Tellonym is an anonymous messaging app that allows users to receive “honest opinions” and “feedback” from strangers. While it’s not as popular among teens as Snapchat and TikTok, it’s certainly an app parents should be aware of.
Tellonym poses various risks for kids and teenagers. Since the app is built on anonymity, the potential for cyberbullying and online harassment is high. Kids can easily get in contact with strangers, including sexual predators.
As a parent, there are some things you can do to make your child’s experience with Tellonym safer. It’s important to discuss the risks, set clear guidelines, teach your children how to block/report users, and, most importantly, optimize the safety settings on the Tellonym app.
Here’s how to set filters on Tellonym:
- Go to your profile on the Tellonym app.
- Click Settings in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to Safety and click Safety Options.
- Now you can adjust filters for Sexual Harassment, Offenses, and Spam.
Continue reading the guide below for more information about how to keep your child safe on Tellonym.
Ever heard of Tellonym? In 2016, three German students designed this messaging app. Tellonym is not like other social media platforms. Its main selling point is its anonymity. You can send messages to strangers without revealing your identity.
While Tellonym is not as popular as TikTok or Snapchat, many kids and teens are drawn to anonymous messaging apps. Unfortunately, apps like Tellonym come with various risks for young users. It can expose children to various threats, including cyberbullying and online predators.
If you’re a parent or guardian concerned about Tellonym, we’ll explain everything you need to know in this article, including how Tellonym works, how safe the app is, and what you can do to protect your kids.
What is Tellonym and How Does It Work?
Tellonym is a mobile messaging app that allows you to send anonymous messages (known as “Tells”) to strangers. Initially, Tells end up in a private inbox, only visible to the person who receives the message. Once you choose to respond to a message, it’s posted on your profile, and others can see it.
The name of the app is a combination of the words “Tell” and “anonym.” Apart from its English meaning, “anonym” also means anonymous in German. Its website says Tellonym “allows you to receive anonymous and honest feedback from everyone who is important to you.”
In a way, Tellonym attempts to distance itself from social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, which are focused on appearance, popularity, and likes. However, users are encouraged to share their Tellonym profile link on other social media and connect their accounts. This adds to its popularity among kids and teenagers.
It’s easy to see how things can go wrong on Tellonym, as strangers can judge, criticize, and send messages to your child anonymously.
What should parents know?
To understand Tellonym and its risks, it’s important to know some key things about the app:
- Tellonym has a small user base — 13 million users — compared to other social media apps.
- Tellonym is free for all users. There’s a premium version known as TellonymPlus.
- You need to provide an email address or a phone number to create a Tellonym account. The app can be linked to other apps like Snapchat, Twitter, or Instagram.
- Tellonym allows you to block other users and set language filters. There’s also a built-in reporting system.
- The official age limit for Tellonym is 17+ (specified in the app’s Terms of Use), but there is no verification.
The Tellonym app is available on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.
How Does Tellonym Work?
We tested the Tellonym app on iOS. After downloading it from the Apple App Store, we got three different options to sign up:
- Continue with your Apple account
- Continue with a Google account
- Sign up with an email
If you sign up for Tellonym with an email address, you’ll be asked to confirm that you’re 17 or older. There’s no real age verification, however. The app doesn’t ask for your date of birth or confirmation from a parent or guardian. All you need to do is click Accept and Continue.
Next, you need to choose a username, enter your email, and choose a password. This is all very straightforward.
After this, Tellonym will suggest finding friends via your Contacts. You can also choose to get notifications when new friends follow you, when new Tells arrive, or when you get answers to your questions.
You can now start using the app. Tellonym provides a few suggestions on how to upgrade your profile, including adding a profile picture and description. You can also add your Tellonym link to other social media accounts.
TellonymPlus
The premium version of Tellonym is known as TellonymPlus.
There are three different rates for a TellonymPlus account.
| Price | Duration |
|---|---|
| €2.99 (approx. $3.32) | Seven days |
| €5.99 (approx. $6.65) | One month |
| €59.99 (approx. $66.60) | One year |
Having a TellonymPlus account comes with some perks:
- You get five new emojis and two new profile colors to display on your profile.
- You get a special support badge to add to your personal profile.
- All advertisements are removed.
- You can receive Sender Hints.
This last feature is perhaps the most important. If you sign up for TellonymPlus, you will receive hints about the sender of anonymous messages.
For example, Tellonym will let you know if a message was sent via Instagram or Snapchat, the approximate location of the sender, if you follow any of the same Tellonym users, if you know the sender personally, or if they’ve sent you Tells before.
Using Tellonym
Tellonym’s main feature is sending anonymous messages known as Tells. You can’t send any photos, videos, or other media. Messages are in text format only. If you choose to answer a message sent to you, it shows up on a feed linked to your personal Tellonym profile.
Callosum Software, the company behind Tellonym, states that users’ profiles can be used for surveys “to gather feedback about oneself, work, and any other questions.” In addition to friends, strangers can access your profile via the public link.
You can create posts on your feed by typing whatever you want — kind of like a status update.
