What is JusTalk?
What parents need to know
JusTalk is a communication app focused on video calls between friends and family. A version designed for children, JusTalk Kids, is also available.
In this guide
What is JusTalk?
JusTalk is an end-to-end encrypted messaging app that allows users to make voice and video calls and send messages without needing to provide a phone number or email address to sign up. Users can communicate with others either one-on-one or in group calls with up to 50 people. These calls can be recorded and viewed later, and users can also send voice notes.
JusTalk also has an app created for children, called JusTalk Kids. This app aims to give children a safer way to stay in contact with their parents by reducing some of the risks of social media such as public profiles.
Both JusTalk and JusTalk Kids can be used for free with ad-support, but there is also an option to subscribe to a paid membership. There are various tiers to this membership:
- Kids Premium – live location, Kids Friends management, sensitive content control.
- JusTalk Premium – removes ads, HD calls, larger group calls.
- Premium Family – up to 6 premium accounts, access to parent panel.
- Platinum Family – all features of Premium Family, priority 1-on-1 support.
Both JusTalk and JusTalk Kids are available to download from the Apple and Google Play Stores.
Minimum age requirements
The main JusTalk app requires users to be aged 13 or older. However, JusTalk Kids is designed for children under 13 and has no official minimum age. Take your child’s age and maturity into account when deciding which JusTalk app they can use.
Is JusTalk included in the UK social media ban?
No, JusTalk is unlikely to be included in the ban. The UK government said that they don’t intend for messaging apps to be included in the ban.
However, we are still waiting for details on what the social media ban will look like, so this might change. In some cases, there might also be restrictions on certain features with the platform still being available.
How it works
JusTalk is more video focused than messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal, but it is more casual and focused on friends and family than platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, which also cater to business meetings.
JusTalk
When users sign up, they are asked to input their name and select a username and password. They can then link their phone number or email address in case they need to recover their account, but this is not required.
Once an account is created, users will be asked to enable notifications and will be shown an advert for premium membership, but these can both be skipped. They can then begin adding friends by searching for their JusTalk ID or by scanning a QR code on their friend’s device.
Users can message or join video calls with their friends. Users can add others to a call even if they are not friends with everyone in the call.
Profiles can be customised by adding a profile picture. However, this is the only public profile customisation that can be done.
JusTalk Kids
When first setting up a JusTalk Kids account, users are asked to complete a simple maths question to prove that they are a parent. They then must enter their child’s name, create a username and input a parent PIN so that children cannot make changes to their account without parental permission.
Like with the main JusTalk app, users can begin adding friends by searching for their JusTalk ID or by scanning a QR code on their friend’s device. However, on the JusTalk app, parents must input their PIN before a friend can be added, meaning children cannot add strangers without their parent’s knowledge.
While on a call, children can doodle on the screen, add stickers and play games, making JusTalk Kids a fun app as well as a communication tool.
With a premium membership, parents can link their profile to their child’s and manage their experience from their device.
JusTalk parental controls
With a premium membership, parents can set controls on their child’s account. They can receive notifications about friend requests and approve or reject them, track their child’s live location and block incoming media featuring sensitive content.
However, these controls are not available on the free version of JusTalk Kids. If you wish to use the free version, try setting device-level controls to manage your child’s experience with the app.
What to watch out for
While JusTalk Kids is designed to be safe and appropriate for young children, there are still some risks you should be aware of.
Privacy concerns
While JusTalk claims to have end-to-end encryption, meaning only the sender and recipient should be able to read messages, the app has faced privacy issues in the past, with user info being leaked online.
In addition to JusTalk’s privacy concerns, you should also be aware of the information your child shares when communicating with other users. Teach them what they shouldn’t share online, such as their passwords or home address.
Contact with strangers
JusTalk Kids requires you to enter your parental PIN before your child can add a new friend. This reduces the chances of your child adding a stranger as a friend without your knowledge. However, if your child learns or guesses your PIN, or sets up their own secret JusTalk account, they could begin communicating with strangers. There have been past cases of adults convincing children to move from platforms like Roblox onto JusTalk so that they can send harmful messages in private.
Having regular conversations with your child about what they do online, like how you would talk about their offline life, can give you an insight into who your child is communicating with. Checking your child’s friend list on JusTalk Kids can also help you recognise any friends you do not remember approving.
Learn how to start conversations with your child about their online life.