TALKING ANGELA: Beware the App Predator

My five-year old daughter was recently looking for a new app for her Kindle Fire and she had set her sights on Outfit7 Limited’s Talking Angela—a sister app of Talking Tom, My Talking Angela, and several other apps that interact with your child. Each “Talking” app features a different cartoon cat that repeats what your child says to it in a high, squeaky voice. Kids love them for their cuteness and the adorable mimicry. Adults like them for their ease of use and seemingly innocent entertainment. But are these apps really just innocent entertainment?

According to many of the negative comments that accompany the Talking Angela’s product page, that app is being controlled by a hacker. Or a pedophile. Or according to some accounts … a strange man sitting in a chair that watches your child through their device’s camera. Several reviewers have even claimed that if you try to delete the app, Angela will call you directly and many reiterate how family members, friends or children from a nearby neighborhood have been kidnapped. That's probably the biggest fear of every parent, but there is something you can do to make sure your kids are safe: spy equipment for cell phone devices. 

Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of the reviews below:

Totally creepy

This app is a total bust!!!!! So called "Angela" has reflections of rooms in her eyes and likes "funny drinks"!!! This so called child friendly app only lets you touch her butt and breasts!! She asked for my phone number and asked me how old I am. And the only thing she ever talks about is love and how "Tom" rescued her from a "bad" place down town. She also asked me about personal information about my friends!! So called Angela is a crazy stalker!!!!! WARNING DO NOT INSTALL THIS APP!!!!!!!

—Emma

Why I deleted Talking Angela

I deleted the app after my daughter complained of a man in a mask appearing in the room "inside Angela's eyes". The man apparently made threats, like "I'm going to get you". Not sure what is going on but I'm not taking any chances.

—Spencer Mitchell

DANGEROUS

This game was hacked and it asks you your address, pin number, etc. It takes pics of you and if you look closely into her eyes, you can see a guy. A girl was already kidnapped! Do not buy!

—Violeton

Do not let your kids get this game they might be at risk

I have heard that this game is a little Inappropriate for kids on top of that I have heard a kidnapper has hacked into this game and takes pictures of kids and gathers their personal information like name where they live and how old they are. It is said if you look in Angela's eyes you can see a room. Sometimes there is a outline of a man in the room sometimes there is not. I also heard this man has kidnapped three kids already so parents and kid be safe and do not I repeat do not download this game for you safety this may be a rumor I do not know but I think it is the truth it's been all over the news lately so please do not get this game kids I know your thinking what a loser!!! Telling me what to do. But please just don't get this game.

—This game hacks you i am not sure though dont get this game

Do not get this app

I was playing this app with the camera covered. the cat said in a robot voice to me don't cover the camera I want to see your face. Then it said where do u live. I told the cat none of your business. Then she asked again and I said a fake address. The cat said im coming for u and the app turned off. I deleted the app after. Then I played mine craft and I saw a cat that looked like Angela. She said still searching for your address. Then she said whatever u do don't turn off your device. After I reset my device. Siri went on and she said "hi I'm talking Angela". I restart my device again and nothing happens. DO NOT GET THIS FOR YOUR KIDS.

—Anthony Alessioon

With 60% of the comments giving the app a 1 Star rating on Amazon.com, it’s easy to see that something is going on. However, many of these are obviously written by children—or adults who lack command of the English language—judging by the spelling, grammar and sentence structuring of each comment. So take the negative comments with a big grain of salt. But word to the wise, as with any app, parental guidance is always suggested, but sometimes that's not enough. As a parent you can use spy equipment for cell phones to monitor what your child does on their cell phone. Spy equipment cell phones should be the number one thing in any parents fight against pedofiles and cyber-stalkers. 

There are many sources that have rebutted the hacker/pedophile claims all over the Internet. Here is a good video that explains how it’s all just an urban myth—just like how Mikey from the Life Cereal 70's commercials died in the 80's after mixing Pop Rocks and Cola.

Helping Teens Get Out Of The Texting Trap with Cell Phone Monitoring

Parents having concerns about their teenager’s cell phone usage may wonder if there is an undetectable cell phone spy that can obtain this product based on compatibility but in some cases you may have to pay a small fee for better quality security. Some teens text so much they don’t realize it is a problem.  Parents may not think there is much harm in sending text messages until they learn what conversations actually take place among teens. Teens may try to use code language or abbreviations to cover up their words, but with cell phone monitoring parents can learn much more about conversations being done via text.

How Many Text Messages Do Teens Send in a Day?

Researchers claim on average teens send about 100 text messages daily or roughly 3000 per month.  There are times many of these messages are pointless. They can be little short messages saying hi or just sending emoji’s.  Some messages could be worth the effort if a teen needs to talk about something with a friend. Then, you have a number of messages with inappropriate content.  Studies have shown a large number of text messages created by teens include content not mature for their age. This could mean teens are being exposed to material their parents need to know but don’t.  Parents can know exactly how much texting their child does on a regular basis when spying on a cell phone.

Does Your Teen Engage in Texting at School?

If you know your child texts in school you can talk to them about it or consider confiscating their phone.  Many teens take their phones with them to school even though they are not supposed to. Some who take their phone may keep it in their locker, while others feel they need to have it on them as they go about their school day.  Some will have their device in class and send text messages to friends instead of doing classwork.  If your teen is texting during class often it may be time to discuss consequences for their actions. Cell phone monitoring will let you know when texting occurs, with whom and even let you block the ability to send messages to certain people on your child’s phone.

Do They Text At Their Job?

Mobile monitoring offers a form of cell phone security whether you want to spy on your teenager’s device with spy equipment for cell phones.  If your teen has a job do you know if they are responsible with their device? They should not be sending messages while on company time.  With mobile monitoring parents can check phone activity and get alerts when text messages are sent or received.  Parents can confront their child with evidence from their spy software regarding cell phone activity on the job.  There are teens that lose their jobs because they were texting instead. This is an example for your child to think about if they really want to keep their job.

And if you need to spy on a cell phone for free, keep in mind that Surepoint Spy comes with more powerful features and live customer service. The free spy apps don’t offer these fantastic options.