Discord
High riskRated High · How we rate
Built for gamers but now used for everything — the private servers and DMs are where the real risks hide.
| Minimum age | 13 |
|---|---|
| Strangers can contact | with settings |
| Location sharing | No |
| Disappearing messages | No |
| Parental visibility | Limited |
Discord is a messaging and voice-chat platform originally built for gamers that's now a general communication tool for teens. Public servers can expose kids to adult content, hate speech, and strangers; the bigger risk is direct messages, since anyone in a shared server can DM your child. Discord now has Family Center — parent supervision showing who your teen talks to, which servers they join, and what they purchase, plus guardian-locked DM and sensitive-content settings — and is rolling out teen-by-default age verification. Parents still don't see message content.
Key settings to configure right now
- Open Discord → tap your avatar (bottom right) → Privacy & Safety
- Set "Safe Direct Messaging" to "Keep me safe" — this filters explicit images
- Set "Who can add you as a friend" to "Friends of Friends" or "No one"
- Set "Allow direct messages from server members" to OFF
How to review server membership
- Tap the three lines (top left) to see all joined servers
- Review each server — ask your child about any you don't recognize
- Right-click any server → Leave Server for any that seem inappropriate
Check these regularly
- Friend list (who has been added)
- Direct message history
- Server list for new additions
Other apps to know about
BIGO LIVE
High riskStranger-contact live-streaming app; requires heavy parental oversight for anyone under 16.
Calculator# Hide Photos Videos
High riskDisguised vault app designed to hide sensitive data; risky for teens without parental oversight.
Character.ai
High riskThe teen-companion chat that caused the harm is gone — the risk moved to the unregulated substitutes that replaced it.
Updated June 2026
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