Stay safe while video calling
Seven habits that keep a random video call a good experience. None of them take any effort once you know them.
Protect personal information
Your full name, your street, where you work, your school, your other social accounts — none of that belongs in a first conversation with a stranger, however well it is going. People who mean well will not ask for it. People who do not will ask early.
Never share passwords or payment information
No legitimate conversation on a video call service requires your card number, your bank details, a gift card code or a password. If money comes up at all in a random video call, treat it as the end of the conversation, not a topic to negotiate.
Check what is behind you
Look at what is behind you before you start. A letter on the table, a parcel with a label, a laptop screen, a window with a recognisable view — these give away more than most people expect. A plain wall is the safest background there is, and a lamp in front of you beats a bright window behind you for how you actually look on camera.
Recognise suspicious behaviour
Familiar patterns: heavy flattery within the first minute, immediate pressure to move to another app, a story that arrives at a money problem, a camera that is somehow always broken, or someone pushing for pictures. One of these is a reason to be careful; two is a reason to end the call.
Use report and block
Blocking means you will not be matched with that person again. Reporting sends the account to moderation, and reports are how the platform finds accounts that behave the same way with everybody. Both are two taps during a call and neither is rude.
Respect other users
The person on the other side of a 1-on-1 video call is doing exactly what you are doing. No means no the first time, recording somebody without consent is never acceptable, and nudity or harassment ends accounts here. The community guidelines spell out where the line is.
How reporting works
A report includes the account and the call it refers to, which is enough for moderation to act on. You do not need to explain yourself at length, and you never need to stay in a call to gather evidence. End it first, then report.
If something happened that this page does not cover, write to [email protected] — our contact page lists what to include.
