⭐ Choosing a Safe Messaging App for your Children: What Parents Need to Know

The age that our kids want to start messaging each other online is becoming younger and younger. Whether it's talking to friends from school, or video calling grandparents, the moment a child goes online, parents face a big question:

How do I make sure my child stays safe?

Not all messaging apps are built with safety in mind, they are typically designed growth and engagement. Using them means exposure to adult strangers, ads, and unfiltered content. Research and law enforcement reports show that majority of online grooming incidents begin in private messaging environments on general-purpose social apps; predators exploit the anonymity and accessibility of these online spaces to connect with young people.

In the United Kingdom, nearly half of online grooming cases involving children took place on Snapchat, often starting through private chats that adults initiated with minors. Additionally, sextortion schemes via social media and messaging have pushed some teens into life-threatening situations. 

That’s why evaluating safety features is such an important step in helping our kids enjoy digital communication responsibly and securely. This guide breaks down the 5 safety pillars every parent should consider, and compares the leading options—including Stars Messenger, Messenger Kids, Kinzoo, JusTalk Kids, and mainstream platforms like Snapchat, Discord, and SMS texting.

1. Discoverability/Strangers

Kids should never be accidentally exposed to unknown people.

App	Stranger Risk	Why
Stars Messenger	⭐ Very Low, and promotes independence safely	No public search. Uses easily changeable Star Codes, not phone numbers.
Messenger Kids	Very Low	Parent approves all contacts. High burden on parents.
Kinzoo	Very Low	Parent approves all contacts. High burden on parents.
JusTalk Kids	Very Low	Parent approves all contacts. High burden on parents. Also, accounts may be tied to a phone number, an unnecessary feature.
Snapchat	Very High	Random adds
Discord	Very High	Public communities. Requests/DMs from strangers.
SMS	Medium–High	Kids can receive texts from any number. Blocking is reactive and not enough to prevent targeting. Changing phone numbers is very tedious.

2. Content Filtering

App	Content Controls	Risk Level
Stars Messenger	Advanced AI-powered media filtering, configurable profanity filter. Automatically blocks images (videos coming soon) containing nudity and pornography. Offers advanced filtering capabilities for Parent View users. PV costs a low monthly or annual charge to keep our services available and support new safety or fun features.	⭐ Very Safe.
Messenger Kids	Some users have been able to send bad media or words that pass their filter	Moderate
Kinzoo	Blocks profanity but not inappropriate media, which users can instead report after seeing	Not enough, doesn’t automatically block bad content before the child sees
JusTalk Kids	Has a sensitive content filter (Paid Feature). Does not  automatically block profanity	Safe, blocks inappropriate media but not words
Snapchat / Discord / SMS	Very Low	Kids can receive anything.

3. Parent Involvement

App	Parent Involvement	Notes
Stars Messenger	Parents see messages and media and have access to Shield+, advanced AI media filtering. Parents don’t need to spend their time managing friend approval.	⭐ Informative, powerful AI, and least time-consuming for parents. Promotes peace of mind.
Messenger Kids	Parents approve their child’s friend requests, and can review messages and media and block what they find inappropriate	Good
Kinzoo	A child account must be set up by a parent. All their friend requests are approved by the parent.	Good, but time-consuming for parent
JusTalk Kids	Parents approve their child’s friend requests and can review media, but cannot view conversations	Good
Snapchat / Discord / SMS	None	Parents have no way of knowing of a potentially serious situation

4. Ads/Data Tracking

A safe kids’ app should never monetize children.

App	Ads/Tracking	Notes
Stars Messenger	🚫 No ads, tracking, or data sale	⭐Built for safety, not ad revenue.
Messenger Kids	❗ Parent company is ad-based	Facebook ecosystem involvement,  parent is forced to use Facebook Messenger.
Kinzoo	🚫 No ads	Solid privacy stance, COPPA certified
JusTalk Kids	❗ Concerns exist	Concerns around data handling, JusTalk has had major security lapses in the past
Snapchat / Discord	✔ Ads + tracking	Adult environment, engagement-driven.
SMS	N/A	But lacks privacy controls.

5. Healthy Interaction

Kids need connection, not features that may promote toxicity.

Consider:

• No like or follower counts

• No disappearing messages

• No random content feeds or public profiles

• No pressure to stay active

Any of the messaging apps made for kids meet these criteria, but an app like Snapchat, for example, has a public social media-like feed with followers and like counts, and also has pressure to stay active to meet cultural norms through “streaks”. 

At Stars, we are driven by the principle of “Safe by Design” - Not by friction creating, time consuming Controls. Our goal is to provide world class messaging in a safe environment that empowers and grows with your family. Not something that the child wants to dump as soon as they are 10.  Stars Parent View brings peace of mind without having to micromanage and stress. Learn more about Stars here. Download it for free today!