Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 10 September 2026

Getting started

How old do I have to be?

13 or older for Booniverse, and 18 or older for BooFriend chats. We ask for your birthday when you set up your account.

Why do you need my birthday?

Two reasons: to check you're old enough to be here, and because some of our safety rules depend on age. Other people can see the day and month on your profile — never the year. Your full date of birth is stored where only you can read it.

Why can't I add my parent / my kid?

Booniverse keeps people under 18 and adults apart in private messages — notes, Mail-Bun and friend requests — including family. It isn't a glitch: an under-18 and an adult can't become friends in the app. Everyone shares the forum.

What's a Boo ID?

Your unique handle, like boo_a1b2c3d4. It's how friends find and add you. You can turn off discoverability by ID or by QR code in your settings.

Can I change my username or email?

Yes — once every 90 days. The app will tell you when your next change is available.

BooFriend (peer support chats)

Why is BooFriend 18+?

BooFriend is a private one-to-one chat with a stranger, and we'd rather not put anyone under 18 in one. Everything else — journals, Moon, Boo-Logy, the forum, notes with your friends — is open from 13. If you're under 18 and need someone to talk to right now, the crisis lines in the app are always open, and they're staffed by trained people.

BooFriend says it's paused for an age check.

That happens if you mentioned an age under 18 in a chat, or someone reported that your age might not be what your account says. While it's paused you can't use BooFriend or send private messages; everything else works.

• If your account says you're 18 or over, tap Verify my age in the pop-up. It's a one-time ID check (see "How do I become a listener?") and it usually clears in under a minute.
• If your account says you're under 18, there's nothing you need to do — our team reviews it. We never ask anyone under 18 for an ID check.

Stuck? Email [email protected].

Who am I actually talking to?

Another Booniverse user who volunteered as a listener and completed our short in-app training. They are not a therapist, counsellor or medical professional. Please read the Medical Disclaimer.

Is my chat private?

Between you and the other person, yes — no one else in the app can read it.

But it isn't secret. Messages pass through automated safety systems, and if something is flagged or someone files a report, our safety team can review the conversation. We do this to keep people safe. Never assume a message is private between just the two of you.

Can I send photos?

No. BooFriend chats are text plus G-rated GIFs and stickers only. We removed image and voice uploads deliberately — they're the hardest thing to moderate safely for a teen audience.

Nobody's accepting my request.

Listeners are volunteers and availability varies. Try again later. If you're in crisis, don't wait — see the crisis resources in the app or in the Medical Disclaimer.

Someone was horrible to me.

Use Report & End in the chat. It files the report and ends the session at the same time, and that person won't be matched with you again. You can also block them.

How do I become a listener?

You need to be 20 or over. In the app, go to Volunteer, do a one-time ID check (a photo of your ID and a quick selfie, through our verification partner — we keep whether you passed, and your account birthday is updated to match your ID), then complete the volunteer training. You'll also confirm you have no convictions for a sexual offence or an offence against a child, and agree to follow the Code of Conduct.

What if I don't pass the training?

You get two attempts at each part (the second uses different questions). If you don't pass either, you can start again after 90 days. Passing is for good — you never have to retake it.

Journals, Moon and Boo-Logy

I wrote something hard in my journal and a support message appeared. Did anyone see it?

No. Private entries never leave your phone. When you save one, your phone checks it for words that suggest you might be struggling and shows the support options if it finds them. Nothing is sent, stored or counted — not even that the message appeared. Shared entries are different: those go through the same safety check as everything else other people can see. And if you choose an entry for a Moon reflection, it is sent to OpenAI (see below).

Who can see my journal entries?

There is one toggle, with two settings:

• Off — private. Only you.
• On — shared. Your friends see it in their feed and on your BooNiverse. Anyone else who visits your BooNiverse sees a star with the mood you picked for your latest few shared entries, but can't open them — unless your profile is private, in which case they see nothing.

Sharing is per entry, so you can keep most of your journal private and share a single entry. You can turn it off again later.

Once an entry is shared, treat it as out of your hands. Your friends can read it, and we cannot control what they do with what they have read.

What is a Moon reflection?

You pick one of your journal entries, Lyor (an AI) asks you eight short questions about it, and then writes you a short insight. The entry and your answers are sent to OpenAI to produce it.

It's a prompt for thinking, not an assessment. It can be generic or plain wrong, and it is not advice.

What you write in Moon, and what the AI writes back, is checked automatically for safety. If something suggests you might be struggling, Moon offers you support options. That check isn't recorded, and nobody at Booniverse is told.

Is Boo-Logy a real personality test?

No. It's for fun and self-reflection. It has no clinical validity and isn't a psychological assessment.

Mail-Bun and notes

Are anonymous posts really anonymous?

To the person who receives them, yes. They can't see who sent it.

To us, no. We keep a locked record linking each anonymous post to the account that sent it, so we can investigate harassment and abuse. If you use an anonymous post to hurt someone, we can identify you.

And they aren't private. An anonymous post you receive also appears in your friends' feeds. Your name is on it as the recipient — only the sender's is hidden. People who aren't your friends never see them. If you'd rather not get anonymous posts (or notes) from people who aren't your friends at all, turn on Privacy → Private Profile.

Can someone who isn't my friend send me a note?

Yes, unless your profile is private — but their note is always plain (no themes), and they can send you at most one a day. Turn on Privacy → Private Profile and only your friends can send you notes or anonymous posts.

What's the difference between a note and an anonymous post?

Both go to one person and both cost BOO. The difference is who else sees it, and how your name appears.

• A note is private between you and the person you send it to. It normally shows your name, but to someone who isn't your friend you can send it anonymously — they'll see "Anonymous" and can reply without learning who you are. As with anonymous posts, we keep a locked record of the sender so we can act on abuse.
• An anonymous post never shows your name to the person receiving it, and it is not private — it appears in their friends' feeds too.

So an anonymous post is the more public of the two, not the more private one. If you want something to stay between you and one person, send a note.

BOO and Boo+

What is BOO?

The in-app currency. You spend it on notes, anonymous posts, avatar items and Mail-Bun. It has no real-world value and can't be cashed out or transferred.

How do I get BOO?

A welcome bonus when you join, and top-ups purchased through the App Store or Google Play.

What is Boo+?

A subscription that waives BOO costs on notes and anonymous posts, unlocks some avatar items, and adds a badge to your name.

How do I cancel Boo+?

In your App Store or Google Play subscription settings — not in Booniverse. Deleting the app does not cancel it.

Can I get a refund?

Refunds are handled by Apple or Google, not by us, under their policies. Spent BOO isn't refundable.

Safety and account

How do I report someone?

Use the report option on the chat, post, comment or profile. For anything urgent or serious, also email [email protected].

How do I block someone?

From their profile. Blocking survives unfriending — they can't send you friend requests or reach you.

I've been suspended and I think it's a mistake.

Email [email protected] with your Boo ID and what happened. We'll review it.

How do I delete my account?

Profile → About → Delete Account.

It removes your profile, journals, reflections, notes, anonymous posts, contacts, uploaded images and your sign-in. Forum posts, comments and chat messages have your name and content stripped out but stay in place, so other people's threads and conversations don't break.

We keep safety records and purchase records — see the Privacy Policy. Deleting won't lift a suspension or ban.

For security you'll need to have signed in recently. If it's been a while the app will ask you to sign in again first.

Someone I know is in danger. What do I do?

Contact your local emergency services. Booniverse is not an emergency service and cannot send help. Then report the conversation so our team sees it.

Still stuck?

Email [email protected].