App Ratings
Stay engaged and up-to-date
At SGS, we believe it’s important for parents to stay engaged and up-to-date on the latest technology trends and applications among today’s youth.
We have rated today’s trending applications among our students and families on the basis of privacy, safety, and content and work with parents to determine which applications might be best for their children. Keep in mind, COPPA laws indicate children under the age of 13 should not have a personal social media account(s).
App Ratings
App Category: Health and Fitness
The Health app was created to help organize your important health information and make it easy to access in a central and secure place. The Health app puts important information at your fingertips, including your health records, medications, labs, activity, and sleep. It also makes it simple to securely share that information. (Information from Apple.com)
Apple Health requests access to notifications.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects data
- App does not access location services
- Offers a ‘Private’ setting
Safety Considerations
- Does not allow direct messaging
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking
BeReal is a social media app released in 2020, Its main feature is a daily notification that encourages users to share a photo of themselves and their immediate surroundings given a randomly selected two-minute window every day.
BeReal. requests access to notifications, contacts, and verification of user by phone number.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects data, but does not sell data
- Offers a private setting, allows posts to only be seen my friends
- App has a ‘Global’ posting page where posts from users all around the world can be seen, along with their location.
Safety Considerations
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, and “Always”.
- Posting in the app leaves a location if you post publicly, instead of to friends only
- Allows profanity, nudity, violence, and drug/alcohol references.
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking, Gaming, Video Streaming
Bigo Live is an app that allows users to live video stream and watch other users video streams. There are over 400 million users worldwide. You can also live stream without video, if you do not want to show your face. The app was removed from the app stores in early 2023, but it back on.
Bigo Live requests access to notifications, camera, microphone, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
Safety Considerations
- Allows live video streaming and audio streaming
- Allows direct messaging with photos and text, with the ability to send images with friends and strangers
- Allows profanity, nudity, violence, and drug/alcohol references
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking
Bluesky is a ‘Twitter’ copy-cat created by a prior owner of Twitter. He wanted to recreate Twitter. This app is very exclusive, requiring an invite code to create an account. Since it is so new, there is not very much information posted about the application.
Bluesky requests access to notifications, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
- Tracks locaation
Safety Considerations
- Allows direct messaging with photos and text, with the ability to send images with friends and strangers
- Allows profanity, nudity, violence, and drug/alcohol references
App Category: Dating
Bumble is a location-based social application that facilitates communication between interested users. It can be used for business connections, friendships and most commonly for dating. Bumble is open to any sexuality but is primarily for heterosexuals’ relationships. In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contact with matched male users, while in same-sex matches either person can send a message first.
Bumble requests access to notifications, contacts, camera, microphone, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- This app is intended for 18+, not for children
- Collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
- Tracks location and automatically updates
- Offers a ‘Private’ setting
Safety Considerations
- Allows direct messaging with photos and text, with the ability to send images and delete message history
- Offers live video call and voice call
- Allows profanity, nudity, violence, and drug/alcohol references
App Category: Image Editing
CapCut is a video editor app, designed for the web. It is often associated with TikTok. Users can upload the videos to CapCut themselves, or other applications. Users can comment and view other peoples accounts and videos.
CapCut requests access to notifications, camera, microphone, and verification of user by phone number.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
- Offers a private setting, allows posts to only be seen my friends
Safety Considerations
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, and “Always”.
- Does not allow direct messages
- You can livestream after you have received 1,000 followers
More Information & News References
App Category: Banking / Finances
Cash App is a mobile payment service available in the United States and the United Kingdom that allows users to transfer money to one another using a mobile phone app.
Cash App requests access to notifications, contacts, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data of users
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
- All transactions are private and only visible to sender and receiver
Safety Considerations
- Messages are available only to users you are ‘friends’ with in the app
More Information & News References
App Category: Gaming, Video and Audio Streaming
Discord was initially geared toward video game players, providing them with ways to find each other, coordinate play, and talk while playing. However, now Discord has branched off to include various subcultures and is now known for being a VoIP and instant messaging social platform. Users have the ability to communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messages, media and files in private chats or on communities known as severs.
Discord requests access to notifications, contacts, camera, microphone, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Follows COPPA Laws
- All posts and information are public, unless you are in the ‘Private’ setting.
- Public servers allows open communication between users, and ability to disclose personal information and images through voice audio and direct messaging – these messages can be deleted
- Collects data from users, but claims it does not sell or share the data
Safety Considerations
- A false sense of security based on an “anonymous” cloak making it easy to go off-brand
- Allows profanity, nudity, violence, and drug/alcohol references
- Offers live video streaming between strangers
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
- Strangers can direct message, and this feature can be changed in the settings
More Information & News References
App Category: Shopping
DoorDash is a food and grocery delivery app. You can order items from restaurants and stores in your area and a driver (employee of DoorDash) will deliver the order to you.
