Parents' Guide to

GroupMe

By Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Share unlimited content, but watch for unfiltered Internet.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free Social Networking
GroupMe Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • GroupMe App Screenshot #1
  • GroupMe App Screenshot #2
  • GroupMe App Screenshot #3
  • GroupMe App Screenshot #4
  • GroupMe App Screenshot #5

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

mnreeder
mnreeder Adult
September 23, 2019
age 18+

Mature content available

I was surprised to find a bunch of mature / pornographic GIFS available. This is especially frustrating since many of my son's school groups use this app. Just search various things in the GIFs and you will see what is available. I wouldn't want any age kid to see this.
Mrl R.
Mrl R. Adult
September 15, 2017
age 13+

Appropriate and safe for teens.

I been using this App for the last two weeks. I started creating different group chats with family and friends. I think it is safe to use by teenagers 13 +. I didn't find any appropriate information. However if you sync the information with your Facebook or tweeter you must be sure of who do you have as a contact in your friend list.
See all 4 parent reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

GROUPME is a messaging app that lets users keep in touch over Wi-Fi rather than over cellular data. To get started, you can log in with your email address, Facebook account, or Microsoft account. If you use your email address, you're required to provide a first and last name and then set a password. You're then asked whether you'd like to sync your contacts to the server, and you check a box to accept the app's terms of service and privacy policy. Next, verify your device's phone number via text message, and then you can get started creating groups and direct messages. In addition to these basic chat and messaging features, GroupMe features several sets of emojis for download, some of which are free while others are only available through in-app purchase. Users can also insert GIFs into messages and use an embedded Internet search to find the right one. You can also send photos and videos within the app, and you can create calendar events and share them with your contacts.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Though this messenger is pretty appealing, it's not entirely original and only for older teens and adults. It's visually attractive, and it's great that you can share so much content so readily in direct messages and group chats. The emojis are pretty fun, too, and you can easily embed videos, GIFs, tweets, and images. The main hazard here might be the high level of connectivity: Like WhatsApp, GroupMe lets kids send and receive messages without limits, so there's no end to how many messages they send or how much they share. This can be great if the app is your main point of content for a limited group of family or friends, and it can be useful for groups who need to keep in touch for a particular task or around a particular activity. Still, the search results for GIFs, images, and videos are full of iffy stuff, and there's no way to filter results, so this isn't an option for everyone. Overall, this is a great way to keep in touch, but it's worth having ongoing conversations with your kids about what's OK to share digitally.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about limits: During what hours are kids allowed to text? How much screen time are they allowed?

  • Talk about the types of information that are best shared in text messages and what is best discussed in person. Let kids know that tone isn't always clear, and emojis can't fill in every blank.

  • There's lots to consider around rules for kids and their devices; think more about cell phone parenting with our guide here.

App Details

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