Long ago, before our identities were present on popular social networking apps, it was easier to remain nameless and faceless on the internet.
If you like the sound of an anonymous app to use just for fun, or if you’re looking for apps similar to the now-defunct Yik Yak, here are a few social networking apps that allow you to interact with others and share your thoughts and feelings without the pressure of having your identity revealed.
Most anonymous social networking services can’t guarantee that they’ll keep your activity completely private. Anonymous apps might not be as open as Facebook or Twitter, but most of the content shared on them is traceable or recordable in some way.
Reveal Yourself When You’re Ready: Anomo
Anomo is a social networking app that starts you off completely anonymous, and then gives you the option to gradually reveal things about yourself to other members.
Have fun with avatars and games.
Full control over what you reveal about yourself.
Easy to use and understand.
Community is largely inactive.
Spam bots.
Hasn’t been updated in a long time.
No Android version.
Anomo’s location-based functionality lets you chat with people nearby just like you can do with similar apps, or you can use the Mingle feature to find people based on your interests. You can also privately chat one-on-one, and play fun icebreaker games if you decide you want to tell people more about yourself.
Vent and Make New Friends: Friend Shoulder
Friend Shoulder is an app that encourages you to vent and “get it all out.” You can also ask for advice, form friendships with people from all over the globe, and create polls about anything within the Friend Shoulder guidelines.
Sometimes people offer helpful advice.
You can make lifelong friendships.
Too many ads.
App sometimes crashes.
People frequently ask for your location.
This is a fun app to help with boredom, and sometimes with decision-making, but if you run into people you don’t want to associate with on any level, you can always block them.
Download For:
Connect With Like-Minded People: Psst! Anonymous
The Psst! Anonymous app is about helping people come together to have conversations without being attached to a name, photo, or any other personal information.
Messages eventually disappear forever.
Anonymous and private chat.
Unique security features.
No iOS version.
User account required.
Requests your current location.
You can freely share news, opinions, secrets, confessionals, daily life experiences, pictures, and jokes with a vast community. You can also privately message or text people without sharing who you are. Anything you post to the community disappears after 48 hours, similar to Snapchat stories.
Read Stories From Users: FML Official
FML (which stands for F*** My Life) is an entertainment website where users can read and approve or disapprove of short submissions that tell funny, yet unfortunate, experiences. The app makes it easier to enjoy reading about other people’s embarrassing situations and even doubles as a social network.
Funny and entertaining story submissions.
You can react, post emojis, or comment on stories.
New stories are posted daily.
App can take a long time to load.
Social networking profiles are not anonymous.
Anyone who follows you can see your FML page.
Although story submissions remain semi-anonymous (only a vague code signature name like “Love is Blind” is included), the social network part of it functions like a traditional one where you have a full profile and an FML page where your submissions are stored.
What Parents Should Know About These Apps
When people have the option to hide behind a screen and let loose, things can get out of hand. Many apps have dealt with incidents involving child predators, cyberbullying, threats, stalking, and other scary stuff. Use these apps with caution and report anything you think could be considered harmful or abusive.
Actions you can take to keep your kids safe include using parental control software to monitor your child’s activities online, blocking access to adult websites, and even disabling their webcam.
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