NEW YORK, NY, October 27, 2026 -- Two in three 10-year-olds in US Findmykids families use more than one app with chat in a typical week, according to new data from Findmykids. By 12, most use three or more. The study covers 30,778 children aged 10 to 17 on Android phones over four weeks in August and September 2026.
Key findings:
- The typical 10-year-old uses two chat-enabled apps a week; from 15, four. YouTube and texting are not counted.
- 34% of 10- and 11-year-olds used a chat game and a messenger in the same week. Roblox and WhatsApp was the top pair, at 28%.
- Roblox reached 57% of children. All dating and anonymous-chat apps together reached 1.5%.
- About half of 10-year-olds use a social app, before 13, the minimum age on most platforms.
"By 10, a child's online life already spans a game, a messenger and often a social app. Online safety starts with seeing that whole network and talking about it early," said the Analytics Team at Findmykids.
Findmykids sees which apps were open, not what was said in them. In a 2022 Thorn survey, two in three 9- to 17-year-olds said someone they knew only online had asked them to continue on another platform. The FBI says sextortion offenders often push for such a switch. Those figures come from other samples and methods.
Findmykids suggests families agree on warning signs early: if an online-only contact asks to switch apps, keep secrets, send photos or money, or meet, the child tells a trusted adult without fear of losing their phone.
Full study: Findmykids research blog
About Letem LTD and Findmykids:
Letem LTD is the developer of Findmykids, a globally recognized family safety and parental control application. Designed to provide parents with peace of mind, Findmykids offers accurate location tracking for the whole family, children's app usage monitoring and SOS features, empowering families to raise kids safely in a digital world. Learn more at https://findmykids.org/.
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