YouTube is the most popular app among Pakistani children, Kaspersky finds
YouTube is the most popular app among Pakistani children, Kaspersky finds
YouTube was the most popular mobile app among children in Pakistan during the first eight months of 2026, accounting for 31.2 percent of their app activity, according to an analysis by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.
Instagram ranked second with 18.8 percent of app activity, followed by WhatsApp at 17.4 percent. Facebook accounted for 10.8 percent, while TikTok ranked fifth with 5.7 percent.
Gaming among the top online activities
Kaspersky said multiplayer games were also among the 10 most visited online resources used by children in Pakistan, with Roblox accessed on both smartphones and computers.
The company warned that multiplayer games and communication platforms could expose children to contact with strangers and risks such as online grooming, phishing, blackmail and attempts to involve children in harmful or illegal activities.
Kaspersky also warned that generative AI could be used to create deepfakes for cyberbullying. Photos, videos and other material shared online could potentially be repurposed into fabricated content, affecting children’s privacy and digital reputations.
Advice for parents
Andrey Sidenko, Kaspersky’s head of child online safety, urged parents to discuss online risks with children and advise them not to share sensitive information or photos, not to interact with strangers and not to keep online conversations secret.
The findings were based on anonymised Kaspersky Safe Kids data on children’s app use on Android devices and desktop computers during the first eight months of 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which apps do Pakistani children use the most?
According to Kaspersky, YouTube led with 31.2 percent of children’s app activity in Pakistan during January to August 2026, followed by Instagram at 18.8 percent, WhatsApp at 17.4 percent, Facebook at 10.8 percent and TikTok at 5.7 percent.
What online risks did Kaspersky highlight?
Kaspersky warned about grooming, phishing and blackmail on multiplayer games and messaging platforms, and said generative AI could be used to create deepfakes for cyberbullying.
How was the data collected?
The findings were based on anonymised Kaspersky Safe Kids data on children’s app use on Android devices and desktop computers during the first eight months of 2026.