When you follow other users, their content will automatically appear on your feed. It’s also possible to talk to others privately via Direct Messages. These messages show up in your private inbox, and you can decide how to answer — privately or anonymously but publicly via a Tell.
How anonymous is Tellonym?
Tellonym is billed as an anonymous app, but how anonymous is it? Tellonym claims users don’t have to fear that their identities will be revealed at any point. The company doesn’t share your exact location, name, or any other confidential data with other users, not even on TellonymPlus.
Tellonym, however, keeps a database of user data stored internally — in case law enforcement requests it. This data includes messages and users’ IP addresses. Tellonym warns that committing a crime — including partaking in cyberbullying — can lead to a police investigation.
This means that Tellonym is not fully anonymous. While the app delivers messages anonymously, there’s a record of each message that can be traced back to you.
This can help to keep your children safe on the app. However, from a privacy point of view, it means your child’s data is also collected and stored.
Potential Risks of Anonymous Messaging Apps for Kids
Growing up in the digital age, young people are all too familiar with the negative side effects of social media. Excessive use of social media has been linked to increased loneliness, vulnerability to depression, and insomnia. It can also make teens more susceptible to cyberbullying, online harassment, and cyberstalking.
While Tellonym claims anonymity empowers users and protects them from being judged based on their appearance, anonymous apps are controversial. Other anonymous apps like Omegle, Yolo, and Yik Yak have been at the center of public scandals. Yik Yak was temporarily shut down over harassment complaints.
Let’s take a closer look at the risks that kids and teenagers are exposed to on anonymous platforms like Tellonym.
Cyberbullying
Bullying doesn’t only take place at school. A majority of teens in the United States have experienced cyberbullying.
Apps like Tellonym can expose children to harsh language, threats, and harassment. The anonymity of the app makes it easy for users to get away with bullying. Tellonym is designed for users to get “feedback” from others, and teens may not be mentally prepared for the criticisms they receive.
Young people tend to base their self-worth on their online identity. So, the impact of negative interactions on an app like Tellonym can be long-lasting.
Inappropriate content
Online sexual exploitation is increasing. In 2021, the Internet Watch Foundation reported the highest number of sexual abuse cases ever — 252,000. Platforms like Tellonym that attract a lot of children also attract sexual predators.
While Tellonym has clear guidelines that prohibit sexualized content, the anonymity of the app allows abuse to flourish. Moderation doesn’t always work, as we see with other social media apps, such as Likee, that feature a lot of inappropriate content.
If you’re worried about your children coming into contact with inappropriate content online, it’s best to steer them away from apps that encourage contact with strangers.
Is Tellonym Safe for Kids?
Tellonym may not be particularly suited for children. While teenagers should certainly develop their digital literacy skills and learn to stay safe online, exposing them to apps like Tellonym only invites others to judge (and potentially harass) them.
We’ve outlined the main issues with Tellonym below.
Exposure to criticism and judgment
As a parent or guardian, it can be stressful not knowing what your kids get up to online. With an anonymous app like Tellonym, it’s even more likely that you’ll be in the dark.
Many teenagers struggle to open up to their parents about their online experiences. Since Tellonym is built on anonymity, there’s no safety net if something goes wrong. Content can be sexual, violent, or even threatening.
Tellonym’s claim that its text-based approach stops users from passing judgment is irrelevant because users can link their accounts to other social media platforms.
It’s a questionable concept at best; one that might sound fun but can have serious consequences.
Officially, the app has a 17+ age limit. However, it’s easy to get past this. As a result, younger children can get in contact with all sorts of cybercriminals, including sexual predators.
While Tellonym has moderators, it’s reactive rather than proactive. Messages are only deleted after the fact. So, the damage may already be done.
Privacy and children’s data
Tellonym is a free service, but it has to generate revenue. The app does so primarily through ads and subscribers who use TellonymPlus.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regulates the collection of children’s data for advertising in the U.S.
While this law has been criticized for being outdated, it requires companies to have parental consent before collecting the data of users under 13 years old.
Since Tellonym uses no real age verification, the data of young children will inevitably be collected. This can seriously affect their privacy. Although you can’t share photos on Tellonym, it’s something to be aware of.
So, what can parents do?
How Can Parents Keep Their Kids Safe on Tellonym
Tellonym has various safety features to protect users from abuse and harassment.
- Moderation: A team of moderators keep an eye out for messages that violate Tellonym’s Community Guidelines.
- Content filters: Generally, content that qualifies as Sexual Harassment, Offenses, and Spam get filtered out by the Tellonym app.
- Language filters: Tellonym lets you set language-based filters (max. ten words) and blacklists messages containing these words.
- Safety code: Parents can lock the Tellonym app settings with a safety code that needs to be entered before the settings can be changed.
Is this enough? While it’s certainly a good start, it can be challenging to filter all content. Often, users will see the hurtful messages before they’re flagged. Also, the number of words that language filters support is quite limiting, and these filters can be easily bypassed.
Luckily, there are some steps you can take to keep your kids safe on Tellonym.
