The Whisper App is on the lips and devices of teens again. I first reviewed this app back in 2018. It hasn’t changed much; it’s only gotten worse.
The app store describes it this way: “Ever wondered what the people around you are thinking? Whisper is an online community where millions worldwide share real thoughts, trade advice, and get the inside scoop. Chatting directly with other Whisper users is a great way to meet new people. Join the 30 million+ people who use Whisper every month; it will change how you see the world.”
Using Whisper
Terms and conditions specify that users must be 17 or older to use Whisper. The app is exclusive to Android and Apple platforms. There is a desktop version of Whisper, but it has limited functionality and doesn’t allow you to post any Whispers.
How Does Whisper Work?
Users don’t have an identity when using the service. There are no followers, friends, or profiles. The app does locations and allows users to add a school or group, but it doesn’t ask for photos or email addresses. Users cannot use the search function to search for other users.
The primary way of communicating with someone on Whisper is by responding to their Whispers. This can be done by sending your Whisper or through the chat function. It should be noted that it is much more challenging to maintain your anonymity through the chat or private messaging function.
Why Do Teens Want to Use Whisper?
Above all else, the absence of an identity attracts young adults as it gives them a sense of anonymity. The app allows users to set up a PIN to access the app, making parent supervision impossible if they don’t know the PIN. Whispers was dubbed a cross between Twitter and Snapchat, attracting an audience from both social media platforms.
Users can share intimate secrets without risking their identity being damaged or put at risk by the unknown.
Problems
You will predictably have bullying, threats, and sexual exploitation whenever you have an anonymous social media platform. Predators are preying on emotionally needy children, and the Whisper app is all about being emotionally vulnerable to strangers.
Whisper also has had some serious privacy problems. In 2020, The Washington Post reported a massive user data exposure on the Internet. The data exposure, discovered by independent researchers and shown to The Washington Post, allowed anyone to access the location data and other information tied to anonymous “whispers” posted to the popular social app, which has claimed hundreds of millions of users.
Interact with strangers
You can reply to a whisper. Select the “Reply” button to respond to the story you viewed. A screen will pop up, and you can start typing your novel or response, and the app will look for an image for you. The replies are formatted like other whispers, with text on top of an image.
You can privately chat with other users about their whispers. You can chat with people by:
- Viewing a whisper and tapping the “chat” option. This option is located beside the “Reply” option when you open a story to consider. It will then take you to a screen to chat with the poster.
- Tap on the “Chat” option at the bottom of your screen. This will display any existing chats you have going on. You can sort your conversations by tapping the right-hand corner or delete conversations by tapping “Edit.” When you open the conversation, you can block, favorite, delete, or view the whisper they initially posted by tapping the three dots in the top right-hand corner.
Parental Controls or Monitoring
The app does have no parental controls but the ” Clean Language” setting. It is imperfect, allowing teens to encounter inappropriate slang or photos. Bark, our favorite parent monitoring app, is unable to monitor Whisper.
Our Recommendation
The Whisper App is not safe for children. A child should not use it for any reason.
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