Only fans

OnlyFans is a subscription-based social media app used to share pictures, videos and live streams. Creators can charge their “fans” a monthly fee to follow their account and view their exclusive content. Content is often created by popular YouTubers or social media influencers, but also includes fitness trainers, chefs, comedians, athletes, and models amongst others. It is also a popular platform for amateur professionals hoping to springboard their careers by gaining a paid for portfolio of work. OnlyFans is particularly known for its popularity amongst sex workers, who sell images, videos and live footage to their followers. Not all creators charge a fee for their content, but you must add credit card details before you can subscribe to any creator’s account. OnlyFans charges a 20% fee for any content sold via the platform. While OnlyFans cannot be found on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, it is available for mobile users through the OnlyFans website. The platform has over 190 million registered users and around 2.1 million content creators.

Official age rating

The minimum age for OnlyFans users is 18.

To open a creators account, users must provide a photo of themselves (a “selfie”) along with a form of photo ID to confirm their age. To create a subscribers account, there are no rigorous age verification methods.

Research suggests that the OnlyFans age verification methods are not robust and users under 18 have been able to create an account and share content.

OnlyFans is not available on Apple App Store or Google Play due to X-rated content.

Find out more about age ratings in our ‘A parent and carer’s guide to age ratings of apps and games’.

How children and young people use the app

The main appeal for young people to join OnlyFans is the notion that it is an easy way to make money by selling user-generated content and/or to view exciting content. The app is often referenced in popular culture and is well known for its capacity to make people large amounts of money very quickly. Users can also follow curated content (that isn’t necessarily sexual) made by influencers which they are interested in - this can only be accessed with a monthly membership. The paywall can make the content seem more exclusive and more appealing to young people as a result. However, a large majority of the content and the app’s popularity stems from its sexual content made by users, as well as celebrities and other popular figures online that young people may already follow and therefore find appealing.

The minimum subscription price is approximately £3.90 per month and the maximum subscription price is approximately £39.00 per month. Creators can also opt to make their content free. Creators can set up tips or ‘Paid private messages’ starting at a minimum of approximately £4.00.

Key features and terminology

Those who post and share content for their subscribers.
Those who subscribe and pay to view someone else’s content.
Work completed via private message and a private fee is paid.
Similar to Instagram, a heart-shaped button below each post allows users to ‘Like’ it, showing the account holder their appreciation for the photo or video.
A ‘Post’ refers to the photo or video a user adds to their account.
Below each post, users can add a comment. This can be in a written format or through the use of icons known as emojis.
This means ‘Not safe for work’ so users know which content should be viewed in private.
A feature that allows creators to design and sell their own merchandise through their profiles. It is important to note that these products could have inappropriate messaging printed on them, such as sexual imagery or sexual messages.
OnlyFan Creators have the choice to release their content as PPV through private messages with OnlyFan viewers. It allows viewers to pay only for the type of content they want to see.

Potential risks

Content

As OnlyFans has an adult age rating and it is unregulated, there is a high risk of viewing inappropriate materials and mature content. A large proportion of the content on OnlyFans is sexual and creators often use the hashtag ‘NSFW’ (not safe for work) to let their subscribers know to view their posts in private. Creators also have the ability to post uncensored, X-rated pictures and videos as well as host live streams where followers can engage with creators in real-time. OnlyFans also has a messaging feature, which allows creators to engage with their viewers directly. Again, there is the potential for bad language and mature content to be shared via this feature. Encourage children and young people to speak to you if they encounter any content they find upsetting or disturbing. If they have set up a creator account, talk to them about the dangers of sharing nudes or semi-nudes. Concerns have been raised regarding child sexual abuse material that has been found on the platform. It is important to remember that any sexual images or videos containing children under 18 is child sexual abuse material. It is not recommended that young people under 18 access the platform.

Connecting with others

The 18+ age rating of OnlyFans suggests it is only intended to be used by adults. However, due to some issues with the age verification methods, it has been found that users under 18 have been able to access the platform, both as subscribers and as creators. The unregulated nature presents a contact risk for those younger users on OnlyFans, as they will be able to interact with users of all ages. It has been reported that there have been grooming incidents on the platform involving sexual predators who have been able to use the platform to persuade their victims to sharing intimate images. Speak to your child about the risks of connecting with strangers and explain the importance of not sharing any personal or identifiable information within chats or interactions on the platform. Remind your child to tell you if they have been asked personal questions or to chat privately using a different app. It is not recommended that a child under 18 should access this platform.

