Sexting: the 6 golden rules to sext safely

Psychology Aug 27, 2021

One of the major breakthroughs that the era of technology and internet has gifted us with, is the possibility to send nudes. Being able to digitally share explicit content – also known as sexting – whenever you’re having a playful moment, can only be defined as an advance. Plus, think about all those couples in long-distance relationships who can keep their sexual desire game strong thanks to some NSFW (not safe for work) messaging exchange.

Sexting is undeniably hot, and it’s not limited to raunchy photos and videos ; sending torrid text messages is also sexting.

But let’s keep it real: there’s no 100% safe way to sext. It’s easy to fall for the “I won’t show anyone, I promise”. However, the person you trust today could stab you in the back tomorrow. You can never know. Whether the rewards of sexting outweigh the risks, is up to you to decide. So in case you want to try it anyway, let us give you some guidelines to ensure that your sexting stays fun, private, and above all, safe.

Consent is still king

Do you know what the sexiest part of sexting is? Consent. Sending unsolicited genital pictures to someone without having their okay, is straight up sexual harassment. That’s why it’s important to get your partner’s enthusiastic permission before engaging in sexting. Moreover, unwanted naked images are more likely to get a “Yikes, this creepy dude/girl sent me this” rather than a “OMG SO HOT” kind of reaction.

Make sure you trust the recipient

Doesn’t matter how well you think you might know someone; the risk of them violating your privacy by sharing your nudes will always be there. And if you barely know the person, the risk is even higher. So make sure you only practice sexting with people you absolutely trust to save yourself some drama and possible frights.

Keep things vague

You have to consider whether you want to frame your face in your sext or not. Just keep in mind that even if you trust the other person with your life, your pics could still end up in the wrong hands by accident. Therefore, concealing anything distinguishable about your body, would be a smart move to make.

Implied nudes are also another option if you want to stay on the safe side. They are just as hot, and are becoming more and more common. An arm across your boobs, side boob, topless from behind… you know the drill.

Don’t drink and sext

If drinking and texting don’t go well together (I’m sure we all have some drunk text to regret), imagine sexting. When you’re inebriated you’re less likely to make the best decisions, so if alcohol is flowing, put your phone away. You don’t want to end up sexting the wrong person and regretting it the morning after.

Beware of cloud-based sharing

Turn off services that automatically backup your photos to a cloud. If these photos are backed up in your regular cloud, they will be more vulnerable to cyberattacks, so better be safe than sorry.

Also, make sure to delete the photos’ EXIF data, which shows the location, date and time the photos were taken, and what camera.

Delete all evidence

This is a no-brainer. Always delete your racy photos as you never know who might be snooping around your phone. Not to mention that if you lose your phone or if it gets stolen (knock on wood), someone else could have access to those compromising pics.

When you’re done deleting all the incriminating photos, be sure to pass by the “Recently Deleted” folder, as it also needs clearing.

Happy and safe sexting!