Is the Monkey app safe to use?
Updated
Is the Monkey app safe? There's no simple yes or no, and you should be wary of any site that gives you one. Monkey is a random video chat app, and every random video chat carries the same core risk: you are on camera with a stranger. What matters is the rules, the tools and how you use them.
Below is what is publicly reported about Monkey, the risks that apply to any app like it, and steps that actually lower your risk. We run a competing site, momos, so we've stuck to sourced facts and left out rumors.
Prefer adults-only chat? momos is free and 18+.
What's on the public record
None of that proves any single chat will go badly. It does explain why so many people search this question.
- Monkey launched in 2016 and was acquired by the video chat company Holla in 2018, according to press coverage.
- Monkey's terms of service set a minimum age of 18.
- Several news and parenting outlets reported that Apple removed Monkey from the App Store around 2020 after concerns about minors and explicit content. Apple did not publish a detailed explanation.
- As of November 2026, reviews report that Monkey is still available on Android and through a web browser.
- Child-safety groups such as Internet Matters advise that children and teens should not use it.
Risks that come with random video chat
Unwanted explicit content
Someone may expose themselves or show explicit material in the first second of a call. Automated checks help on some sites, but nothing catches everything instantly.
Screen recording
Any app can promise it doesn't record you. It cannot stop the other person from recording their own screen. Assume anything you show could be saved.
Sextortion and scams
A common scam: someone flirts, talks you into something on camera, captures it, then asks for cash. Others try to pull you onto a different app or ask for gift cards.
Age mismatch
Rules that say 18+ only work as well as they're enforced. Adults can end up matched with minors who lied, and minors can meet adults with bad intentions.
How to protect yourself on Monkey or anywhere else
- Keep your face in frame and your clothes on. Anything else can be recorded.
- Never share your full name, school, workplace, address or social handles in the first chat.
- Check what's behind you. Mail, diplomas and street views give away more than you'd think.
- Don't move to another app because a stranger asks. That's where most scams start.
- A stranger from a video call should never get money, gift cards or crypto from you.
- If you're threatened with a recording, stop replying, don't pay, save the evidence and report it. In the US you can also report to the FBI at ic3.gov.
- Use report and block. They help the next person, not just you.
For parents
If your teen uses Monkey or any random video chat app, the platform's own rules already say it isn't for them. A calm conversation works better than a surprise ban: ask what they like about it, explain sextortion in plain terms, and make sure they know they won't be in trouble for telling you if something goes wrong. The NCMEC CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org) takes reports involving minors.
If you want an adults-only alternative
momos is free 1-on-1 video chat with strangers, made for US adults. You use a Google account and enter your birthday, and under-18s are blocked. There's no ID or face scan, so it isn't foolproof. Report and block are always one tap away in the call, reports are reviewed by people, and repeat offenders are banned. momos doesn't record calls, and your email is never shown to matches.
Signs a chat is turning into a scam
If you spot any of these, end the call, report the account and block it. You don't owe a stranger an explanation.
- They ask to move to Snapchat, Telegram or WhatsApp within the first minute.
- They push you to undress or do something on camera you didn't plan to.
- They suddenly have a 'recording' of you and a deadline to pay.
- They ask for gift cards, crypto, Cash App or Venmo for any reason.
- Their video looks pre-recorded: no reaction to what you say, a loop, or odd lip sync.
Frequently asked questions
Should a 13-year-old use Monkey?
No. Monkey's own terms set the minimum age at 18, and child-safety groups advise against teens using it. Random video chat with strangers isn't designed for kids.
Was Monkey banned?
It wasn't banned by law. Multiple outlets reported that Apple removed it from the App Store around 2020. As of November 2026, reviews say it is still available on Android and the web.
Can people record you on Monkey?
On any video chat, your match is able to capture their screen, and the app usually can't detect or stop it. Act as if you're being recorded.
Someone says they'll post a recording of me. What now?
Don't pay and don't keep talking. Save screenshots of the threats, report and block the account, and report it to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you are under 18, tell a trusted adult and report it to NCMEC.
Is momos completely safe?
No video chat with strangers is completely safe. momos is adults-only, gives you one-tap report and block, reviews reports with people and doesn't record calls, but you should still follow the tips on this page.
Adults only. Never recorded.
momos is for people 18 and older. We don't record or store calls, and report and block are always one tap away. See the safety center.