Lobby - Team up & Voice Chat
By Ana Beltran,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Voice chat with other gamers; beware of mature content.
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Lobby - Team up & Voice Chat
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Based on 2 parent reviews
Good
Be very wary
What’s It About?
Kids can sign up for LOBBY – TEAM UP & VOICE CHAT using Snapchat, Google, Facebook, Apple, or their phone number. After choosing a username and entering their birth date, they'll have access to a list of trending team ups or hangouts under the home tab. They can team up to play one of the third-party games supported by the app, watch YouTube videos together, or just chill in a real-time voice chat room. Kids can participate in the public team-ups by tapping on the green join button. Once in the team up, they can be part of the audience, essentially listening in, or they can apply to speak. They can also engage with others through the room's dedicated chat. The instant team-up feature allows kids to explore different groups by randomly giving them a seat in active groups based on their preferences. Kids can create their own room through the host button. They have the option of creating different types of rooms: public; for friends, allowing friends of room members to join; or locked, which means only those invited can join. The group tab allows kids to explore a list of group chats or access groups they've created. Groups, where members mostly engage via text, differ from instant team-ups because most require members to apply to join and have messaging rights. However, kids don't need to apply to read the content in the group chats. The app also incorporates a direct messaging feature housed under the chat tab. Under the profile tab, kids can add a photo, see their hangout history, and their number of followers. The app encourages users to connect their Instagram as a way to verify identity.
Is It Any Good?
This is a fun platform for teens to connect and play one of the supported third-party games together, but unmoderated, real-time voice chatting means there will be mature content. Lobby - Hang out & Voice Chat is ideal for teens and adults. The idea of instantly matching with people to play games, watch YouTube videos, and hangout is enticing. It offers a pretty seamless and well laid out process for gamers to connect and play in real time. This aspect of the app includes really explicit step-by-step directions, whereas other features require a bit more trial and error. Kids will also value knowing that their voice matters and that the app's creators want to know which games they'd like to see the app support in the future.
Although the app attempts to match users with other members their own age, there's no real verification. Some team-ups or hangouts are centered around interests or hobbies, like music or signing. In others, hosts share YouTube videos, allowing members to have a shared viewing experience. Since the content on the app is directed by users and there’s a high level of anonymity, tons of concerning content arises. Teens will hear profanity and crude humor; comments that belittle others based on race, ethnicity, skin color, sexual orientation, and gender; explicit conversations about dating and sex; and content that overly objectifies and sexualizes bodies. Users can report inappropriate content, but its frequency compromises the overall experience. So, the safest route is to create a locked space for friends to play and chat, but arm kids with information about the kinds of content they might hear in public spaces.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about using social media responsibly when using Lobby – Team Up & Voice Chat. Since the app makes it easy for kids to connect with friends and strangers, discuss how to have fun while staying safe and protecting privacy. What's ok to share? What's not?
Talk about cyberbullying and cyber harassment and ways to report it or get help. What is cyber harassment? What can you do when you experience it or witness it happening? How can you use the app's functions to report inappropriate content?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , Mac , Android
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: April 9, 2021
- Category: Social Networking
- Publisher: Maverick Limited
- Version: 1.15
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 10.0 or later; Android 7.0 and up
- Last updated: July 26, 2021
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