# Safety in Sea Pals, a pen pal app for teens and adults

Updated 11 October 2026

Sea Pals is a free pen pal app where you make friends around the world. Teens meet only teen strangers, and adults meet only adult strangers; you choose whether to accept a letter.

## Teens and adults never meet as strangers.

The birthday you enter decides who you can meet. People aged 13–17 meet only new people aged 13–17, and people aged 18 and over meet only new people aged 18 and over. Friends added by code or link can be any age. Everyone must meet the minimum age for their country: 13 and over, 14 in Korea and 16 in Australia.

## Someone new sees

- Your otter, name, age and gender mark
- Your country, a large city if you live in one, and “nearby” under 100 km or a distance rounded to 100 km
- What you choose to write
- While a letter between you is open: your island, interests, writing languages and about line. Your profile picture, if the viewer allows pictures from new people.

## Someone new never sees

- Your birth date
- Where you are exactly
- When you’re online
- Your username
- Who you’d like to meet

## Photos wait for your yes

From someone met by letter: 5 text messages each, at least 2 characters long, then the receiver allows photos from that one person. Turn it off any time.

## Words are checked

Every word someone new sends passes our rules filter before it reaches you. Letters can’t include links, usernames or phone numbers.

## Group chats need your yes

Only a friend can invite you, and you must accept. People who aren’t already friends must fit each other’s age and meeting choices. Leave any time.

## A chat needs your yes

An incoming letter opens a chat only if you accept it. You can let it go instead.

## Block, mute, report

Block or report from a chat or person’s card; mute a friend from their chat. Blocked people can’t reach you in the app.

## Pictures from new people: your call

Turn off pictures from new people and you’ll see their otters instead. This doesn’t turn off pictures from friends.

## For parents

How we protect teens, and how to reach us.

## Related pages

- [Help](https://seapals.app/help)

- [Child safety standards](https://seapals.app/legal/child-safety)

- [Community guidelines](https://seapals.app/legal/guidelines)

- [Privacy policy](https://seapals.app/legal/privacy)

- [Apps for teens to make friends](https://seapals.app/guides/apps-for-teens-to-make-friends)

[Open in your browser](https://seapals.app/app)
## Pen pals for…
- [BTS fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/bts)
- [K-pop fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kpop)
- [Korean pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/korean)
- [Korean practice with friends](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-korean)
- [K-drama fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kdrama)
- [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime)
- [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese)
- [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese)
- [English practice](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-english)
- [Adult pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/adults)
## Legal
- [Otter maker](https://seapals.app/make/otter)
- [Four-cut photo booth](https://seapals.app/booth)
- [Friendship book](https://seapals.app/book)
- [Sea creature quiz](https://seapals.app/quiz)
- [Letter paper](https://seapals.app/letter)
- [Friendship quiz](https://seapals.app/friendship-quiz)
- [Virtual pet app with friends](https://seapals.app/doori)
- [Friends in other countries](https://seapals.app/lagoons)
- [Pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals)
- [Safety](https://seapals.app/safety)
- [Guides](https://seapals.app/guides)
- [Friends widget app](https://seapals.app/widgets)
- [Memory book & photo journal](https://seapals.app/memory-book)
- [Long-distance friends](https://seapals.app/long-distance-friends)
- [Culture](https://seapals.app/culture)
- [Long distance relationship app](https://seapals.app/long-distance-relationship-app)
- [BTS fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/bts)
- [K-pop fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kpop)
- [Korean pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/korean)
- [Korean practice with friends](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-korean)
- [K-drama fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kdrama)
- [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime)
- [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese)
- [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese)
- [English practice](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-english)
- [Adult pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/adults)
- [Help](https://seapals.app/help)
- [Privacy](https://seapals.app/legal/privacy)
- [Terms](https://seapals.app/legal/terms)
- [Community guidelines](https://seapals.app/legal/guidelines)
- [Child safety](https://seapals.app/legal/child-safety)
- [About](https://seapals.app/about)
City data from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)