QuizUp
Expansive social trivia great for facts but not privacy.
Parents say
Based on 12 reviews
Kids say
Based on 3 reviews
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QuizUp
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that QuizUp is a social trivia game. Players can challenge friends they invite from their contacts, Facebook, Twitter, or Game Center, or they can play randomly matched strangers. Topics are exhaustive (with more added constantly), ranging from educational topics in math, spelling, and history to lifestyle topics (such as beers) and literature (including quizzes on the popular erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey). The questions within those topics are actually pretty innocuous, and there are plenty of teen-appropriate topics, too. The open discussion boards, though, are full of trashy hookup offers and Internet bullying, as well as open chat, and there's no way to turn off access to those, making this an app for teens to be wary of.
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What’s It About?
Players add friends (by linking their contacts, Facebook account, Twitter account, or Game Center account) and challenge them to trivia quizzes. They also can choose a quiz from the topics and let the system find an opponent for them. More than 400 topics cover the arts, business, education, games, geography, history, lifestyle, literature, movies, music, nature, science, sports, and TV. Friends don't have to take the quiz at the same time to compete against each other; scores will be tallied after both have played.
Is It Any Good?
Word lovers have Words with Friends. Artists have Draw Something. And trivia lovers have QUIZUP. It's truly fun, social, competitive -- and addictive. The range of topics means there's something for everyone (including some things not for kids). The matches are short, making for a perfect little brain break, and it's really fun to match wits with friends. The scoring is oddly complex, but it's still plenty of fun to just play and see who wins. The iPad version is more responsive than the iPhone version, which sometimes responds slowly or not at all when setting up games.
Settings can be tightened up enough to make it somewhat safe for teens, but it's a lot of work. Open chat and the ability to play with strangers mean that safety is compromised, but teens who simply want to play against their friends may be able to use the app wisely. Discussion boards are the biggest problem, though, often containing totally unintelligible posts, posts to "Message me to hook up!", and a spattering of actual trivia-related conversation. One post starts with the subject "Sext?" and then clarifies "only girls 15-19." The discussion board seems to serve no purpose beyond making the whole experience iffy for teens, which is too bad, because the actual gameplay and trivia are pretty much appropriate.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Read You're Not as Private as You Think, and discuss with teens who do sign up for QuizUp how to protect themselves online.
Advise teens not to link their Facebook or Twitter accounts if they use their real names and pictures there, since they'll be included in their QuizUp profiles. Also, encourage them to use an alias and an avatar rather than their real name and picture. Get more tips on Internet safety in our article Tech Talk: Beyond Internet Safety.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, Math: algebra, arithmetic, money, Science: biology, chemistry, physics, Social Studies: geography, government, historical figures, history, Arts: improvising and music analysis, Hobbies: board games, collecting, cooking, sports
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: memorization, Self-Direction: academic development, work to achieve goals, Communication: multiple forms of expression, Tech Skills: using and applying technology
- Release date: March 17, 2014
- Category: Trivia Games
- Topics: High School
- Publisher: Plain Vanilla Corp
- Version: 1.1.4
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 5.0 or later; Android 4.0.3 and up
- Last updated: August 16, 2016
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