Yubo's Transition to an 18+ Platform Marks a New Era of Social Discovery for Young Adults

Yubo Transitioning to an 18+ Platform: Embracing Change for the Gen Z Community

Yubo, the groundbreaking platform in social discovery, has announced an important shift in its user demographic. Effective November 1, 2025, the minimum age for users will be raised to 18. This change is aimed at providing more tailored experiences for young adults, reflecting the natural evolution of Yubo's user base, which has seen a significant increase in the 18 and older demographic over the past year.

Since its launch in 2015, Yubo has been a hub for Gen Z, where young teens initially conversed and connected. Fast forward a decade, and the platform's core audience has matured alongside it, transforming from teenagers into young adults. Sacha Lazimi, CEO and co-founder of Yubo, stated, "It’s imperative that we, as a platform, 'grow up,' too. This move allows us to concentrate on a single audience with clarity and purpose, aligning with where our users are today."

Recent surveys conducted within the app indicated overwhelming support for the age transition among users; a notable 92% of respondents favored establishing Yubo as a space exclusively for young adults. Such a decisive majority highlighted the community's desire for a platform that caters specifically to their current needs, rather than confining it to a mixed-age population.

Yubo’s strategic shift is underpinned by robust industry-leading systems for age verification that the platform adopted back in 2022. As the first major social app to introduce age assurance for all of its users, Yubo has set a high standard for online safety. This multi-layered approach begins at user registration with advanced facial age estimation technology and continues with manual identity checks performed by dedicated Safety Specialists when necessary. This vigilance against younger users ensures a more secure environment as the platform transitions to an age 18+ community.

In the months leading up to this transition, Yubo will enhance the user experience through a series of product updates aimed at personalization and social discovery. These updates will introduce expanded customization tools for user profiles, greater control over group livestream interactions, and optional geolocation settings, allowing users to prioritize local connections. The overarching goal remains—to foster genuine social interactions, whether they choose to connect with individuals in their local area or from afar.

Margaux Liquard, Yubo’s Head of Trust and Safety, emphasized that Yubo's foundational commitment to user trust and online safety remains unwavering. "The safety-by-design philosophy that has guided Yubo since its inception continues to inform our developments," she remarked. As the company gears up to serve its loyal base of users more effectively, it looks forward to the upcoming decade together.

The gradual shift to an 18+ community has commenced as of early 2025. Initially, users aged 13 to 15, who represented less than 5% of the overall user base, were the first to be notified of this transition. Following the initial adjustments, accounts belonging to users who were 16 and 17 years old were deactivated on a country-by-country basis, completing the process by the end of October 2025. Users whose accounts have been deactivated are encouraged to return once they reach the age of 18 and meet the required age verification standards.

As an additional security measure, accounts that have remained inactive for over two years will be permanently deleted in accordance with data protection regulations. This decision reflects Yubo’s continuous effort to ensure the platform remains a safe and engaging space for its users.

For those interested in learning more about this significant transition and its implications for Gen Z users, Yubo invites you to visit its blog where Sacha Lazimi shares further insights into this pivotal change.

About Yubo

Founded in France in 2015, Yubo is more than just a social media app; it’s a social discovery platform designed to facilitate real-time connections and friendships. Over the past decade, Yubo has successfully catered to Gen Z, expanding its user base across 140 countries while maintaining a proactive stance on safety and user protection. Yubo is dedicated to enhancing the user experience while keeping pace with the evolving needs of its community.

For more information, visit yubo.live.