# Tapatalk and TAM: A Warning



## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

I've received a few e-mail notifications from Tapatalk (which I don't often use) of late and have noticed the following:

1. Quoting/replying to another poster's comment using the Tapatalk app will, by default, list you as a follower of that poster going forward. This _can_ be changed in the Tapatalk app settings. Not a huge deal, but it sort of segues into...

2. If you use Tapatalk, it's important to note that you have _separate_ Tapatalk AND TAM profiles. Again, not a huge deal, but stay w/ me because I'm still segueing...

3. _If your Tapatalk profile is named in such a way that reveals your private identity, geographical location, or includes actual pictures of yourself and/or your family, children, etc, or reveals anything else about you, then *any Tapatalk user registered to any forum available to Tapatalk (including TAM) will be able to see that information.*_ That said, it IS possible to change your Tapatalk profile name, change profile pics, etc. You can even make your profile private.

Again, maybe this isn't a huge deal to you, but considering some of the sensitive information divulged here, I figured I'd issue a warning.

I've posted this in General, by the way, in order to increase overall visibility. Mods, should you feel it more appropriate that this be placed in one of the other forums, please move it.

@EleGirl
@farsidejunky
@FrenchFry
@MattMatt


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## 225985 (Dec 29, 2015)

But the big benefit is that if TAM bans you, you can still message and chat with your faves.


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## giddiot (Jun 28, 2015)

I noticed that as well, a fellow poster realized I knew their name because it was in Tapatalk. Scared the heck out of them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MattMatt (May 19, 2012)

GusPolinski said:


> I've received a few e-mail notifications from Tapatalk (which I don't often use) of late and have noticed the following:
> 
> 1. Quoting/replying to another poster's comment using the Tapatalk app will, by default, list you as a follower of that poster going forward. This _can_ be changed in the Tapatalk app settings. Not a huge deal, but it sort of segues into...
> 
> ...


Thanks for the heads up on this, @GusPolinsk.
Now I am glad I didn't bother to install Tapatalk.

Wonder if it would be worth deleting the Tapatalk app?


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## Herschel (Mar 27, 2016)

Oh, explains why I got followers. I thought I was just popular


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## meson (May 19, 2011)

MattMatt said:


> Thanks for the heads up on this, @GusPolinsk.
> Now I am glad I didn't bother to install Tapatalk.
> 
> Wonder if it would be worth deleting the Tapatalk app?


Tapatalk is useful and as Gus said you can take care to set the privacy of your profile and your profile name can be changed. I noticed it a couple of months ago and changed my tapatalk profile name from my name to an alias.


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## 225985 (Dec 29, 2015)

meson said:


> Tapatalk is useful and as Gus said you can take care to set the privacy of your profile and your profile name can be changed. I noticed it a couple of months ago and changed my tapatalk profile name from my name to an alias.




Same here.


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## MattMatt (May 19, 2012)

Herschel said:


> Oh, explains why I got followers. I thought I was just popular


Just check how many "Likes" you have had since you started on TAM.

I think you're probably more popular than you might think!


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

MattMatt said:


> Wonder if it would be worth deleting the Tapatalk app?


It's actually pretty useful for those that read and/or post to multiple forums.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MattMatt (May 19, 2012)

GusPolinski said:


> It's actually pretty useful for those that read and/or post to multiple forums.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Yes, good point.

However, out of the several forums I frequent, TAM is the only one that works with Tapatalk.


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## 225985 (Dec 29, 2015)

I was following a TAMer in Tap. Then i started seeing posts about rabbits. WTH? She was following a rabbit forum so her posts showed on my notifications.


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

giddiot said:


> I noticed that as well, a fellow poster realized I knew their name because it was in Tapatalk. Scared the heck out of them.


I've been meaning to post this for the past couple of weeks but it kept slipping my mind.

Anyway, I was playing around w/ the app after getting a notification a couple of weeks ago when I noticed a discrepancy between the way that Tapatalk and TAM profiles were named for a certain person.

When I realized how bad that could have been for this person, I sent a PM.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

Good info Gus.

Once this thread falls off the first page, we might want to move it to the about TAM forum so that the info is available.


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## farsidejunky (Mar 19, 2014)

@Lila was nice enough to PM me about two months ago telling me my Tapatalk used ID was revealing my name, as it was my email address. 

It is a great app. It just takes some caution.


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

Honestly I debated whether or not I should post this. In the end I figured it would be better to let everyone know en masse as opposed to doing it a PM or two at a time.

Still, the thought that someone might be able to leverage this info in order to harass or otherwise inappropriately contact someone here isn't lost on me.

Maybe this thread should be removed after a few days?

Or maybe moved to Private?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## giddiot (Jun 28, 2015)

GusPolinski said:


> Honestly I debated whether or not I should post this. In the end I figured it would be better to let everyone know en masse as opposed to doing it a PM or two at a time.
> 
> Still, the thought that someone might be able to leverage this info in order to harass or otherwise inappropriately contact someone here isn't lost on me.
> 
> ...


I used the same obscure login that I used for TAM on Tapatalk and I am security anal so I turn off everything that exposes me, but I noticed a lot of people did not know any better. I think its great you posted it.


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