DoorDash requests access to notifications, location, email and phone number.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
- Tracks location
Safety Considerations
- Does not allow direct messaging
More Information & News References
App Category: Gaming
Draft Kings is an application created for users to place sports bets, as well as play casino games. Users should be 18 or older and follow the applicable laws according to the state you reside.
Draft Kings requests access to notifications and verification of user by phone number or email.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
- App tracks location
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, and “Always”.
Safety Considerations
- Does not allow direct messaging
- Allows video and audio streaming
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking
Facebook is the grandfather of all social media companies. A decade into social media culture has found Facebook the leader in online platforms of the Gen X and Baby Boomer Generations. It has changed its name to Meta and has relations to the metaverse, otherwise known as the virtual world.
Facebook requests access to notifications, contacts, camera, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Follows COPPA Laws
- App collects and sells data
- App tracks your location
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
- Requests access to personal information
- Offers ‘Private’ settings
Safety Considerations
- Can be held liable for postings
- Offers live video streaming to virtual strangers
- Offers user anonymity
- Allows direct messaging between strangers
- Photos and videos can be shared through direct messages, and the message history can be deleted
- Allows live video and audio streaming
- Allows violence and drug/alcohol references
More Information & News References
Fortnite
Smart Gen Society's Rating: 14+
Entertainment Software Ratings Board: T (Teen)
App Category: Gaming
Fortnite is a third-person shooter game where up to 100 players compete to be the last person or team standing. You can compete alone or join a team of up to four. It is available in three distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: Fortnite Battle Royale, a free-to-play battle royale game in which up to 100 players fight to be the last person standing; Fortnite: Save the World, a cooperative hybrid tower defense-shooter and survival game in which up to four players fight off zombie-like creatures and defend objects with traps and fortifications they can build; and Fortnite Creative, in which players are given complete freedom to create worlds and battle arenas.
Fortnite requests access to notifications, contacts, microphone, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data from users
- Offers ‘Private’ settings
Safety Considerations
- Allows direct messaging between freinds and strangers
- Users can send images through direct messages
- Allows live video and audio streaming
- Allows references to violence
More Information & News References
App Category: Dating
Grindr is a dating app used only by men over the age of 18. No child under the age of 18 should be using the app.
Grindr requests access to notifications, location, email and phone number.
Privacy Considerations
- App uses the devices geolocation to show the user other male users in their area.
- The app will list how many miles away a person is in the general vicinity.
- App collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
Safety Considerations
- If users under the age of 18 use the app, they may be contacted by adult users.
- Sharing too much information may be dangerous on dating apps, so it is important to think about what you are sharing.
- Direct messaging is allowed, and images and videos can be sent
- App allows live video and audio streaming.
More Information & News References
App Category: Dating
Hinge is an online dating application. Using an algorithm, the app displays potential matches, allowing the user to dismiss or attempt to match by responding to a specific piece of content on their profile.
Hinge requests access to notifications, camera, microphone, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- This app is intended for 18+, not for children
- Collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
Safety Considerations
- Allows direct messaging with photos and text, with the ability to send images and delete message history
- Allows video and audio calling options
- Offers live video call and voice call
- Allows profanity, and drug/alcohol references
More Information & News References
App Category: Shopping
Honey (by PayPal) is a free browser extension that you can add to your laptop or mobile device. It searches and provides coupons for purchases you are making on the device in real time.
Honey requests access to notifications, and verification of user by email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data of users
Safety Considerations
- Tracks IP address
More Information & News References
App Category: Dating, Social Networking
Hoop is an app that advertises making friends. It connects with Snapchat, shows you Snap profiles of other users, and allows you connect with them through their Snapchat. The app is set up similar to Tinder, where you swipe through users from your area, country, or even worldwide.
Hoop requests access to notifications, contacts, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- This app is intended for teenagers, but we do NOT recommend for any user under 18
- Collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
Safety Considerations
- Allows direct messaging with photos and text, with the ability to send images and delete message history
- States that it does not allow profanity, nudity, violence, and drug/alcohol references, but it still exsists on the app
More Information & News References
App Category: Dating
HUD is an online dating app that connects you with users in your area. There are more than 14 million users. Smart Gen Society recommends that users are 18+. If you are 18+ and use the app, please practice safe dating techniques (do not share your location or any personal information, etc.)
HUD requests access to notifications, contacts, location, email and phone number.
Privacy Considerations
- App uses the devices geolocation to show the user other users in their area
- The app will list how many miles away a person is in the general vicinity
- App collects and sells data from users
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
Safety Considerations
- If users under the age of 18 use the app, they may be contacted by adult users
- Sharing too much information may be dangerous on dating apps, so it is important to think about what you are sharing
- Direct messaging is allowed, and images and videos can be sent
- App allows live video and audio streaming
- App allows profanity and drug/alcohol references
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking
Instagram (a Meta company) is a picture sharing application targeting 13-24 year-old users. Instagram is a photo, video, and message sharing app with a community of people that use it to connect to each other through their passions and interests.
