After multiple lockdowns and a pandemic, we are seeing more children and young people craving connection than ever before. One app is redesigning itself entirely around this idea. Yubo (formerly known as Yellow) now describes itself as a “platform that celebrates the true essence of being young” and encourages “you to just be you.”
Our online safety experts have taken a closer look at Yubo to let you know everything you need to about this app designed for younger generations.

How does it work?
Upon registration, this app asks for standard personal information: date of birth, name, and gender. Users must then submit a photo showing their face clearly as well as their email address and phone number.
Once a user is set up, they are sorted into one of two primary communities. One is for users aged 13 to 17 and the other for users aged 18+. They are then able to send messages, video chat, and livestream. While Yubo makes users become friends on the platform before they can communicate, its features encourage users not to be a “boredo” and to “multiply” their friends to “100,000,000” by using tags and participating in livestreams as a “watcher or a streamer” even if they are uncomfortable. The platform is designed to promote the feeling of ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ (FOMO).

- Livestreams (“lives”) can have up to 10 contributors involved with unlimited viewers. Users can join livestreams with their camera and/or sound switched off. Streamers and viewers can then add each other as friends.
- Users can use a “profile sharing” feature to introduce their friends to other users. They can also find friends through “Swipes” (similar to popular dating app Tinder).
- Users can engage in games with each other, like “To be Honest” (a truth-based game for livestreams) and “Would You Rather” (users pick between two options and can see who else chose the same option).
- All users can now use tags to help link their interests to other users. This aims for friendships to be made based on shared hobbies and interests.
- Yubucks are an in-platform currency that can be purchased starting from £5.99, which users can put towards “powers” – three options (spotlights, boosts, and turbos) for boosting profile popularity and visibility.








What are the risks?
Our online safety experts have identified and assessed the following risks to children and young people on Yubo.
- Sexual extortion – There have been multiple reports of young people being harassed to send sexualised or nude images and videos by other users, as well as older users trying to access the younger community to talk to teenagers. A teen who joined Yubo said that while they met a few friends, it was mostly people saying “send me nudes” or “where do you live wanna chat” which made them stop using the platform.
- Inappropriate or illegal content – While Yubo scans all content on its platform in real-time, it does not catch everything. There is still a high potential for young people to be exposed to explicit profanity, racial slurs, or sexualised imagery. It’s important to ensure they know how to report inappropriate content.
- Information sharing – Yubo relies on a user’s personal interests, location, and gender, encouraging friendships with other users who are “the same”. This creates a false sense of trust. If a young person shares their hometown or their school, this information can be exploited for malicious intentions (bullying, grooming, etc.). There is also an increased risk that someone can approach a young person on Yubo and encourage them to chat on another app (like Snapchat, WhatsApp, or TikTok).
- In-app purchases – Yubucks can create the false expectation that money can buy popularity. It is not a one-off purchase. Users must repeatedly buy Yubucks to create more buzz around their profile. For a young person who wants to be an influencer, this could seem like an easy (and necessary) way for them to achieve that status.
- Persuasive design – Yubo is specifically designed to appeal to the FOMO feeling many teenagers experience and keep them hooked. It employs incessant push notifications and mirror popular swiping methods that are meant to encourage extended use. This can increase feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression.
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