Social platform · Medium risk
Is KakaoTalk safe for your child?
Age guide
12+
We advise KakaoTalk from age 12 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk).
- 9-12
- Children in this age range might use KakaoTalk for basic messaging with known friends and family, but should be closely supervised due to the platform's broader features like Open Chats.
- 13-15
- Teenagers may engage with KakaoTalk's more advanced features, including group chats, sending digital gifts (Kakao Gifts), and participating in themed Open Chats, which require careful monitoring for content and interactions.
- 16+
- Older teens can utilize KakaoTalk as a comprehensive communication and social platform, including its payment features (Kakao Pay) and various integrated services, making it important to discuss digital citizenship and financial literacy.
KakaoTalk is a free mobile instant messaging application, predominantly used in South Korea, offering text, voice, and video calls. It also integrates various services like news, games, shopping, and payment features.
- Age guide
- 12+
- Overall risk
- 5/10
- Violence
- 2/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 4/10
- Stranger contact
- 6/10
- Addiction risk
- 8/10
- Language
- 3/10
- Influence
- 5/10
What parents should know
KakaoTalk is a popular messaging and social platform with a wide array of features, including public 'Open Chats' and integrated services like payments. Parents should prioritize privacy settings, discuss the risks of interacting with strangers, and monitor for in-app purchases and content exposure.
What to do about KakaoTalk
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for KakaoTalk is 12+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact KakaoTalk setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about KakaoTalk without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in KakaoTalk that mean it is time to step in.
KakaoTalk age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is KakaoTalk?
Parentwise puts KakaoTalk at 12+. We advise KakaoTalk from age 12 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk). Violence scores 2/10, language 3/10, stranger contact 6/10 and addiction risk 8/10.
Can a 10 year old use KakaoTalk?
Not by default: we advise KakaoTalk from 12+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Children in this age range might use KakaoTalk for basic messaging with known friends and family, but should be closely supervised due to the platform's broader features like Open Chats.
Can a 12 year old use KakaoTalk?
Yes, 12 is at or above the age we advise for KakaoTalk (12+). Children in this age range might use KakaoTalk for basic messaging with known friends and family, but should be closely supervised due to the platform's broader features like Open Chats.
Can a 13 year old use KakaoTalk?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for KakaoTalk (12+). Teenagers may engage with KakaoTalk's more advanced features, including group chats, sending digital gifts (Kakao Gifts), and participating in themed Open Chats, which require careful monitoring for content and interactions.
Is KakaoTalk appropriate for kids?
KakaoTalk is a popular messaging and social platform with a wide array of features, including public 'Open Chats' and integrated services like payments. Parentwise rates KakaoTalk overall as medium risk (5/10), with stranger contact at 6/10 and addiction risk at 8/10.
Is KakaoTalk family friendly?
KakaoTalk sits in the middle: fine with settings changed and an occasional check-in. Parents should prioritize privacy settings, discuss the risks of interacting with strangers, and monitor for in-app purchases and content exposure.
KakaoTalk parents guide: what should a parent know first?
KakaoTalk is a popular messaging and social platform with a wide array of features, including public 'Open Chats' and integrated services like payments. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (6/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (8/10).
Is KakaoTalk safe for kids?
We advise KakaoTalk from age 12 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk). Parents should prioritize privacy settings, discuss the risks of interacting with strangers, and monitor for in-app purchases and content exposure.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.