Wink
A guide for families with key information about ‘Wink’, including the age rating, key terminology, risks and instructions for enabling parental controls and safety settings.
- Part of
Disclaimer
Wink formerly marketed as a social media app. It now markets itself as a dating or friends app suitable for users 18+. It is not recommended users under 18 use this app.
Wink is a free social networking app developed by 9 Count Inc in 2019 and is designed for making friends online. Profiles are presented with hobbies listed and a small description written by the user. Users then decide whether to accept or reject the friend request, swiping left or right to do so. Wink encourages users to link the app to their other social media pages, such as Snapchat. Once users have exchanged profile information via the Wink app, their conversations can continue via Snapchat, or other third-party chatting apps. The app can be accessed on the Apple App Store and Google Play, where there are no up-front costs. However, users are encouraged to buy ‘Wink Plus’ to allow for unlimited swiping or the ability to view verified profiles only. Users can look for other users to make friends and connect based on common interests, such as taste in music or favourite hobbies.
Official age rating
The minimum age restriction for Wink users is 13, however it does not appear to have any particular age verification methods.
Users aged 18+ can chat with all other profiles aged over 18. However, users aged 17 and under can only chat with other users aged 13-17.
Wink is rated 17+ on the Apple App store and Mature 17+ on the Google Play store.
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
Wink is a swipe-style social networking app, generally used to make friends. One popular way of using the app is to meet international ‘penpals’ over the app. Wink has generally been noted to be rather undeveloped as user glitches are common, changes are frequently made with no quality control, and chats between users do not always update correctly. The userbase has been noted to contain many questionable accounts that engage in predation, sexual ‘hookups’, and scamming. Wink is best paired with Snapchat and the app encourages people to link these accounts. Many users report that they are most interested in this feature, as it allows them to find new people to chat with.
Key features and terminology
-
An ‘about-me’ feature in which the user can write any details about themself, up to 255 characters.
-
These are small programs that run within the app and are made by third-party developers. Bots (short for robot) are computer programmes designed to simulate human activity and complete repetitive tasks. Within Wink, bots are automated profiles that are typically used to advertise social media profiles on other platforms.
-
A paid 30-minute profile boost that increases the chances of other users finding the boosted profile.
-
Friends are the mutually added contacts you have accepted to see your profile. These can be people users know in real life but can also include those they have only met online.
-
This refers to the in-app currency used to make purchases, such as profile themes or swiping cards.
-
This refers to pre-made tags about the user that signal their interests, for example musical genres or types of films they prefer.
-
When the user swipes right on a profile, they send a friend request to the other user. The other user can choose to accept this request, making them friends, or reject the request.
-
A feature that allows the user to visit a profile they previously rejected.
-
A user that promotes the selling of false products or services for money.
-
Wink’s in-app shop where the user can buy profile themes or swiping cards.
-
A paid-for 3-hour profile boost which is stronger than the generic ‘Boost’. This allows for more profile visibility on the platform.
-
This refers to how users find other users in the app. For example, by swiping left (reject) or swiping right (send request). Swiping right costs 10 gems unless the user is using Wink Plus, a paid-for upgrade.
-
This refers to accounts where the profile picture has been assessed as being that of the account holder and not someone else. To verify an account, users are prompted to take a selfie. If the picture matches that of their profile, the account will be verified.
-
An audio ‘about-me’ where the user answers a basic interest question, which allows other users to hear their voice.
-
The user’s Wink-specific ID code which they can choose to share with other users.
-
Wink’s premium feature that allows access to ad-free searching, unlimited swiping, rewinds, and verified-only profile searching.
Potential risks
Content
As the messages on Wink are user generated, the content of the messages is not always moderated. This means your child could be exposed to bad language or mature content. A range of inappropriate material can be found on the platform, including images and text. By restricting who your child can access on the platform, your child is less likely to experience language or behaviour that is not suitable for their age. Check that your child has set up their account to reflect their real age, to benefit from age-related restrictions that have been put in place by the platform. If your child should access the app, encourage them to speak to you if they encounter any content they find upsetting or disturbing. Talk to your child about the dangers of sharing nudes or semi-nudes online and remind them that any sexualised images containing children under 18 is considered illegal child sexual abuse material.
As many users use Wink to find new friends but then continue their chats on Snapchat, parents and carers should take time to become familiar with Snapchat. For more information, visit the Snapchat guide for parents and carers.
Connecting with others
Whilst Wink has put age segmentations in place to help protect younger users from adult content, there are no rigorous age verification methods. This means users under 18 could easily access the 18+ chats and equally, over 18s who have an interest in children could access the 13-17 profiles. Remind your child to check that new accounts they are connecting with have been verified. This should help to ensure that the person behind the account is who they claim to be. However, this is not a robust safeguard and should not be solely relied upon. 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. Remind your child to tell you if they have been asked more personal questions or to chat privately using a different app.
As many users use Wink to find new friends but then continue their chats on Snapchat, parents and carers should take time to become familiar with Snapchat. For more information, visit the Snapchat guide for parents and carers.
User behaviour
The ease with which users can makes friends on Wink can make it feel fun in a way that can make users less conscious of the risks. Unfortunately, those seeking to exploit young people can take advantage of the open nature of apps and sites like this to make direct contact with them. Users should be careful about who they meet online and report anyone who makes them uncomfortable.