User behaviour

The notion of making money quickly and easily on OnlyFans can be very appealing to young people and it is frequently talked about on other platforms. Some OnlyFans creators share videos on other platforms like TikTok boasting about their earnings and offering to share advice with others on how to make money on OnlyFans. Such appealing exposure to OnlyFans on other platforms can be confusing for young people who are looking for a way to make money. Talk to your child about the potential harm associated with selling personal images. It is important to explain that all content can be screenshotted, saved and widely shared. They always need to think about the content they share and consider whether they would be happy for everyone they know to see it.

Content creators on OnlyFans should also be aware of the risk of controlling behaviours by their subscribers. It has been reported that some subscribers offer to pay large sums of money to obtain an intimate image and then use this as leverage to blackmail or extort the creator for further, sometimes more extreme, images. It is not recommended that a child under 18 should access this platform.

Design, data and costs

OnlyFans is a subscription-based service, where creators can make money from the content they share. It’s important to talk about the dangers of selling personal content and the risks of being coerced into selling more extreme content for larger sums of money. Content creators on the platform have also spoken of how much time they have needed to spend online in order to establish a following, resulting in excessive daily screen-time use. It is not recommended that your child under 18 should access this platform.

It is also important to note that there are many different ways that creators can charge users for their content including through tips, PPV content, and through paid-for messages. This can be confusing for younger users and can lead to excessive amounts of money being spent on the platform. It is not recommended that a child under 18 should access this platform.

Tips for keeping your child safe

As OnlyFans has an adult age rating, there are very few parental controls and settings available.
You can explore the parental controls on your individual devices and broadband service, which may allow you to put filters and blocks in place.
To enable ‘Two-step verification’:
- go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Account’
- tap ‘Two-step verification’ (OnlyFans encourage users to do this and suggest Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator work well for them)
As OnlyFans has an adult age rating, there are very few parental controls and settings available. The way the platform works means you only see content from those you choose to follow. Users can block accounts that they no longer wish to see.
To limit exposure to explicit content, explore the parental controls on your individual devices and broadband service, which may allow you to put filters and blocks in place.
To ‘unsubscribe’ from a user:
- go to your profile and select the user you wish to unsubscribe from.
- go to their profile and select ‘Unsubscribe’ (if you were paying for that subscription you would have to pay for that month)
Users can report and block other users who may be bothering them or behaving inappropriately on the platform.
To block a subscriber:
- go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Subscribers’
- select the three dots next to the name of the user you want to block
- select ‘Block’ or ‘Restrict’
To block another OnlyFans account:
- go to the account you wish to block
- select the three dots at the top of the page and then select ‘Restrict’ or ‘Block’
As OnlyFans has an adult age rating, there are very few parental controls and settings available. There are some settings you can change to help manage time and purchases.
To disable notifications:
- go to ‘Settings’ and scroll to ‘Notifications’
- toggle which notifications you want on or off
To manage purchases:
- when creating an account, users need to provide their bank details
- explore the parental controls on your individual devices and broadband service, so that your child does not have easy access to your or their bank accounts
Users on OnlyFans are only able to delete their accounts, rather than deactivate them. Account deletion means all your information will be permanently deleted and cannot be restored. Facebook users can either delete or deactivate their accounts.
To delete your OnlyFans account:
- after logging in, select the three dots in a circle ‘…’ labelled ‘More’
- choose the gear icon labelled ‘Settings’
- choose ‘Account’
- under ‘Account management’, press ‘Delete account’
- type the Captcha and press ‘DELETE ACCOUNT’
- press ‘Yes, delete’ when prompted

Additional tips

Yoti, the facial analysis technology, has found a large number of underage users have been able to set up creator accounts by using fake ID. It is recommended that no child under 18 should have an OnlyFans account, either as a subscriber or creator.

While OnlyFans is not a pornography site, it has become increasingly popular amongst sex workers and has received vast media coverage for being a platform where adult content is prevalent.

The creators of OnlyFans have launched a video-streaming platform (OFTV) featuring original content by OnlyFans creators. The platform will feature short and long form videos, including new shows by reality TV personalities, that users can subscribe to. Although it is branded as a ‘safe-for-work’ streaming platform, it is recommended that you check the content of the OFTV shows your child may access on the platform to ensure it is suitable.

Only fans

Official age rating

How children and young people use the app

Key features and terminology

Creators

Subscribers

Commissioned work

Like

Post

Comment

NSFW

Spring store integration

‘Pay-Per-View’ (PPV)

Potential risks

Content

Connecting with others

User behaviour

Design, data and costs

Tips for keeping your child safe

Managing privacy

Managing interactions and content

Reporting and blocking

Managing time and purchases

Account deactivation or deletion

Additional tips