💬 Social apps and messaging
By Reddit, Inc.. Visit Reddit
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A large network of topic communities (subreddits) where people post, comment and vote, usually under pseudonyms. Posts are public and can show up in search engines and AI chatbot answers. Reddit says it turns on protective defaults for 13 to 18 year olds and requires 18+ for mature (NSFW) communities. It guesses ages from signals like account age, email, posts and app-store age ranges, and may ask for an ID or selfie through the vendor Persona. There are no parental controls, and Apple's App Store rates the app 18+.
Our take: Better for older teens who stick to specific hobby communities; not a place for younger kids to browse.
| Ages it suits | 13+ (App Store rating 18+) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No one under 13 may use Reddit, and you must be over the minimum age in your country (Reddit's help page says 16 in Australia). Under the age of majority, you need a parent or guardian to agree to the terms; mature content needs 18+. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free with ads (Oct 2026); in-app purchases are available. |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | Systems predict a user's age group from account signals; recommendations rank posts and communities. |
What's good
- Pseudonymous by design
- Teen defaults for 13-18
- 18+ gate on mature communities
- Verified age not shown to advertisers
Watch for
- App Store rates it 18+
- No parental controls
- Public posts can feed AI chatbots
- On Australia's under-16 restricted list
Data and privacy
Reddit's privacy policy says it uses activity and data from advertisers and partners to personalize ads on and off Reddit, and warns that public posts may appear in search engines or in answers from AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Reddit says verified ages are never shown to advertisers. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study found. In December 2025 Reddit challenged Australia's under-16 law in the High Court while saying it would comply.
In the Big Index
Alternatives to Reddit
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Apple Messages and FaceTime (Communication Safety)
Apple · ages any age with a parent-made child account; teens 13-17
Worth turning on for any child with an iPhone or iPad; pair it with contact limits for younger kids.
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BeReal
BeReal SAS · ages 13+
A lower-pressure social app for teens 13+ with real-life friends; younger kids should wait.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Discord (Family Center, teen-by-default)
Discord Inc. · ages 13+
Workable for teens 13+ who mainly chat with real-life friends, with Family Center on; too open for younger children.
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Instagram (Teen Accounts)
Meta · ages 13+
For teens 13+ only with supervision set up in Family Center; parents should not rely on Teen Accounts alone.
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Kinzoo Messenger
Kinzoo · ages young kids to tweens, on a parent-made account
A good first messenger for under-13s whose friends will also join; check the in-app store settings.
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Lemon8
TikTok USDS Joint Venture (US) · ages 13+
No reason for kids under 13; for teens it carries the same data terms as TikTok without TikTok's parent tools.
Where these facts come from
- https://redditinc.com/policies/user-agreement
- https://www.reddit.com/policies/privacy-policy
- https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/36429514849428-Why-is-Reddit-asking-for-my-age
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reddit/id1064216828
- https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/reddit-challenges-australia-law-banning-children-under-16-social-media-rcna248789
- https://heatleyss.eq.edu.au/support-and-resources/cybersafety/social-media-minimum-age
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.