Discuss the risks
Keeping kids safe online starts with good communication. It’s important to discuss the risks of the Tellonym app with your child. This includes warning them about sharing personal information.
In general, but especially on anonymous messaging apps, it’s important to keep the following information private:
- Any personal information (name, email, phone number, address, school names, etc.)
- Location information
- Other social network information
Ensure your kids understand that sharing personal information makes them vulnerable to harassment, malware attacks, and other threats.
Set boundaries and guidelines
We recommend setting clear boundaries and guidelines for social media use. Talk to your child about having gadget-free time and limits on how long they’re allowed to spend on Tellonym or any other app.
Also, it’s important that kids and teenagers know how to react when someone online is bothering them. Make sure they know and understand how to report someone and that they trust you to help them out.
Tellonym allows users to block others. This will remove their ability to see your child’s posts and interact with them. It’s also possible to report threatening messages or contact support@tellonym.me for other concerns.
Consider parental controls
We don’t always recommend using parental control apps because they can cause resentment, especially in teenagers. Also, children can benefit from learning digital independence.
But, with an app like Tellonym, which makes bullying and harassment so easy, it’s worth considering parental control software.
If you do, inform your children and explain why you’re using the app. Tell them you’re not using the app to spy on them, and make sure you come up with clear boundaries together.
How to Change Tellonym’s Safety Settings
There are a few settings you can tweak within the Tellonym app to protect your child.
Optimize Tellonym settings
We’ll go over how to optimize these settings, how to report an account or Tell, and how to delete a Tellonym account below.
Language filters
You can change the language filters by following these steps:
- Navigate to your profile tab in the Tellonym app.
- Click the Settings cog in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to Safety and click Safety Options.
- Click on Adjust All Filters Yourself.
- You can now adapt the filters for Sexual Harassment, Offenses, and Spam Level.
You can also change the settings to ensure your child only receives Tells from registered users. All you need to do is toggle this option at the bottom of the page.
Custom word filter
To add words to the custom word filter, go to Settings and click Wordfilter. You can add up to ten words. If a message includes this word, it will be automatically deleted.
Set a Safety Code
If you don’t want your teen to change the settings on the Tellonym app after you’ve adjusted them, you can set a special Safety Code. You’ll need to enter this code every time you want to change the settings.
You can find this option in the main Settings menu.
How to report other users on Tellonym
It’s easy to report other users or offensive comments on Tellonym. On its site, Tellonym says it puts “great emphasis on fighting toxic behavior.” To report users, click the three dots on their profile or Tell and tap “report.”
Tellonym says its moderators check each report individually and take appropriate actions. It’s unclear what type of punitive measures the company metes out to offending users.
Deleting your Tellonym account
If you choose to delete your child’s Tellonym account, it will first be deactivated for 30 days. During this time, it’s possible to reactivate it, should you wish to do so.
After 30 days, the account will be permanently deleted. Here’s how you delete a Tellonym account:
- Go to your profile tab in the Tellonym app.
- Click on the Settings cog in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click More.
- Scroll down and click Delete Account.
The account will now be deactivated and permanently deleted after 30 days.
Conclusion
Tellonym can be fun, but it may not be unsuitable for kids and young teens. The app is centered around anonymity, which makes it a hotbed for harassment, bullying, and worse forms of cybercrime, including grooming and sexual abuse.
While Tellonym has some safety features, they’re not sufficient. Nonetheless, if you decide to let your child use Tellonym, the safety tips outlined above should offer some protection. If you’re worried about your child’s internet use, check out what experts have to say about kids and social networks.
Consult the articles below for information about keeping your child safe on other social media and gaming platforms.
- Is PopJam Safe for Kids? Keeping Kids Safe on Social Media
- Is Reddit Safe? Tips for Parents to Keep Teens Safer Online
- Poppy Playtime: Is This Popular Horror Game Safe for Kids?
- Is Fortnite Safe For Kids? A Complete Guide For Parents
- Is Roblox Safe for Kids? How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online
Do you have any questions or concerns about Tellonym? Check out the FAQ below for some quick answer. Click on a question to see the answer!
Tellonym has an official age limit of 17+. However, this is not verified in any way. It’s easy for children under 17 to sign up and use the app, which is why we recommend parents understand the risks of Tellonym and optimize the safety settings.
No, Tellonym is not very safe. While the app is not designed to put kids and teens at risk, the potential for danger is high. Since Tellonym is an anonymous messaging app, kids can get in contact with strangers. This exposes them to online bullying, harassment, and grooming.
In theory, Tellonym is anonymous. That is to say, as a user, you won’t find out who is sending you messages. However, the company behind Tellonym collects and stores user data, including your IP address, for legal purposes.
Moreover, if you’re a TellonymPlus user, you’ll be able to receive hints about the people who send you messages.
You need to deactivate your Tellonym account for 30 days before it can be permanently deleted. To do this, go to your profile, click Settings, select More, and scroll down until you find the Delete Account option. Consult our safety guide to Tellonym for more information.
