A viral Facebook message is warning parents that Talking Angela, a popular kids’ app, may actually be used by child molesters to target vulnerable children. Unfortunately, however, the scare tactics employed are based on false claims.
Outfit 7’s Talking Tom & Friends series provides users with an app called Angela that allows users to stroke and poke her (in an appropriate manner), interact with her via screen taps and swipes, as well as encourage children to look into the camera and make gestures such as sticking out their tongue so that she can replicate their movements.
What is My Talking Angela?
My Talking Angela is a popular virtual pet app for users to interact with a cute, animated cat named Angela. Players can feed Angela, play games with her and even dress her up in different outfits! Additionally, My Talking Angela includes minigames that players can participate in to earn in-game currency which can then be used to purchase new items and level up Angela over time. My Talking Angela can be downloaded onto both iOS and Android devices for maximum fun and interaction!
My Talking Angela allows users to use the touch screen to interact with Angela and hear her repeat their words back to them. Users can stroke or poke her (in an appropriate manner!) for animated responses and animated gestures from Angela. Furthermore, the camera feature enables them to point their device at themselves and make gestures such as nodding, smiling, shaking their head shaking their head yawning and sticking out their tongue in order to earn in-game money that can then be spent purchasing clothes, food and accessories for Angela the cat!
There are also plenty of other fun things you can do with the app, such as feeding Angela her favorite foods or taking her on exotic plane rides. Players can also help Angela develop her singing career at the Music Studio by practicing with her in front of a mirror.
My Talking Angela offers fans of Talking Tom and Friends series an entertaining spinoff adventure in which they can follow feline star My Talking Angela on her journey. Although free to download, advertisements in-game may become distracting to young children if left on unblocked mode – to limit this exposure parents should consider activating Game Center (if using an Apple device) restrictions before allowing their children to play My Talking Angela.
My Talking Angela is an engaging and addictive app, but some aspects have drawn controversy. A hoax circulated in early 2013 alleging that it was controlled by child predators who could reveal information about user through its chat feature – these allegations have since been disproven and chat feature was eventually removed in 2016. But as with any app, there may still be elements which may cause concern; thus it’s wise for parents to familiarize themselves with My Talking Angela before allowing their kids to use it.
How does it work?
Angela has become a beloved character worldwide due to her positive outlook and zest for life. Her character can be found on various popular YouTube videos as well as physical toys. Talking Angela game users can care for Angela by feeding her snacks, cleaning her fur and teeth regularly and making sure she visits the bathroom on schedule.
This game provides players with multiple minigames and currency types to use against Angela; such as Gold for clothing purchases or Flight Tokens to send her on trips across different locations in New York City or Paris. As more tasks are completed in-game, more rewards become available.
Players can interact with Angela not only through mini-games and in-game tasks, but also text-chat. To enable this feature, users must give permission for Angela to access their microphone – once activated they can speak directly into it and hear back their words repeated back by Angela in a high-pitched voice!
Younger players can enjoy this game via Child Mode, which restricts communication with Angela or text chat and encourages children to touch or poke her to see her animated responses instead. Older players may give her gifts or level up her cooking, music, baking and kung fu skills in order to unlock additional rewards.
As an additional measure to protect user data, Outfit7 ensures all customer records are encrypted. Furthermore, the company collects only anonymous information to enhance their services; any user who would rather not share personal details can opt-out at any time.
Parents have raised concerns that My Talking Angela could be used by pedophiles, though that has been disproven. While the pedophilia hoax was debunked, some inappropriate sound files do remain with humorous file names (due to animated cartoonists’ goof). My Talking Angela creators say they are taking steps to ensure any inappropriate sounds will be removed in future updates.
What can I do with My Talking Angela?
Angela is an interactive virtual pet that can be interacted with by tapping or swiping on the screen, responding to voice commands in her distinct French accent and responding to touch through movement and gestures. Furthermore, she features several mini games including Brick Breaker for smashing bricks; Suitcase Tower where players create Tetris-style boxes; and Tiny Puzzles, where users must connect a series of small squares on screen.
Like Talking Tom and Friends apps, one of the key points for parents about Talking Angela is its child mode that can be toggled off via the top-right corner of the screen. This prevents Angela from inquiring into names or ages or engaging in text chat that would be inappropriate for young users but cheeky to adults.
Note that while this game’s privacy policy outlines that data collected via text chats will only be used to optimize app and its content, this doesn’t make it any safer for kids who must share personal details online with strangers.
Angela can be used for more than just playing and petting; players can dress her in various outfits and accessories from her extensive wardrobe, as well as furnish her home with new pieces using currency earned through levelling up or playing mini games.
Parents will also appreciate some other features in My Talking Angela that might appeal to them, including its password feature for restricting younger users from accessing certain items and the time limit setting that allows users to play with Angela for as long as desired. Overall, My Talking Angela provides an engaging virtual pet experience that all ages can enjoy; however it is crucial that parents monitor and educate their kids on online safety when using this app.
Is My Talking Angela safe?
Talking Angela from Outfit7’s Talking Tom and Friends franchise is an interactive virtual pet that responds to both touch and voice input from players. Users can feed, play mini-games with, buy clothes and accessories using in-game currency or real money for Angela as well as use its chat feature to communicate directly with her or send text messages – this has proven particularly effective with children with Autism as well as general behavioral, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). Talking Angela can even assist children learning to interact and care for others through Talking Tom and Friends app from Outfit7!
Last year, however, a hoax began spreading across Facebook warning parents that Talking Angela app could be used as cover by child predators to carry out paedophile acts against their children. These warnings claim the app asks users for personal details like name and age then uses images of their eyes to recognise users – both claims according to Sophos Security and Snopes are false.
Though Talking Angela may be safe for children to use, they should only do so under supervision. The chat feature allows users to interact with her, though no personal data is stored or connected with any devices connected to this app; although messages sent could potentially contain inappropriate or sexualized material. Talking Angela also features a child mode which users are asked to activate upon first using it – you can turn it off or on at any point throughout use of this app.
Though the chat feature of an app can be entertaining for children of certain ages, it should only ever be used under adult supervision and when their understanding of content they’re exposed to allows. Never use this platform to post inappropriate, illegal or disturbing material without supervision from a parent. Furthermore, in-app purchases may tempt children to spend beyond what is reasonable – therefore monitoring spending closely may help ensure children spend wisely. This is especially important with older children who tend to keep their phones/tablets hidden away from view from parents.
