Is Yubo a Dating App?

Yubo, a live social discovery app for Generation Z, aims to help people find a genuine friendship-based connection through its platform. Yubo isn’t a dating app. Instead, it’s designed to make it easier for Gen Z members to make new friends and hang out online.

Since launching in 2015, Yubo has helped create over 2 billion new connections. 

Yubo Lets Gen Z Be Authentic Online and Make Friends Worldwide

Yubo is a platform to make new friends and socialize. It’s not a dating app. And we care deeply about the welfare of our users. Safety is at the core of every choice we make about the platform. Our purpose is to give Gen Z a space where they can connect with important safeguards in place. 

Roughly 95% of Yubo users are Gen Z, whose members today are aged between 13 and 26. Part of Yubo’s safety infrastructure is age gating, which separates users into different communities based on age to limit interaction between minors and adults. You must be at least 13 years old to use the platform. 

We aim to make the platform as safe as it can possibly be for users of all ages. Yubo was the first major social media platform to introduce real-time audio and video moderation for livestreams in 2022. In addition to a host of other safety features and technical tools, all activity on the platform is also overseen by Human Safety Specialists, who work to ensure users adhere to Yubo’s Community Guidelines. 

All of our policies and features are developed with direction from a board of online safety experts from respected organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, The Diana Award, and Thorn.

New users must read and accept the Community Guidelines to sign up for an account on Yubo. The guidelines outline the standards and expectations required to keep the Yubo community safe and foster an atmosphere of inclusion.. It’s a living document updated regularly to reflect the frequent changes and advancements in the digital world.

All You Need To Know About the Social Discovery and Friendship Building App

Yubo is not a dating app. It focuses on friendship and encourages users to be their authentic selves for genuine connections, which is why Yubo’s features are designed for small group interactions, similar to friends hanging out in real life. 

To make it easier for Gen Z to meet new friends, Yubo offers a range of activities and features aimed at helping to “break the ice,” such as gaming or group livestreaming. Users can also connect via messaging. 

When French schoolmates Sacha Lazimi, Jérémie Aouate, and Arthur Patora founded Yubo in 2015, they purposely eliminated the pressure of traditional social media approval metrics, such as likes and follower counts, to make the platform a more natural online environment where users can be their authentic selves.

Everyone should be able to feel safe and comfortable to be themselves, online or offline. We insist that everyone in the live social discovery app community respectfully interact with each other. 

With a unique user experience and a strong commitment to safety and social discovery, Yubo is committed to elevating the online social discovery experience. 

The Social Platform Landscape

Tinder launched in 2012 and quickly changed the online dating game, becoming the most popular dating app out there. Gen Z daters are distinctly active on dating apps, swiping to find their love connection. 

Yubo also uses a swipe feature, leading some to wonder whether Yubo is also designed for dating. But no, Yubo is among the pioneers of the online friendships movement, using a live social discovery model to help foster friendships among Gen Z, the first digital-native age group in history.

Online Safety Tips

Connecting with new people online can be fun and exciting, but it also comes with potential risks, similar to meeting new people in the real world.

When connecting online, it’s essential to be mindful that you may not be getting the complete picture of who someone you’re talking to or befriending really is. A good rule of thumb is to keep your personal information, like where you go to school or where you live, private. Other types of personal information to keep private include your phone number, last name, or the address of the place you work.

Some apps use location services so users can see each other's locations to find prospective connections or matches. This can put young people at risk. Be sure your privacy settings are enabled. On Yubo, location settings for minors are automatically disabled. Never arrange to meet with someone alone you only know online. 

Online harassment is a common risk for young people on apps, so think twice before sending photos or videos. Sometimes, people are tempted to send nude pictures; unfortunately, these photos can become public. 

It’s essential to use good judgment when interacting with new people and report any instances where another user behaved in a way that made you feel uncomfortable. Yubo has robust user reporting tools, featuring the ability to submit up to four media files (screenshots of images or video, for example) to encourage easy and informative reports that safety specialists can use to address potential Community Guidelines violations. Additionally, lean on your parents or other adults you trust, like another family relative or your teacher at school, if you’re concerned about something you saw or experienced online.