Viber

What is Viber?

Viber is a messaging app owned by Rakuten that offers text messaging, voice and video calls, group chats, communities (public group chats), a sticker marketplace and Viber Out (call regular phone numbers). It is particularly popular in Eastern Europe, parts of Asia, and among certain immigrant communities. Viber uses end-to-end encryption by default for personal conversations.

Age rating: 13 (higher in some countries).

Why do kids like it?

• Their family already uses it. Many children use Viber because parents, grandparents or relatives abroad are already on it. It is the family’s communication channel.
• Free international calls. Children with family in other countries can call for free over the internet — no expensive international phone charges.
• Fun stickers. Viber has a huge library of stickers and GIFs that make conversations more entertaining for kids.
• Group chats. Children create group chats with friends for schoolwork, hobbies and socialising.
• Communities. Public group chats around interests like sports, gaming or music — children can follow topics they enjoy.
• Popular in certain circles. In some schools or friend groups, Viber is the preferred app, especially among children with Eastern European backgrounds.

What are the real risks?

• Contact from strangers. Anyone who has your child’s phone number can send them messages directly. Children may receive spam, scam links or inappropriate content from unknown numbers.
• Public communities. Anyone can join public communities. These are not always well-moderated and can contain adult content, hate speech or misinformation. Children may come into contact with strangers without parents knowing.
• Hidden and secret chats. Viber has a feature for secret chats with self-destructing messages. Children may use this to hide conversations from parents.
• Phone number as identity. Your child’s phone number is automatically shared with all contacts and is the only way to create an account. Scanning a QR code can also add someone as a contact at school or other places.
• In-app purchases. Stickers can involve purchases that children make without thinking about the cost.

Settings to check

1. Hide “online” status: Settings → Privacy → turn off “Online Status” so others cannot see when your child is active.
2. Disable “seen” status: Settings → Privacy → turn off “Seen Status” so senders do not know when messages have been read.
3. Silence unknown callers (Android): Settings → Calls → turn on “Silence Calls from Unknown Numbers” to automatically silence calls from numbers not in the contact list.
4. Restrict who can add to groups: Settings → Privacy → set “Add to Groups” to “My Contacts” so only saved contacts can add your child to groups, channels or communities.
5. Review community memberships: Check which public communities your child has joined. Go to the Communities tab and review the list.
6. Check for hidden chats: Look for a PIN-protected “Hidden Chats” folder in the chat list. Viber allows conversations to be moved here so they do not appear on the main screen.
7. Turn on 2-step verification: Settings → Account → “2-Step Verification” → set a PIN to prevent anyone else from activating the account on a different phone.
8. Enable auto spam check: Settings → Privacy → turn on “Auto Spam Check” to scan messages from unknown senders for malicious content.
9. Review connected devices: Settings → Account → “Connected Devices” — check that Viber is not logged in on unknown devices.
10. Hide message preview: Settings → Notifications → turn off “Message Preview” so content does not appear on the lock screen.

How to talk about it

“Who do you talk to most on Viber? Is it family, friends or others?”

“Have you joined any communities on Viber? What are they about, and who else is in them?”

“Have you ever received messages from numbers you don’t recognise? What do you do when that happens?”

“Viber has a feature called hidden chats — what do you think something like that is used for?”

Last reviewed: April 2026