You know about TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. But what about NGL, Secret Calculator and Wizz? A comprehensive new resource reveals the apps your kids are actually using and why most parents have never heard of them.
The Problem with Parent App Guides
Most parental digital safety resources are perpetually behind the curve. While parents obsess over Instagram posts and TikTok dances, their children are already three platforms ahead, connecting on apps that barely register on adult radar.
Kids Online World, a UK-based digital safety resource, has compiled what might be the most current and comprehensive list of apps and games actually popular with children today. Their approach is refreshingly honest: they acknowledge that some apps are “incredibly popular” while others are “incredibly dangerous” and sometimes those categories overlap.
Looking at their app inventory reveals a sobering truth: parents are monitoring the digital equivalent of yesterday’s newspaper while their kids are writing tomorrow’s headlines.
The Apps You’ve Never Heard Of (But Your Kids Have)
NGL (Not Gonna Lie): Anonymous Messaging’s Latest Evolution
NGL, an anonymous messaging app that piggybacks on Instagram, was recently banned from marketing to kids under 18 and ordered to pay $4.5 million in refunds by the FTC. The app allows users to receive anonymous questions and comments linked to their Instagram stories.
According to FTC complaints, NGL received numerous reports of cyberbullying, harassment and self-harm yet chose not to change its marketing strategy or how its product operated. Despite claiming to provide “a safe space,” the app’s terms of service require users to be over 18, though no age verification is required and anyone with an Instagram account can sign up.
The app’s business model is particularly troubling: many users suspect the anonymous messages they receive aren’t from their followers at all, with evidence suggesting NGL may generate fake messages to increase engagement.
Secret Calculator: The Digital Safe You Can’t See
Perhaps more concerning than anonymous messaging apps are the “decoy” apps designed specifically to hide content from parents. Secret calculator apps behave as safety boxes where people can hide private pictures, videos and files while protecting them from outsiders.
According to digital safety experts, 42% of teens use these deceptive vault apps. The Secret Calculator app is “deceptively disguised as a standard calculator but serving a much darker purpose,” designed for ages three and above and allowing users to conceal private content in a hidden vault.
As one therapist noted: “Kids are flooding into my office with secrets. Secrets that you don’t know about. Secrets that would give you a mini-heart attack. Secrets you need to know”.
Why Parents Are Always Playing Catch-Up
The fundamental problem isn’t just that new apps emerge constantly—it’s that the entire ecosystem operates on principles most parents don’t understand.
Platform Migration Patterns: Kids don’t abandon apps; they layer them. Instagram might be for public image, Snapchat for close friends, Discord for gaming communities, and NGL for anonymous feedback. Each serves a specific social function.
Adult Visibility vs. Teen Reality: Apps like TikTok get parental attention because adults use them too. Platforms like Discord or Yubo remain invisible because they serve purely teen social needs that many adults don’t recognise or understand.
The Innocuous Disguise Strategy: The most concerning trend is apps designed to look harmless. Calculator apps, fake music players, and seemingly educational tools that actually serve as content hiding mechanisms or anonymous communication channels.
The Three Categories Parents Need to Understand
Based on the Kids Online World analysis, concerning apps fall into three main categories:
1. Anonymous Interaction Apps
Examples: NGL, Tellonym, Whisper, Sarahah
The Risk: Cyberbullying without accountability, fake engagement generation, predator contact opportunities
Why Kids Use Them: Honest feedback without social consequences, exploring identity without judgment
2. Stealth/Hiding Apps
Examples: Secret Calculator, various “vault” apps disguised as utilities
The Risk: Hiding inappropriate content, concealing dangerous communications, circumventing parental oversight
Why Kids Use Them: Privacy desires, keeping “embarrassing” content private, storing things they know parents wouldn’t approve of
3. Niche Community Apps
Examples: Discord servers, Reddit communities, specialised gaming platforms
The Risk: Exposure to adult content, predator recruitment, extremist content
Why Kids Use Them: Finding communities around specific interests, deeper engagement than mainstream platforms allow
Red Flags in Your App Store History
Rather than trying to monitor every app individually, parents can look for these patterns:
Multiple Calculator Apps: No child needs three calculator apps. Additional calculators, especially ones requiring passwords to open, are likely vault apps.
Apps With Generic Names: “Private Photo,” “Secret Folder,” “Vault,” or apps with minimal descriptions are often designed for concealment.
Social Apps You’ve Never Heard Of: If your child downloads a social platform you don’t recognize, especially one not discussed in mainstream media, investigate immediately.
Gaming Platforms Beyond the Obvious: While you might know Fortnite, platforms like Discord servers, specialized gaming communities, or social features within games often operate without parental awareness.
A Different Approach to App Awareness
Instead of trying to stay ahead of every app trend, consider focusing on digital behaviour patterns:
Anonymous Communication Seeking: If your child gravitates toward anonymous platforms, explore what they’re looking for that they can’t get in identified interactions.
Privacy/Hiding Behaviors: Rather than playing digital hide-and-seek, address the underlying reasons children feel the need to conceal their digital activities.
Community Seeking: Children often join niche platforms because they can’t find their interests represented in mainstream spaces. Understanding these interests matters more than blocking the platforms.
The Bigger Picture: Beyond App Whack-a-Mole
Resources like Kids Online World provide valuable awareness, but they also highlight the futility of app-by-app monitoring. By the time parents learn about concerning platforms, children have often moved on to newer ones.
The more sustainable approach focuses on digital literacy, communication, and understanding the social needs that drive children toward these platforms. Instead of asking “What apps is my child using?” the better question might be “What needs are these apps meeting, and how can we address those needs more safely?”
The goal isn’t to eliminate all digital risk. It’s to help children develop the critical thinking skills they’ll need to navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape, whether parents know about their apps or not.
Resources for Further Investigation:
