Parents' Guide to

Hi Monkey - Quick Chat

By Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Paid chat hard to use and full of ads targeting adults.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad Paid Social Networking
Hi Monkey - Quick Chat Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Hi Monkey Product Image #1
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What’s It About?

To register for a HI MONKEY - QUICK CHAT account, users just need an email address. They can customize the colors of background and text for their outgoing messages and incoming messages and add a profile picture. To add contacts, users have to find the contact in the list of registered users (listed by name used during registration which likely has many duplicates) and request to be added as a contact. They can then chat over Wi-fi or by using data, send pictures and videos, and share location information. Ads appear throughout the user experience.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Paying for a chat app is almost unheard of, but to force ads on top of that is absolutely unreasonable. And then Hi Monkey - Quick Chat still not user-friendly or unique in any way. Usernames are first names, so unless someone puts an easily-recognizable profile picture up, you have to click every Bobby on the list to find the right one (you can also view email addresses in the profile.) There's no way to search through the user list and no way to match up your existing contacts. Users do have to approve a request to receive a chat from someone, and reporting objectionable content is easy to do within the app. The ads are obtrusive, including a banner ad at the bottom of the page, ads that take over the entire screen until you view and close it, and pop-up ads with every step of the account creation, chat sending, and chat reading process. Also, in the app store, though the description says there are almost 200 reviews, there are only nine that are visible and universally unfavorable. So, it's status as number one social media app seems dubious at best. Definitely do not believe the hype!

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how apps like Hi Monkey - Quick Chat make money -- through the app store purchase price and ad revenue. How do you determine if viewing ads is worth the benefit of the app? Ask kids how they feel about paying for an app and also having to view ads after purchasing.

  • Discuss location sharing and the risks it has. When might it be useful to share your location, and with whom? When is it a bad idea?

App Details

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