PingPing

A Signal Alternative Built for Kids and Families

Signal is one of the most privacy-respecting messengers for adults. But privacy for adults and safety for children are not the same thing. Ping is a private messenger built specifically for children and families: parent-approved contacts only, no public profiles, no phone number required for your child, and parental controls built in from the start.

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New to this? Start with our guide: How to choose a safe messaging app for kids →

Why messengers built for adults — even private ones — often don't work well for younger kids

Signal is excellent at what it was built for: private, secure communication for adults. But being private for adults is not the same as being safe for children. For families with younger kids, a few things tend to matter more:

Who can contact them.

Signal still requires a phone number to register. Depending on privacy settings, people who know that number may be able to find the account and send a message request. Signal gives users controls to reduce this, but it does not offer parent-approved contact lists for children.

No parental controls.

Signal is designed for adult autonomy and privacy. That is a strength for adults — but it also means there are no parent oversight features, no contact approval flow, and no family settings for younger children.

How complex the app is.

Signal's interface is clean and well-designed — for adults. It wasn't built around the needs, reading level, and safety patterns of a 7-year-old.

None of this makes Signal a bad app. It's actually one of the best privacy-focused messengers available. It just wasn't made for kids.

What to look for in a messenger for kids

If you're evaluating options for your child, here are the things worth checking:

Approved contacts only

can your child only hear from people you've added?

No public discovery

is there any way a stranger could find your child's profile or phone number?

No unknown messages

are unsolicited messages structurally impossible, or just filtered?

No phone number required

does your child need their own number to sign up?

Strong privacy defaults

is data minimisation built in, or optional?

Parent controls that make sense

can you actually manage things easily, without a manual?

Age-appropriate design

is the interface genuinely made for a child, or a simplified adult UI?

How Ping works

Ping has two sides: one for children, one for parents.

For children

A simple, joyful chat interface where kids can express themselves in whatever way feels natural — stickers, drawings, voice messages, photos (if parents have enabled this), or text. There's also a walkie-talkie mode, where kids can send voice messages that auto-play in sequence, making it feel like a real back-and-forth conversation. No algorithms, no feeds, no likes. Just messaging.

Children sign in by scanning a QR code — no phone number, no email address, no password needed for the child's account.

For parents

A separate interface, protected by a parental gate, where you set up your family, approve contacts, and manage settings like quiet hours, photo sharing, voice messages, and group chats. You decide who your child can talk to. Ping handles the rest.

The parental gate itself is a deliberate two-step barrier — parents must press and hold a button, then solve a short maths problem — before any settings or authentication are even reached. This ensures children can't accidentally (or intentionally) access the parent side.

Ping vs. Signal — side by side

FeaturePingSignal
Built specifically for childrenYesNo (built for adults)
Parent-approved contacts onlyYesNo
Unknown contact requests structurally preventedYesManaged through privacy settings, message requests, and blocking
No phone number needed for childNot neededRequired for registration
No ads or trackingNoneNone
End-to-end encryptionYesYes
Age categoryUSK 0 (without age restriction)USK 0 (without age restriction)
Open source / auditedNoYes
Kid-friendly UIDesigned for childrenDesigned for adults
Stickers (curated, child-safe)YesOpen / not child-curated
DrawingsYesNo
Voice messagesYesYes
Walkie-talkie voice modeYesNo
Photo sharing (parent-controlled)YesYes (no parental controls)
On-device photo safety checkYes (on supported Apple devices)No child-specific photo safety layer
Parent controlsBuilt-inNot available
Quiet time / screen time limitsYesNo built-in family setting
Group chats (parent-controlled)YesYes (no parental controls)
No device contacts neededNever neededOptional for contact discovery
Built and hosted in EuropeGermany / EuropeUS-based nonprofit
Business modelFamily subscriptionNonprofit / donations

Is Ping the right fit for your family?

Ping is a good fit if…

  • Your child is starting to message family or real-life friends
  • You want parent-approved contacts — no strangers, no open discovery
  • You don't want your child to need a phone number or email address
  • You want a child-friendly interface with parental controls built in
  • Privacy and where your data is hosted matter to you

Ping may not be the right fit if…

  • Your child mainly needs to reach contacts already using Signal
  • You're looking for an open-source, audited messaging platform
  • You need open contact requests or public discovery

Ping at a glance

Available on
iOS (App Store) · Android (Google Play)
Languages
English, German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Portuguese (Brazil)
Developed and hosted
Germany
Age rating
USK 0 (without age restriction)
Privacy standard
Designed around GDPR principles: data minimisation, transparency, and strong privacy defaults
Encryption
End-to-end encrypted messages
Photo safety
On supported Apple devices: on-device analysis via Apple SensitiveContentAnalysis — nothing leaves the device. On all platforms: parent controls determine whether photo sharing is available at all.
Ads
None
Data sold to third parties
Never
Device contacts / address book
Never accessed
Phone number required (child)
No
Child sign-in
QR code only
Free trial
14 days
After trial
Family subscription

Frequently asked questions

Is Ping like Signal for kids?
Not exactly — they solve different problems. Signal is an excellent privacy-focused messenger for adults who want secure, private communication. Ping is built specifically for children and families. Where Signal prioritises adult autonomy and privacy, Ping adds a layer designed for families: parent-approved contacts, no phone number required for children, parental controls, and a child-friendly interface. Both care about privacy — but Ping is built around the needs of younger children.
Isn't Signal already private enough for kids?
Signal is very private — but privacy for adults and safety for children are different things. Signal still requires a phone number to register, and depending on settings, people may be able to find an account by phone number or username and send a message request. Signal gives users privacy controls, message requests, and blocking. Ping takes a different approach: children can only communicate with parent-approved contacts in the first place.
Can strangers contact my child on Ping?
No. There are no public profiles and no user search. Children can only receive messages from contacts a parent has explicitly approved. There is no mechanism for a stranger to find or message your child.
Does my child need a phone number?
No. Children sign in via a QR code. No phone number, email address, or password is needed for the child's account.
Can parents read every message?
Ping is designed so that parents manage who their child talks to — not what they say. Chat content stays private between participants. Parents stay in control through contact approval and settings, not surveillance. We believe children deserve a private space to talk to the people they trust.
What can kids actually do on Ping?
Quite a lot — and all of it designed for how kids actually like to communicate. They can send stickers (curated and child-safe), draw and send doodles, share voice messages, use walkie-talkie mode (voice messages that auto-play back and forth), share photos (if parents have enabled this), and send text messages. Parents can choose which of these features are available for their child.
Is Ping safe for photos?
Yes. On supported Apple devices, Ping uses Apple's on-device SensitiveContentAnalysis to help detect sensitive photos before they're sent or displayed. The analysis happens entirely on the device — nothing is transmitted for this purpose. On all platforms, parents can also control whether photo sharing is enabled at all.
Is Ping free?
Ping can be tried free for 14 days. After the trial, a family subscription keeps the app running. There are no ads and no data sales — the subscription is the only thing that funds Ping.
Is Ping available on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Ping is available on the App Store (iPhone and iPad) and Google Play (Android).
Where is Ping based?
Ping is developed and hosted in Germany, with all data on European servers. It's designed around GDPR principles: data minimisation, transparency, and strong privacy defaults.
Does Ping show ads?
No. Ping is completely ad-free — no banners, no sponsored content, no behavioural tracking.

Give your child a private space to stay close to the people they love.

No strangers. No ads. No unnecessary data collection. Just the people your family trusts.

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