Is the Yubo App Safe for Students?

Yubo is Connecting Teens With People They Don’t Know

• Yubo is designed for meeting new people, not just connecting with existing friends. Teens can swipe, match, chat, and livestream with people they may have never met before
• Strangers can easily become part of your teen’s online circle. The app’s focus on making new connections can increase the chances of conversations with people whose age, identity, or intentions may not be clear
• Livestreaming creates opportunities for risky interactions. Teens may share personal information, encounter inappropriate content, or feel pressure to perform for an audience
• Age ratings and safety features don’t always prevent risky experiences. Parents should understand how teens use Yubo and discuss online boundaries rather than relying only on app restrictions
• Your teen may use Yubo because it feels like a way to make friends and fit in. Understanding why the app is appealing can help parents have more productive conversations about safer online choices

Who Is Your Teen Really Talking to on Yubo?

The App Helping Teens Meet Strangers

• Yubo is nicknamed “Tinder for teens”
• Yubo is marketed as a way to chat and livestream with new friends
• The app was formerly named Yellow
• Yubo’s guidelines state that users should be over the age of 18, but there is no age verification
• New users are required to provide their name, gender, photo, and email address. They can have their photo verified through facial recognition 
• The Yubo app is free. Users can pay for a premium subscription to increase their visibility and get rid of ads

Why Teens See Yubo as a Way to Make Friends

• Yubo app users can join group livestreams
• Students can have fun swiping through profiles
• If two users swipe right on each other’s photos, they become a match. They can then chat or share Instagram and Snapchat usernames
• Users can earn rewards for recruiting other people to use Yubo
• Yubo lets them meet and chat with new people outside their regular friend groups

The Gap Between Yubo’s Age Rating and Teen Use

Additional info: Developer’s Website: Yubo (Based in France, Owned by TWELVE APP SAS)

Apple App Store Rating: 18+

Google Play Rating: M (Mature 17+)

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

Why Yubo Is Back on Parents’ Radar

A man drove roughly 90 miles... where he sexually abused a girl younger than 16... The girl told detectives she had met [the 28 year-old suspect] through Yubo, an app and social media network designed for members of Generation Z. According to an arrest affidavit, the girl said she thought [the man] was 16 years old. - Orlando Sentinel

One of the criticisms that Yubo has faced is that its socialization element is a veil for dating, and the platform is, in a way, a Tinder for teens. [But the company's CEO says] Yubo’s core use are group chats and the intention is for users to socialize in a group setting. He says that these rooms offer various activities, like cooking, singing battles, playing games — activities that these teenagers would have been doing outside anyway, except Yubo offers it online. - Forbes

[The adult female suspect] had created a profile for a fake teenage boy on apps [including] Yubo to talk to girls, even disguising her appearance to make her seem more like a teenage boy. After gaining the girls' trust, [the suspect] would arrange to meet up with her victims under the guise of this false identity and sexually assault them. - Newsweek

When Making New Friends Online Comes With Risks

• The Yubo app integrates with Instagram and Snapchat, encouraging other users to connect with your student on those platforms
• Predators can easily pose as tweens or teens on Yubo
• Users report that livestreams can involve foul language, racial slurs, mature talk and gestures, nudity, and drug use
• Anonymous viewers can comment on and record livestreams
• Yubo markets itself as a way to make friends, but it’s often used as a dating app

How Honest Conversations Can Reduce Yubo Risks

• Explain to your children why it's dangerous to share their private information with strangers online
• If your teen is using the Yubo app, have a discussion with them about the dangers of this app and urge them to delete it
• Use the app's privacy settings to hide your child's location and prevent strangers, who are swiping through, from seeing their profile

Conclusion

Yubo can feel exciting to teens because it offers easy ways to meet new people and socialize online, but it also comes with real safety and privacy risks. By understanding how the app works and why it appeals to teens, parents are better prepared to have honest conversations about boundaries, sharing personal information, and making safe choices online.