What is Chatroulette and how it works

Chatroulette is a web-based video chat service that allows users to interact with random people from all over the world. In essence, the platform can be considered as an alternative to Zoom for meeting new friends and, without a doubt, one of the best tools for chatting with strangers.

At its peak, Chatroulette registered more than one million daily active users.

Chatroulette was created in 2009 by Andrey Ternovskyi, who at the time was just a 17-year-old student. The following year, the platform accumulated more than 30 million users and in a short time managed to position itself as one of the social networks with the greatest potential.

However, different controversies related to the dissemination of sensitive or inappropriate content by some users caused Chatroulette to lose popularity. Currently, the platform is still active and remains as easy to use as in its beginnings. However, it now includes a more rigorous moderation and filtering system.

How Chatroulette works

First of all, it is worth clarifying that the name of the platform defines very well the essence of the experience. The word “roulette” refers to the game of chance. Precisely, the feeling you experience when you sit down in front of the computer, activate your webcam and not knowing what kind of interlocutor you will find on the other side of the screen is very similar to the famous pastime.

Now, the operation of Chatroulette is as simple as its premise. You simply need a device with a camera, microphone and Internet connection. Then, you enter the official website or the app for iOS and Android and press the “Start” button. Now you can take part in a video chat session with people from all over the world. Whether it’s to meet new friends, learn languages, share your knowledge, etc.

You must keep in mind that the person with whom you will communicate is chosen randomly by the system. In addition, if you do not like the partner you have chosen, you can simply click on the “Next” button and you will be connected to another user.

Is Chatroulette safe?

Unlike more than a decade ago, today logging in to Chatroulette is much safer. This is because the platform has been adding features through which you can report users who violate the rules of the service. Such offenders are banned without the right to log in again.

However, as these are anonymous video calls, you should be careful with the content and false information that is often shared in this type of media. Beyond that, the experience can be a lot of fun and relatively safe as long as you respect the rules and take precautions to protect your privacy.