Safeguarding at LeanOn

How we keep one-to-one peer support safe · Last updated 24 October 2026

LeanOn offers one-to-one text or voice conversations with screened human peer listeners in India, for adults aged 18 and over. It is everyday emotional support — not therapy, clinical care or crisis assistance. One introductory session of up to 5 minutes is free per account; later sessions are paid. A conversation starts only when an available listener accepts your request. Listeners do not see your phone number; LeanOn keeps account and session information as explained in its Privacy Policy.

1. Adults only

• Everyone on LeanOn must be 18 or over. Seekers confirm this before they can sign in; sign-in is refused without it.
• Listeners give their month and year of birth when they apply and must be adults.
• If you are under 18 and need to talk, please reach out to a trusted adult, or call Tele-MANAS on 14416 (free).

2. Who the listeners are, and how they are screened

• Listeners are ordinary adults in India with lived experience — peers, not therapists or counsellors. They are screened, not clinically trained.
• Every applicant completes a written application and a screening quiz on difficult situations: a seeker who mentions ending their life, requests for phone numbers or Instagram, flirting or sexual comments, questions about medication, and looking after their own wellbeing after a heavy session.
• Identity is checked with a live camera selfie (kept private, never shown to seekers) and the last four digits of their Aadhaar number.
• Every application and every profile photo is reviewed by a person at LeanOn before it goes live; many applicants are asked to fix something or are turned down.
• Before applying, listeners read what LeanOn is and is not — listen rather than advise, never diagnose or discuss medication, never treat it as a job — and agree to the Terms.

3. Rules every listener agrees to

• No sexual, suggestive or romantic conversation.
• No sharing or asking for contact details, and no meeting or talking outside LeanOn.
• Keep everything a seeker shares confidential — no recording, screenshots or repeating it.
• Never pretend to be a doctor, therapist or counsellor; no diagnosis or medication advice.
• No harassment, pressure or selling anything.

Breaking these rules leads to a warning, suspension or a permanent ban. A suspended or banned account cannot sign in.

4. Safety checks during a session

• Contact details are blocked. Messages are checked automatically (by fixed rules, not AI). A message containing a phone number, email or social media handle is not delivered; messages that only hint at one are delivered and noted for the LeanOn team to review.
• Crisis words are noticed. If words linked to self-harm or suicide appear in a chat, the seeker is shown crisis helplines, the listener is told to take extra care, and the session is flagged for the LeanOn team to review.
• Your number stays hidden. Listeners see only the name you choose. Voice calls are never recorded.
• You are in control. End a session at any moment; sessions under a minute are free.

5. Reporting and what happens next

• After any session, use “Report an issue with this session”, or write to us through the contact form.
• Every report is reviewed by a person at LeanOn, who can read the text of a reported or flagged session. Text messages are otherwise stored securely and not read.
• Listeners who do not answer requests are taken offline automatically, and seekers can rate every session.

6. What LeanOn is not

More detail: Trust & safety · Privacy Policy · Terms · What peer support is