Instagram requests access to notifications, contacts, camera, and verification of user by phone number.
Privacy
- Follows COPPA laws
- Collects and shares data of users
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”.
- Has private mode which still allows public viewing of profile.
Safety
- Direct messaging is allowed
- Images and videos are allowed to be sent in direct messages
- App allows live video and audio streaming
- Profanity is allowed, and nudity, violence, and drug/alcohol references are allowed until reported
- Two types of accounts popular among teens:
- Sinsta= Secret account
- Finsta= Fake account
App Category: Image Editing
JibJab is a video editor app. Users can upload photos of their friends and family and it will place their faces on different videos.
JibJab requests access to notifications and camera.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
Safety Considerations
- Does not allow direct messages
- Allows profanity, nudity, and drug/alcohol references.
More Information & News References
App Category: Video Streaming
Kick is a streaming platform. It advertises that it is free to join while having the best rewards when compared to other video streaming platforms.
Kick requests access to notifications and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- This app is intended for teenagers, but we do NOT recommend for any user under 18
- Targets users younger than 13
- Collects and sells data
Safety Considerations
- Allows direct messaging with strangers, with the ability to send images and delete message history
- Private streaming is an option
- Allows live video and audio streaming
- Allows profanity, nudity, violence, and references to drugs and alcohol.
More Information & News References
Life360
Smart Gen Society's Rating: 14+
Apple Store Rating: 4+
Google Play Store Rating: E (Everyone)
App Category: Family Tracker App
Life360 is a family communication, location and alert app for smartphones that allows users to share their locations with each other. Once set up on a phone, Life360 allows the administrating phone to set geo-fences defining chosen areas.
Life360 requests access to notifications, contacts, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data from users
- Requests access to your location, with the options of ‘While Using’ and ‘Always’
Safety Considerations
- Allows direct messaging between family members
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking
LinkedIn is a social networking app. It is designed for professionals that are looking to connect with other professionals, look for jobs, or socialize.
LinkedIn requests access to notifications, location, email and phone number.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
Safety Considerations
- App allows direct messaging, where strangers and friends can message and delete chat history
- Allows live video streaming
More Information & News References
App Category: Ride Share
Lyft is a ride share application, similar to Uber. You enter your destination, see your route and ride cost, and then your driver picks you up.
Lyft requests access to notifications and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- Collects and sells data
- App accesses location services, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, and “Always”
Safety Considerations
- Allows video and audio calling options
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking
Mastodon is a social media app, most similar to Twitter (X). It is a decentralized social network made up of independent servers organized around specific themes, topics, or interests. Users can join servers, follow each other, engage in conversations, and otherwise do all sorts of things they’d expect to do on a social network like Twitter.
Mastodon has this listed on their website: “We respect your agency. Your feed is curated and created by you. We will never serve ads or push profiles for you to see. That means your data and your time are yours and yours alone.”
Mastodon requests access to notifications.
Privacy Considerations
- The app itself will not track your location, but the server might
- Offers a private setting
- Allows direct messaging to strangers, allowing users to send videos, photos, and delete their chat history
- Cannot be monitored by parents
Safety Considerations
- Does not allow live audio or video streaming
- Allows profanity, nudity, violence, and references to drugs/alcohol.
More Information & News References
App Category: Social Networking
Facebook Messenger is mobile app that enables chat, voice and video communications between the social media site’s web-based messaging and smartphones.
Messenger requests access to notifications, contacts, and verification of user by phone number or email address.
Privacy Considerations
- App collects data from users
- Privacy settings are available
- Messages and calls (on personal Facebook accounts) are end to end encrypted, which means Meta can’t share the text of the messages EVEN if legal action is requesting the messages
Safety Considerations
- Users are able to report people, block new message requests
- Strangers can message unless privacy settings are enabled
- Users can send images and videos through direct messaging
- Allows video and audio calls, which can be dangerous if chatting with unknown users
More Information & News References
A way for kids to stay connected to their friends and family, where parents or guardians can still manage their child’s activity and contacts. A parent must have a Facebook account to create a Messenger Kids account. Many parents like the app because it allows the child to communicate with friends and family with parental supervision.
Messenger Kids requests access to notifications, contacts, and verification of user by email address.
Privacy
- App collects data
- Parent has to approve the users that child can contact, and parent has to be Facebook friends with approved contacts
- They can not receive other messages from strangers
- Parent can add other Messenger Kids accounts
- Can access your location, with the options of “Never”, “While Using”, or “Always”
Safety
- Parental Controls and Monitoring is available
- Kids cannot delete messages or chats
- Risk of cyber bullying still can occur
More Information & News References
Privacy
- You can join a “realm,” (invitation-only personal Minecraft server for 10 players created by someone you know) to reduce risk of interacting with unknown players .
