Is Marco Polo Safe for Kids? Protect Your Child in 2026

Toma Novakovic Former Writer
Published on: February 22, 2025 Updated 2 times since publishing

Marco Polo is relatively safe for kids aged 13 and up. It avoids some common risks found in other messaging apps — for example, only people with your child’s number can contact them, and there are no intrusive ads. However, there are still some safety concerns to keep in mind.

I spent a few days testing the app to get an idea of how it works and how safe it is. I explored its settings to see how you can better protect your child’s privacy and security, and I reviewed its privacy policy to find out what data it collects and why.

The best way to keep your child safe on Marco Polo is with a parental control app. Qustodio is my top pick since it lets you set time limits for the app and control when your child can use it.

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What Is Marco Polo & How Does It Work?

Marco Polo is a video messaging app that lets kids send and receive short videos (called “Polos”) that can be watched and replied to whenever it’s convenient. Kids can also add doodles, text, and voice effects to the videos — like the irresistible “helium” and “robot” options.

Marco Polo doesn’t have text chat or direct messages, and it doesn’t let users browse for friends of friends or strangers — only people saved in your child’s contacts can message them.

Sending a video message is as simple as selecting a contact and pressing record. There are no time limits on the videos.

The app saves all conversations, so messages don’t disappear like on Snapchat (you can find tips for keeping your kid safe on Snapchat here!), which can give parents peace of mind. There’s also the option to create group chats, which makes it easy for siblings, cousins, or friends to stay in touch.

What Are the Risks of Marco Polo?

• Stranger danger. Marco Polo isn’t a public social media app, but anyone in your child’s phone contacts who also has the app can send them messages. If they’ve saved unknown numbers or contacts they don’t really know, they could end up receiving messages from strangers.
• No screenshot prevention. Marco Polo doesn’t stop users from taking screenshots of Polos your child sends, and it doesn’t notify them if someone does. On top of that, messages don’t disappear automatically as they do on Snapchat — they stay saved unless someone deletes them, and someone can easily download them to their device and share them.
• Oversharing. Since Marco Polo is all about video messaging, kids might accidentally share more than they mean to. They could show their room, their computer screen, or even reveal their location without thinking about it. There’s also the chance they might capture someone else in the background, which could be a privacy issue for others.
• Cyberbullying. Marco Polo connects through phone numbers, which means someone could get your child’s number from a friend at school and use it to send mean or threatening video messages. If they have a spare phone number, they could keep doing this even if blocked, making it harder to stop the harassment.
• No content moderation. Marco Polo’s Terms of Use prohibit violent or inappropriate content, but there’s no active moderation to enforce it. This means kids could still receive or be exposed to messages that aren’t appropriate, depending on who they’re talking to.
• Too much screen time. Since there’s no time limit on videos, kids might spend a lot of time recording and watching messages, especially if they’re chatting with multiple friends. If screen time is a concern in your home, this is something to watch.
• No way to report users. Marco Polo doesn’t have a built-in reporting feature. If someone sends your child an inappropriate or upsetting message, the only option is to block them. This may not always feel like enough.
• Privacy concerns. Marco Polo collects and stores user data, including name, age, contacts, payment details, device information, and usage statistics. While it doesn’t sell data to advertisers, it may share it with third parties to improve its service.

What Age Is Marco Polo Appropriate For?

Marco Polo is generally appropriate for users aged 13 and older, in line with standards for social media legal regulations, such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the US.

However, app stores rate it differently: Google Play assigns a PEGI 3 rating, and the Apple App Store rates it for ages 4 and up. Both app stores mention user interaction as a warning to parents.

How to Keep Your Kids Safe on Marco Polo

1. Install a Good Quality Parental Control App

To make your child’s use of Marco Polo safer, consider using a high-quality parental control app like Qustodio. Qustodio offers tools to help you monitor and manage how much time your kid spends on the app, when they do so, and whether they can access it at all:

• Screen time management. Set daily limits on how long your child can use Marco Polo. For example, you can set a daily limit of 30 minutes for Marco Polo to ensure your child has time to catch up on messages without overusing the app.
• Custom schedules. Restrict app access during specific times, like blocking access to Marco Polo during homework time to help your child stay focused.
• Activity monitoring. View detailed reports on your child’s app usage. This will let you determine if your child uses Marco Polo too much during school hours, indicating a need for adjusted restrictions.
• App blocking. Block access to Marco Polo entirely if necessary.

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2. Protect Your Child’s Identity on Marco Polo

There are a few quick steps you can take to help your child maintain some degree of anonymity while using Marco Polo:

• Use your identity instead. When creating an account for your child, use your own name, phone number, and email address. This keeps strangers from immediately seeing there’s a child behind the account, which helps deter potential predators.
• Check your child’s contact list regularly. You’ll be able to vet who they can interact with and take action if any unknown people start sending Polos.
• Deny the app’s request to access contacts. While this will make it harder for your child to find friends on Marco Polo, it gives you more control over who can contact them. Marco Polo allows you to send invite links via messaging apps or by copying them to the clipboard, letting you share the link only with trusted people.

3. Prevent Others From Downloading or Forwarding Your Child’s Videos

Marco Polo lets you block others from saving your child’s Polos by downloading or forwarding them. Here’s how to do this in settings:

1. Open Settings by tapping the gear icon in the lower right corner.
2. Select Privacy from the menu.
3. Scroll down to Restrict People from Downloading or Forwarding Polos I’ve Sent Them and choose between blocking everyone or only specific contacts.

Remember that the recipients of your kid’s videos can still take screenshots or screen-record the videos.

4. Hide Your Child’s Online Status

Marco Polo lets you hide when your child is online, which can potentially reduce unwanted contact. Adjust this setting with these steps:

1. Tap the gear icon in the lower right-hand corner.
2. Tap Privacy.
3. Toggle the switch on next to Hide Active Times.

Once activated, contacts will only see vague timestamps like “recently” or “last week” instead of the exact last online time.

5. Show Your Child How to Block Someone

If your child has a bad experience on Marco Polo, they can block the user in a few steps:

1. Go to the Chats tab.
2. Tap the 3 dots next to the user’s name.
3. Tap Block/Delete Chat.
4. In the prompt, tap Block and Delete Chat.

The user will no longer be able to contact your child.

6. Restrict Group Membership

If your child is a group admin on Marco Polo, they can prevent others from adding or removing members:

1. Tap the group’s name or the 3 dots next to it.
2. Tap Group Settings.
3. Toggle Restrict Group on.

This makes sure only the admin can manage group members.

7. Talk to Your Child About Online Privacy

Having open conversations with your child about online safety is key, especially on apps like Marco Polo. I recommend covering these important points:

• Keep phone numbers private. Explain why they should never share their number online. Marco Polo only allows contacts with saved numbers to message them, but sharing their number elsewhere can lead to unwanted contact.
• Encourage open communication. Let them know they can talk to you if someone makes them uncomfortable on the app.
• Only add real-life friends. Not everyone online has good intentions. Adding strangers can lead to unwanted situations.
• Be mindful of what they send. Videos can reveal personal details. Remind them to check their surroundings before sending a Polo to avoid sharing private information.
• Respect other people’s privacy. Discuss why it’s wrong to record someone without permission and the potential ethical and legal consequences.

Frequently Asked Questions