputation as a tool for grooming.

Moreover, like in any other social app, there is always a risk of exposure to inappropriate content. In Kik, this kind of content can also be "delivered" by some bots that could trick children into accessing adult content, for example.

Anonymity can encourage users to bully and harass others, whether individually or in chat groups, making Kik a risky platform for children and teens.

Here are some key reasons why Kik can be harmful, particularly for younger users:

Chats with Strangers. Kik's design is centered around meeting new people, making it inevitable that your child will interact with strangers. Unlike other platforms, Kik has limited moderation; anyone can send messages directly, increasing the risk of exposure to harmful content. Users don't need an invitation to send messages. Bots and strangers can message someone shortly after they create an account, often including sexual images or requests for video chats.

Live Streams. Kik has a live streaming feature where users can watch streams from others. Unfortunately, many streams include people wearing revealing clothes and behaving in suggestive ways. Even though Kik's rules prohibit nudity and claim to ban accounts that violate this, enforcement of these rules seems weak, as inappropriate content is still common.

Anonymous Users. Kik allows complete anonymity, which is one of the main reasons teens are drawn to the app. There is no need to sign up with a real name or phone number—just an email, which can easily be created in minutes. Users can receive messages from anyone, including anonymous strangers, without having to accept or approve the messages first. While you can adjust the settings to block messages from strangers, the default is to allow messages from anyone.

Kik Has Dating Apps. Even though Kik is primarily a messaging app, users can access third-party dating apps like "Match & Chat" or "Flirt!" within the app. These apps let users search for potential matches, much like Tinder, but without the safety checks many dating apps have.

No Parental Controls. Kik lack parental control features, it has no tools for parents to monitor or restrict their child's use of the app.

Inappropriate Content. While sexually explicit conversations can be found in public groups and Kik's dating apps, the app's live-streaming feature is especially troubling. The most popular streams often feature users dressed provocatively, pushing the limits of Kik's content guidelines.

Keep Your Kik Account Private: Privacy and Security Tips

Choose the right username

Unlike other messaging apps that use phone numbers, Kik identifies users by unique usernames.

1. Choose a Hard-to-Guess Username: Opt for a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters to make your username difficult to guess. Avoid using your real name.
2. Be Selective About Sharing Your Username: Only share your Kik username with people you trust, as anyone with your username or Kik Code can send you messages.
3. Be Cautious with Social Media: Posting your username on platforms like Twitter or Instagram makes it visible to strangers who can message you.
4. Group Privacy: Joining a public or private Kik group means others in the group will see your username.

Don’t synchronize phone contacts

Kik offers an optional feature that helps you find friends by matching email addresses or phone numbers from your contacts. Turning off this feature prevents automatic matches, but people who have your username, phone number, or email can still contact you.

Manage messages from new people

The New Chats feature on iOS and Android puts messages from people you don't know in a separate section. You can mute notifications from new messages and decide whether to respond. Images or content messages are blurred until you choose to view them.

To manage these messages:

1. Open New Chats.
2. Tap a chat.
3. Choose Ignore or Chat.
4. Tapping Ignore allows you to delete, block, or report the user.
5. Tapping Chat moves the message to your main inbox and adds the sender to your contacts.

You can turn off notifications for new people entirely by going to Settings > Notifications and toggling Mute New Chats.

Block someone

To block someone you don't want to talk to on Kik:

1. From the chat with the person you want to block
2. Tap their Display Name at the top of the chat beside the >
3. Tap the More icon
4. Tap Block name
5. Tap Block

You can also:

1. Tap Settings
2. Select Privacy
3. Select Block List
4. Tap +
5. Select the person you want to block
6. Tap Block to confirm

Delete people

For iOS

From your main chats list:

1. Swipe left on the name of the person you want to delete
2. Tap Delete

For Android

From your main chats list:

1. Press and hold the name of the person you want to delete
2. Tap Delete

People that you delete won't be able to tell that you've deleted them.

Report a group or someone in a group

Report an entire group:

1. In the group chat, tap the Group Name > at the top of the chat
2. Tap the three vertical dots icon in the top right corner of the Info screen
3. Tap Report Group
4. Choose from the following:

5.      I don't want to be in this group

6.      This group is offensive

7.      This group is being used for abuse

8. You can check off/on the option to include the chat history in your report
9. Tap Report

I don't want to be in this group: you would report a group for this in instances where you no longer want to be part of a group. 

This group is offensive: you would report a group for this in instances where the group members are being offensive (i.e racist, sexist, cyber bullying, homophobia, etc). 

This group is being used for abuse: you would report a group for this in instances where it's being used to harm other group members, or is distributing inappropriate content. 

Report a specific person in a group

1. In the group chat, tap the profile picture of the user sending these unwanted messages
2. Tap Report
3. Choose from the following:

4.      I don't want them to be in this group

5.      They're spamming this group

6.      They're using this group for abuse

7. You can check off/on the option to include the chat history in your report
8. Tap Report and Block

 How to Protect Children on Kik?

The best approach for parents is to explain to children why thy are not allowed to use it. But if your child uses Kik, remind them not to share private information or their username on other social media platforms.

Reinforce some basic rules and make sure that:

1. Children don't chat with strangers or leave chats when something feels off.

3. They never send intimate photos online or personal information (location, details about the family, card numbers).

4. Know how to block, delete, or report anyone who bothers them.

5. You will  parental controls to keep them safe. Since Kik offers no option for you to monitor them, consider using Bitdefender Parental Control.

With Bitdefender Parental Control, you can:

1. Completely block Kik if necessary.
2. Manage your child's usage schedule throughout the day.
3. Monitor chats and message attachments for any concerning content.
4. Receive alerts if your child attempts to download Kik.

Bitdefender Parental Control is included in all Bitdefender paid security solutions.

FAQs

How can I find the username for my teen's Kik account?

Every Kik user has a unique username, which is their identity on Kik. You can find your teen's username right from their device. Here's how:

1. Open the Kik app on your teen's device. The app will open to the main chats list.
2. Tap the cog icon at the top of the screen. This will open your teen's Settings screen.
3. Your teen's username will appear in a smaller, grey font right under the display name. The display name will be in bold.

Where can I see my child's chat history on Kik?

Kik does not store chat histories on its servers, so once a chat is deleted from the app, it's gone permanently. Kik only keeps messages on the device for a limited time (up to 1,000 messages in recent chats and 500 in older chats on iPhones, and 600 in total on Android). Unfortunately, there is no parental access to view your child's chat history within the app.

To monitor their Kik usage, it's best to talk to your child directly or use Bitdefender Parental Control that can help manage their screen time and interactions online.

Can I delete a Kik account permanently?

Yes, you can delete a Kik account permanently by visiting Kik's account deactivation page and following the steps to deactivate your account. Once completed, you will no longer receive messages, and your profile will no longer be visible to others. To delete the account permanently, you'll need access to the email linked to your Kik account.