YOLO App: What Parents Should Know About the Original App and the New Copycat

Note: The original YOLO was an anonymous Q&A app that worked inside Snapchat Stories. In May 2021, Snap suspended YOLO from Snapchat after a lawsuit over a teen's death, and the app was pulled from the Apple App Store and Google Play. A different, unrelated app also called "YOLO: Anonymous Q+A" appeared in the App Store in 2025 (more on that below). Apps like this can resurface, so we keep this guide up to help parents know what YOLO was and what to watch for now.

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The original YOLO was an anonymous question-and-answer app that plugged into Snapchat. It launched in May 2019, quickly became a top download, and was cut off from Snapchat and pulled from the app stores in May 2021. That app is gone. A new, unrelated app with the same name is in the Apple App Store today, so you may hear your student say "YOLO" again.

Like Yik Yak, Whisper, and Sarahah before it, YOLO let people send messages without showing who they were. What made YOLO spread so fast was that it worked seamlessly with Snapchat, which was already one of the most popular apps with teens.

Important: the YOLO in the App Store now is a different app

• In May 2025, a developer called Divino Digital LLC released an app named "YOLO: Anonymous Q+A" in the Apple App Store
• It is not the original YOLO. The original was made by a different company and has not been available since May 2021
• The new app works in a similar way: users share an anonymous question, friends answer, and responses come back in the app. It also says users can post their Q&A to Snapchat
• When we checked in October 2026, the App Store listed it as 18+, with paid "YOLO Pro" subscriptions that offer "hints about who sent each of their messages"
• One App Store reviewer pointed out that it is "not the real yolo from 2021"
• If you see YOLO on your student's phone, ask which app it is and who makes it. The same anonymous-message concerns below apply to the new app too

What was the original YOLO app?

• YOLO: Anonymous Questions let users add an "ask me anything" sticker to their Snapchat Story
• When a user posted the sticker, viewers could swipe up to open YOLO and send an anonymous question
• Users logged into YOLO with their Snapchat login
• Users reviewed questions privately, then chose which ones to answer and who to share the answers with on Snapchat
• Answers were usually posted with a selfie
• YOLO was built with Snap Kit, Snapchat's tools for outside developers, which is why it fit so smoothly into Snapchat

Why did parents need to care about YOLO?

• It was very popular with teens. Within its first week, YOLO reached #1 in the Apple App Store
• It was compared to Yik Yak, Whisper, and Sarahah, anonymous apps that were criticized for bullying
• Anonymity can bring out the worst in some tweens and teens, because they can say things without taking responsibility for their words
• Students who seek validation from strangers can be hurt by what comes back, and that is worth a gentle conversation

Why the original YOLO was shut off

• On May 10, 2021, the mother of a 16-year-old from Oregon who died by suicide in 2020 filed a lawsuit against Snap, YOLO, and another anonymous app called LMK. The suit said he had received months of bullying messages through the apps
• The next day, Snap suspended YOLO and LMK from Snapchat "out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the Snapchat community"
• Soon after, YOLO was no longer available in the Apple App Store or Google Play

Videos from when the original YOLO app was popular

This video shows the original YOLO app before Snap cut it off in May 2021. SmartSocial in the news talking about YOLO:

This video shows the original YOLO app before Snap cut it off in May 2021. Parent and educator training video:

This video shows the original YOLO app before Snap cut it off in May 2021. Listen on our podcast:

YOLO in the news

"But as with Sarahah, Secret, YikYak, and other anonymous apps before it, YOLO is vulnerable to being used to spread hate speech and bullying." (TechCrunch, 2019)

"YOLO does warn users that it has 'no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive users' before they can start asking or answering questions." (Fast Company, 2019) As Fast Company pointed out, teens do not always follow app rules.

What parents can do about anonymous Q&A apps now

• Be on the same apps as your children. If your kids use Snapchat, set up an account, have them teach you how it works, learn where private messages happen, and check in regularly. You are still the best tool for keeping your kids safe
• Remind your children that they do not need "honest" feedback from strangers or anonymous accounts
• Teach your children to avoid gossip offline and online, even when they think they are anonymous
• Talk about how anonymous apps can affect real life, including friendships and mental health
• Let your student know they can always come to you if a message hurts or scares them, and that they will not be in trouble for telling you
• Follow our suggestions to help your child get ready for the responsibility of being on social media:
  • Ages 0 to 13: Private
  • Age 13: Have a family discussion about what should go public
  • Ages 14 to 15: Build a personal website and post positive volunteer photos, accomplishments, and projects
  • Age 17: Colleges should be able to find a positive online footprint for your student

Similar apps parents should know about now

• The new "YOLO: Anonymous Q+A" app described above
• NGL and Tellonym, anonymous Q&A apps teens often link from their social media
• Learn more in our guide to anonymous social media apps
• Snapchat, where many of these apps get shared

Conclusion

Time and time again, anonymous Q&A apps like YOLO have turned into places for negativity and bullying. Anonymous apps do not help students reach their goals or build a positive digital footprint, which is why we placed YOLO in our Red Zone. The original YOLO is gone, but the name and the idea are back. If your child has any anonymous Q&A app, including the new YOLO, we recommend talking it through together and sticking with Snapchat on its own, with parent involvement.

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or call 911 immediately. You can also text HOME to 741-741 to reach a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.