Safety
- Allows for multiplayer mode where you can play with strangers.
- Unknown players can begin chats.
Privacy
- Turn off online status
- Turn off appear in search results
Safety
- Direct messaging is allowed by chat request and private messages.
- Turn on NSFW mode and Safe browsing mode
- Turn off autoplay media
Privacy
- Allows users to be invited to private servers
- Parental controls can be enabled and protected by pin.
Safety
- “Hotbed” for predators
- Allows open communication between users, and ability to disclose personal information.
Snapchat (Snap Inc.) is a picture sharing application targeting 13-24 year-old users. One of the most desirable aspects of Snapchat is that pictures are only available for a limited amount of time, seemingly “disappearing” after being viewed twice. App allows users to call, message, video, and voice message each other.
Privacy
- Snap Inc. collects and sells data and location.
- Geographical tracking uses Google Maps to share location with other users.
Safety
- False sense of security that pictures disappear.
- Allows direct messaging with photos and text.
- Ghost Mode must be enabled to protect one’s location.
Tinder is a photo and messaging app used for dating purposes where you can browse photos of potential matches within a mile radius of your location. In this app, potential matches appear on the home screen and the user swipes right to ‘like’ or swipe left to ‘pass’. As of 2016, Tinder indicated that it can only be used by users 18+ years of age.
Privacy
- When you use the app, you enter your name, age, location, and other information that you choose. There is potential for sharing too much information.
- You release the control over your privacy when posting photos with location indicators, such as a photo wearing apparel with school specific information.
Safety
- The app has a reputation for a spot to find casual ‘hookups’, so it is not a safe place teens.
- Lying about your age to get onto the app can be dangerous when there are adults on the app looking for people over the age of 18.
TikTok (previously known as Musical.ly) is a video-sharing social network service. It was created for lip sync videos, comedy and talent videos. This app encourages the creation of videos with the intent to go viral online. User popularity ranges from ages 16-44. There is ultimately no way to prevent the engagement of dangerous online challenges, profanity, drug and alcohol use recorded through this app as well as other off brand behavior.
Privacy
- App is owned in part by Chinese government.
- TikTok is not intended for children under 13.
- App collects and sells data.
Safety
- Users 13+ go into regular TikTok server based on age. Users 16+ default to public accounts.
- Anyone can be held liable for postings.
- Allows direct messages from strangers.
Privacy
- Users should block ‘whispers from strangers’ in the chat.
- Users may be asked to share information to random users asking for it, which is dangerous.
Safety
- There is ability for live video stream between strangers that you do not know.
- Some users may be posing to be people they are not.
Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as “tweets.” Tweets are made up of only 240 characters at a time. Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. Tweets can be made up of words, pictures, live streams and more.
Privacy
- Follows COPPA Laws
- Collects and sells data
- Tracks location
- Offers private mode; however if you turn on private mode the app doesn’t allow retweeting
Safety
- Can be held liable for postings
- Allows direct messaging with photos and text
- Unable to be monitored
- Offers live video streaming and links to strangers
VSCO is a photo and video editing app and sharing platform that allows direct messaging between users. As it is a similar app to Instagram, it provides a space where users can explore interests, find safe digital communities, and connect with users with similar online digital brands.
Privacy
- Location sharing is optional
- Location data appears on posted photos unless location settings are turned off in the privacy settings.
Safety
- Direct messaging is allowed
- Images and videos that show up on a users feed may not be on brand.
Privacy
- Users who upload content themselves need to remember that their videos are public, and refrain from telling where you live, go to school, work, etc
Safety
- Conversations happen in the ‘comment’ section, and adults may try to move conversations with kids to different secondary apps.
YouTube Kids is a kid-targeted version of YouTube that has TV shows, educational videos, and content created by users. It is made for kids preschool to age 12. The app allows you to create individual user profiles for each of your kids, so each child can log in and watch videos geared toward their age. Another great feature is the timer, which lets you set a limit for your kids to be on the app.
Privacy
- You can set up Parental Controls and create accounts for each child to use and can decide what they can do on the app.
Safety
- There is a small chance kids could see nudity, violence, as well as ads that are not highly monitored.
What 4Chan says, “4chan is a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images anonymously.”
What SGS says, “This app can not bring anything positive to children and families. It exposes users to hate speech, profanity, nudity, violence and drug/alcohol references. Any rules on 4Chan are created to protect the site and place the blame back on the users. SGS does not recommend.”
Privacy
- 4Chan supports hate speech. It is not recommended for anyone.
Safety
- Does not require user’s to create an account to access forms creating complete anonymity.
- User’s have free reign to post or say anything they like.
- It can not be monitored by parents.