How to Report Someone in an Online Chat

• Sexual content or requests
• Anyone who says or appears to be under 18 on an adult platform
• Hate speech and harassment
• Threats of violence or self-harm
• Scams, phishing links and money requests
• Sharing someone's personal information
• Spam and bots

1. Tap the flag on the message, or Report in the chat menu.
2. Choose a reason and add a short note.
3. Block the user if you want no further contact.
4. Moderators review the report; serious violations lead to permanent device-level bans.

Screenshot the messages, the handle and any payment requests before you leave the chat.

Threats to life, image-based blackmail, or any involvement of a child. In the US, the FBI accepts tips at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (FBI).

Every report removes someone who would otherwise harm the next person. You are protecting the community, not snitching.

Moderators act fastest on reports that are specific. A useful report answers four questions:

1. What happened? Choose the closest category: sexual content, minor, harassment, hate, threat, scam, spam or personal information.
2. Where? Report the exact message when you can, not just the chat.
3. When? Reports are time-stamped automatically, but note the time if you also contact police.
4. Anything else? One or two lines of context: "Asked for my Snapchat, then sent a link."

You do not need to write an essay. One accurate category plus a sentence of context is ideal.

The reported person is never told who reported them.

Live audio and video cannot be filtered before you see or hear them, so reporting matters even more. If something explicit or threatening happens on camera, end the call, then report from the chat screen straight away. Screenshot what you can safely capture, but never record or save explicit images of a minor; report and leave that to moderators and police.

In rooms, report the individual message rather than arguing. Many people replying to a troll gives them what they want. One report and a block is more effective.

If you lost money or were blackmailed, also report outside the chat site. In the US, the FBI accepts tips at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (FBI). Consumer fraud can be reported to the FTC; Americans reported $12.5 billion in fraud losses to the FTC in 2024 (FTC). In other countries, use your national police cybercrime reporting service.

Reporting someone just because you disagree with them wastes moderator time and can lead to action against the reporter. Report rule-breaking, not opinions.

Every report helps remove someone who would otherwise harm the next person. Scammers and predators rely on people skipping without reporting. Two taps make the platform safer for everyone.

• [ ] Choose the closest category
• [ ] Report the exact message
• [ ] Add one line of context
• [ ] Block if you want no more contact
• [ ] Save screenshots if money or threats are involved
• [ ] Contact police for threats, image-based blackmail or anything involving a child

People often worry that reporting is "snitching" or that nothing will happen. On a moderated site, reports are the main way bad actors are found and removed, and reporters stay anonymous. If you are unsure whether something breaks the rules, report it anyway; moderators make the call.

Adult chat sites must not have minors. If someone says they are under 18 or appears to be, end the chat, report them with the "minor" category and do not continue the conversation. Never ask for proof of age, photos or ID. Child-safety reports are reviewed before all others.

If someone says they plan to hurt themselves, encourage them to contact local emergency services or a crisis line, report the chat so moderators can see it, and, if you know they are in immediate danger, contact emergency services yourself. You are not responsible for fixing it alone.

Don't confront the person, don't reveal that you reported them, and don't share your own details to "prove" anything. Block them after reporting if you want no further contact.

On mobile, press and hold a message to see the report option, or open the chat menu and tap Report. The process is the same as on desktop and takes a few seconds.

Disagreements, different opinions, someone skipping you or a conversation that simply wasn't fun are not rule-breaking. Skip and move on.

If a reported message doesn't break the rules, moderators may not act. That's not a failure of reporting; it means the system is working fairly. Keep reporting real rule-breaking.

Seeing harmful content can be upsetting. After reporting something disturbing, step away, talk to someone you trust and take a break from chatting if you need to. You did the right thing by reporting.

Category, exact message, one line of context, block if needed, screenshots for money or threats, police for danger or anything involving a child.