Yik Yak, the popular messaging app that was shutdown by Facebook last year, is back and only available on the iPhone. The app has been available for Android and BlackBerry devices since it first launched in 2013, but Facebook shut down the app in December of last year citing security concerns. Anonymous, a group of hackers who are known for their Anonymous-branded messaging apps, is behind the new Yik Yak. The app is free to download and use with no ads. It allows users to share short messages with up to 10 people at a time. The app has been met with mixed reactions on social media. Some users are excited about its return and see it as a way to keep communication open between friends while others are concerned about potential privacy issues.
Yakity Yak, Yik Yak is Back
Yik Yak announced its triumphant return to the US App Store with a video feature Brian Baumgartner of The Office fame. Baumgartner isn’t the first name we think of when we imagine the millennial and gen z-targeted app, but any celebrity endorsement is better than none.
As far as the app goes, it’s mostly like it was when it left our lives in 2017. You can anonymously post about just about anything, and it’s viewable by any other Yik Yak users within a five-mile radius. You can also read and reply to other users’ messages, creating an anonymous party that everyone is sure to want to take part in.
Of course, if the internet has taught us anything, it’s that anonymity doesn’t always bring out the best in people, and the previous life of Yik Yak was no exception.
— Yik Yak (@YikYakApp) August 16, 2021
Where you live will heavily determine how much fun Yik Yak is for you. I live in a medium city, so I did have a couple of posts from other users around me already, but if you live in a rural area, the app will probably be useless for you.
While using the app is anonymous, you will need to verify that you’re human with a phone number, which definitely makes it feel like a less faceless experience. There’s also a brief tutorial that breaks down the Yik Yak rules that you’ll have to run through before you can enjoy the app and what it brings to the table.
Yik Yak has lots of community guidelines available on its website. These include not identifying people, not posting personal information, no bullying, and so on. Whether users will follow these guidelines remains to be seen, of course.
Yik Yak Availablity
Currently, Yik Yak is only available for users in the United States on iPhone. However, the company says it plans to roll the app to other devices and in other regions “as soon as possible.”
If you search for Yik Yak on the App Store, it may not come up yet, but the direct link to get the app works so you can definitely give it a try and see if it’s active in your area.
