Toma Novakovic
Published on: January 28, 2025
Fact-checked by Kate Davidson
Wattpad isn’t a completely safe space for kids. While it can help teens build reading habits or explore writing, there’s a lot of inappropriate content that even most teens aren’t ready for.
The platform has basic safety tools, like a mature content filter and tag blocking, but I wouldn’t rely on these to make sure my kid doesn’t access inappropriate content.
The best way to protect your child on Wattpad is to get a parental control app like Qustodio. It helps you control access to Wattpad and limit screen time.
What Are the Risks of Wattpad?
Wattpad is a great place for your teen to explore creative writing, but its open nature and user-generated content come with risks. Parents and guardians should be aware of the following concerns:
- Mature content. Wattpad stories span a wide range of themes, including mature topics like violence, sex, and substance abuse, which aren’t suitable for most teens.
- Lack of content warnings. Watpadd lets writers add content warnings to their stories, but they don’t have to use them, and many of them don’t. As a result, your teen can easily come across inappropriate material without any prior warning.
- Glamorization of harmful behavior. Some Wattpad stories portray harmful behaviors like abuse, self-harm, or drug use in a way that makes them seem appealing or romantic. This can influence impressionable teens to view these behaviors as normal or desirable, without understanding their real consequences.
- User interactions. Wattpad allows users to engage through story comments and private messages. However, these features can also be misused for inappropriate conversations, cyberbullying, harassment, or even grooming and exploitation.
- Excessive screen time. With countless stories available, Wattpad makes it easy for teens to binge-read for hours. This excessive screen time can negatively impact sleep, concentration, schoolwork, and even eyesight.
- Privacy concerns. Wattpad profiles and stories often include personal details, like location, age, or contact information. Kids might not realize how easily this information can be misused by others online.
- In-app purchases. Wattpad offers premium features and exclusive content behind a paywall, which can tempt teens to spend money. This could lead to overspending, either with their own funds or without parental permission.
What Age Is Wattpad Appropriate For?
Wattpad sets its minimum user age at 13, but I’d say it’s more appropriate for older teens, likely 17 and up.
The platform’s minimum user age complies with regulations like COPPA in the US and GDPR in the EU, but you should seriously consider your child’s maturity level before letting them use the app.
Wattpad contains a significant amount of mature, adult-oriented content, including sexual themes, violence, abuse, drug use, and mental health topics. The platform allows users to tag mature content, but writers aren’t required to do so and many choose not to.
Apple’s App Store rating of 17+ reflects these concerns. Google Play gives a broad “Parental guidance recommended” warning for in-app purchases and user interaction.
I recommend carefully monitoring younger teens using the platform and discussing online safety and content discernment.
How to Keep Your Kids Safe on Wattpad
1. Install a Good Quality Parental Control App
A high-quality parental control app, such as Qustodio, can help you regulate your child’s Wattpad experience — considering Wattpad itself doesn’t offer many reliable tools to monitor or control how your child uses the platform. Here’s what a parental control app can do:
- Schedule screen time. Set times when your child can access Wattpad, such as outside school hours, study time, or bedtime. You can customize the schedule to fit your week.
- Block access. If your child is spending too much time on Wattpad, you can block the app and the website entirely to encourage focus on school or family activities.
- Monitor activity. See detailed activity reports, showing how much time your child spends on apps and sites, including Wattpad. This helps you decide if you need to step in and address overuse.
2. Set Up Wattpad’s Mature Content Filter
Wattpad allows users to exclude mature works from search results and the homepage. However, the tagging system isn’t entirely reliable, so some mature content may still slip through.
Activating Wattpad’s mature content filter is super simple:
- Click on your child’s username in the upper right corner.
- Go to Settings and select the Content Preferences tab.
- Switch the toggle next to the Mature Content option to off.
- Click Apply Changes.
3. Block Unwanted Tags
Authors can tag their stories with topics and content warnings, so you can use these tags to help guide your child toward more appropriate content.
Here’s how to block tags on Wattpad:
- Click on your child’s username in the upper right corner.
- Click on Settings and go to the Content Preferences tab.
- Under Blocked Tags, click Edit Tags.
- Here, you can type in the tags you want to block, separated by a space. Some of the tags you can block out this way are “explicit”, “spicy”, or “r18”.
- Click the back arrow to return to the Content Preferences tab.
- Click Apply Changes.
Note that a lot of writers don’t tag their stories appropriately. I found many explicit stories even when I filtered out a lot of tags for mature content. But although the system isn’t foolproof for filtering out problematic content, it still provides some level of control to reduce the chances of your child encountering inappropriate material.
4. Show Your Child How to Block and Report Users
If your child encounters issues with a user—such as harassment, inappropriate messages, or plagiarism—you can help them block the user and report the behavior to Wattpad for further action.
Here’s how to block and report users on Wattpad:
- Click the user’s username to open their profile.
- On the right-hand side, click the three dots.
- From the dropdown menu, select Block User and confirm your choice.
- To report the user, repeat the steps and click Report.
- Choose Inappropriate Content or Copyright Infringement, depending on the issue.
5. Talk to Your Child About Themes and Writing on Wattpad
You can help your child navigate Wattpad by encouraging critical thinking about the content they read and write. Discuss how some stories may portray unrealistic or unhealthy views on serious topics like abuse or drug use, and guide them toward a balanced perspective on fiction.
If your child enjoys writing, support their creative process by offering feedback or brainstorming ideas without being intrusive. Let them know they can come to you if they encounter malicious comments or trolls. Open communication can help them stay safe while building confidence in their writing.
Are There Scams on Wattpad?
Wattpad’s young user base makes it a prime target for scammers. Common scams include phishing attempts and fake writing contests. Scammers may pose as publishers offering fake book deals to steal users’ personal information.
The most common scams involve malicious links sent through messages or posted in story comments, often promising free Wattpad coins or exclusive content. These links typically lead to phishing sites or malware. Scammers also impersonate popular authors or Wattpad staff, pressuring readers to pay for access to fake “exclusive” content.
To protect your child, teach them to avoid clicking on suspicious links, never share personal information, and always be sceptical of unsolicited offers. Encourage them to block and report suspicious users to Wattpad’s support team. It’s also a good idea to install reliable antivirus software like Norton, as it can detect and block malware if a fake link is accidentally clicked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wattpad okay for a 14-year-old?
Generally, no. Although the minimum age for Wattpad is 13, the platform contains content that may be inappropriate for younger teens, such as violence, abuse, and sexual themes.
Consider your child’s maturity level and have an open discussion about the serious topics they will likely encounter while using Wattpad.
Is Wattpad free?
Yes, reading and posting stories on Wattpad is free. However, some content is behind a paywall and requires Wattpad Coins to unlock, which can be purchased. There’s also a premium plan that removes ads and gives extra coins with each purchase.
While your child doesn’t need to spend money to use Wattpad, overspending is one of the risks for kids on the app due to paywalls and the frustration of ads.
Does Wattpad collect my child’s personal information?
Yes, Wattpad collects basic personal information, like IP address, device info, email address, and date of birth. However, your child doesn’t need to share more than that and should avoid doing so.
To keep your kid safe on Wattpad, have a conversation with your child about the importance of not sharing personal information online.
Are there parental controls on Wattpad?
Wattpad lacks built-in parental controls. It offers a basic mature content filter and allows you to block specific tags, but this isn’t foolproof. The system relies on authors correctly tagging their content, and many fail to do so, so a lot of inappropriate material slips through. Additionally, your child can easily disable these protections on their account.
To better manage your child’s Wattpad experience, consider using a high-quality parental control app to limit screen time or block access altogether.
