Is the Wizz App Safe for Kids?

If you’ve overheard your child talk about swiping right on Wizz, it likely raised some questions about the safety and appropriateness of the app. 

The Wizz app is not considered safe for kids. While it offers age verification and moderation, Wizz connects young users with strangers, has no parental controls, and has a history of safety concerns.

This guide will explain what Wizz is, explore whether Wizz is a dating app, and look into some major safety concerns for kids. 

What is the Wizz app? 

Wizz is a social networking app for 13-24 year olds that connects users with their peers around the world. 

How does Wizz work? 

Unlike other social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, which emphasize connecting users with people they already know, Wizz is designed to link strangers. Here are the basics:

• Users are siloed by age. People under 18 can chat with folks one year younger and one year older than them. Users between 18-24 can interact with people from that entire age range.
• Swipe to connect. Users swipe through bios and then send messages to people they want to connect with. 
• DMs reign supreme. Pairs or groups can message using text, pictures, GIFs, and videos. 

Is Wizz a dating app? 

Although Wizz says it’s not a dating app, it’s been called “Tinder for teens." In many ways, it lives up to that label. 

Here’s what we found: 

• Looking for love. Users can put what they’re looking for in their bio, such as “long-term partner.” 
• Swipe right. Reminiscent of Tinder, Wizz users swipe left on profiles they’re not interested in and swipe right to connect. 
• Not-so-subtle marketing. Despite insisting it’s not a dating app, previews on the app store and the company’s website are filled with hearts, demos of users telling each other how stunning the other is, and even a promise of: “Your next date? Wizz is on it.” 
• Teens are going to be teens. Anytime you put teens in community with one another, there’s bound to be romantic tension. Add to that a structure that feels very much like adult dating sites, and no matter the company’s stated intent, teens are going to use this as a dating app. 

Is Wizz safe for kids? 

Despite a few strong marks in the safety department, there are enough red flags to make the Wizz app unsafe for kids. 

Wizz app safety pros: 

• Strong age verification. Users must take a photo in the app to verify they are neither too young nor too old to use the app. Our testing showed this to be very robust. 
• Human and AI moderation. Wizz uses a blend of AI and human moderation to check that text, images, and videos do not violate their community guidelines. 
• A stated emphasis on safety. On their website, Wizz outlines strong community guidelines and provides comprehensive safety resources. 

Wizz app safety cons: 

• No parental controls. The Wizz app has no parental controls and no way for parents to independently access their child’s account. 
• Strangers. The stated goal of Wizz is to connect strangers. Even if the app is 100% foolproof in its age verification and siloing users by age (which is unlikely), the focus on chatting with strangers still puts kids at risk — similar to kids connecting with strangers on messaging platforms like Discord and Reddit. 
• A poor track record. Following its inception, Wizz pretty quickly found itself in hot water for sextortion, catfishing, and pornographic material, leading to the app being banned from Apple and Google. The app was eventually reinstated after the company made some changes and the app was audited by Apple and Google. However, after its reinstatement, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection issued a warning to parents to remove the app from their child’s phone, and recent user reviews indicate many of the initial safety concerns persist. 

Parents: Is your child using these secret messaging apps to talk to strangers?

How to keep your child safe on the Wizz app

If you choose to let your child use the Wizz app, here are some steps you can take to help them stay safe: 

• Educate them about the risks. Explain the warning signs of grooming, the importance of never giving personal information to strangers, and why it’s unsafe to let another user talk them into switching to another app to chat. (This is a common strategy for people trying to get around Wizz’s moderation.) 
• Teach them about positive and safe online interactions. Wizz’s website has a thorough guide to help parents and teens navigate difficult discussions on topics like hate speech, peer pressure, and exploitation. 
• Use a monitoring app. BrightCanary uses advanced AI technology to scan everything your child types and sends you alerts when they encounter anything risky.

FAQ

What is the Wizz app used for?

The Wizz app is a social networking platform for ages 13–24. Unlike Instagram or Snapchat, the Wizz app connects strangers through swiping profiles and direct messaging.

Is Wizz a dating app?

Wizz says it’s not a dating app, but its swiping feature, romantic marketing, and teen usage patterns make it function like “Tinder for teens.” Many users use it to flirt and look for relationships.

What age is Wizz app for?

The Wizz app is designed for users aged 13–24. However, it is not recommended for kids under 16 because it connects strangers.

Is Wizz safe for kids?

No. Despite strong age verification and AI moderation, Wizz is unsafe for kids due to stranger contact, lack of parental controls, and its history of sextortion and explicit content.

How can parents keep kids safe on Wizz?

If your child uses Wizz, educate them about online grooming, encourage positive digital behavior, and use a parental monitoring app like BrightCanary for alerts on risky activity.

Final word: Is the Wizz app safe for kids? 

Despite recent commendable efforts by Wizz to keep kids safe on the platform, major concerns remain. A lack of parental controls, exposure to strangers, and a poor safety track record make the app an unsafe choice for kids. 

If parents choose to let their child use Wizz, they should take steps to help them stay safe, such as educating them about the risks and using a third-party monitoring app. 

BrightCanary helps parents monitor their children’s activity on the apps they use the most, including what they type on Wizz. Download today and get started for free.