It is important to explain to your child that all content they share in chats can be screenshotted, saved and widely shared. They always need to consider the content they create and share by really thinking about whether they would be happy for everyone they know to see it.
Design, data and costs
Wink encourages users to buy in-app currency known as ‘Gems’, which allows them to swipe right (accept friend request) and reach out to another user. Each right-swipe costs 10 gems. Users of the platform also need to upgrade to ‘Wink Plus’ to benefit from searching for validated accounts only. Speak to your child about in-app purchases and ensure they understand that real money is used to make purchases within the app. You can also set the relevant in-app purchase settings on your device. More information on this can be found in the ‘Manage time and purchases’ section of this guide.
Users of Wink should be aware of how the platform is designed to keep users engaged and active. The app sends frequent notifications, such as new friend requests, which encourage users to log back in. It also rewards users with gems for maintained chat streaks over several days. For example, users who chat with a friend for 7 days in a row will receive 1000 gems to use on the platform. Remind your child to take time away from the app and use the notification settings listed in the ‘Managing time and purchases’ section of this guide to help manage time on the platform.
Wink users should be aware that some of the profiles on the platform are set up by scammers, which promote the advertising of fake products for money. Encourage your child to think carefully about the validity of the things they see online. If it seems too good to be true, then it is probably not real and they should avoid it.
Tips for keeping your child safe
-
Wink does not have any setting options to make the account private. Instead, it is recommended that parents and carers explore the settings menu on individual devices to help manage privacy.
To set to ‘Private’ (on iOS):
- go to the ‘Game Centre’ in the settings menu on your iPhone
- scroll down to ‘Privacy and settings’ and change your ‘Profile privacy’ to ‘Only you’
To set to ‘Private’ (on Android):
- go to the ‘Play games’ app, touch the menu icon and select ‘Settings’
- select ‘Game profile’ > ‘Play now’ > ‘Your game profile’
- adjust your ‘Visibility and notifications’ settings to the most private options
-
The default settings for users aged 13-17 means they can only chat with people in that age group. Parents and carers should ensure the account has been created using the correct date of birth to benefit from this setting.
To manage chat settings:
- go to your profile and select ‘Settings’
- select ‘Search preferences’ and work through the listed options (users should select ‘Verified profiles only’ to help limit contact with fake accounts)
To delete your account:
- go to your profile and select ‘Settings’
- scroll to the bottom of the page and select ‘Delete my account’
- choose from the following options:
- The age on my profile is wrong
- Safety or privacy concerns
- Too busy / too distracting
- I can’t find friends
- Created a second account
- Something else
- type ‘Delete’ in the textbox and select ‘Delete’
-
Users can report other users who may be bothering them or behaving inappropriately on the platform.
To report a contact:
- go to the three dots icon at the top right while in a chat window with a contact
- choose ‘Report X’
- when prompted with ‘Are you sure you want to report?’ select ‘Okay’
To report an un-added contact:
- go to the three dots icon at the top right while in a chat window with a contact
- select the reason why you want to report and block the user from the following:
- I’m not interested in this person
- Inappropriate behaviour
- Abusive or threatening
- Spam or scam
- Stolen photo
- choose ‘Report and block’
- when prompted with ‘Are you sure you want to block X?’ select ‘Okay’
To block a contact:
- go to the three dots icon at the top right while in a chat window with a contact
- choose ‘Block X’
- when prompted with ‘Are you sure you want to block X?’ select ‘Okay’
To unfriend a contact:
- go to the three dots icon at the top right while in a chat window with a contact
- choose ‘Unfriend’
- when prompted with ‘Are you sure you want to unfriend X?’ select ‘Okay’
-
There are no settings available on Wink to manage notifications or purchases. Instead, it is recommended that parents and carers explore the settings menu on individual devices.
To manage notifications (on iOS):
- go to the settings menu and scroll to ‘Notifications’
- find Wink in the list of apps and toggle off the ‘Allow notifications’ option
To manage time (on Android):
- go to the settings menu and scroll to ‘Apps’
- find Wink in the list of apps and select ‘Notifications’
- toggle off the ‘Show notifications’ option
To disable in-app purchases (on iOS):
- go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Screen time’ and scroll down to ‘Content and privacy restrictions’
- select ‘iTunes and App Store purchases’ and set the option to ‘Don’t allow’
To disable in-app purchases (on Android):
- go to your ‘Google Play Store’ app
- select ‘Menu’ > ‘Settings’ > ‘Require authentication for purchases’
- this means you will need to set a password to make in-app purchases
-
Users should first email support@getwinkapp.com if they have an active Wink+ subscription to cancel their subscription before deleting their account.
To delete a Wink account:
- first, go to your ‘Profile’ by selecting the vector image of a person in the bottom right
- on your profile, press the gear icon on the top right to access ‘Settings’
- scroll down, and underneath the large red button labelled ‘Log Out’ press ‘Delete my account’
- select your reason of choice for deleting your account
- type ‘Delete’ to confirm deleting your account
Additional tips
Wink has an About us page with contact information to ask questions or leave feedback.