Today, video chatting with strangers online is really a “thing.” In fact, it has been around for as long as live video has been available on the net, but the launch of Chatroulette in the year 2009 helped catapult the practice into a more mainstream audience.
Over the next decade, Chatroulette isn’t your only option. If you want to have random video chat online, there are many services. Better yet, they don’t come with a similar controversial Chatroulette baggage.
Table of Contents
6 Best Alternatives to Chatroulette
what are the alternatives to Chatroulette? Some suffer from the same problems; others offer features that help make a safer environment for chatting with the random public.
1. Omegle
Perhaps the finest-known alternative to Chatroulette is Omegle. To try and help you find an exciting stranger to talk to, you can enter some optional interests before starting the conversation.
Omegle also offers a text-only mode, marked as Spy Mode. For people who don’t wish to reveal themselves in public but are still looking for someone to chat with, this is ideal.
Unlike Chatroulette, however, Omegle still has an unmoderated adult section. Its presence is troubling, but at least it serves as a way for people who want to engage in those things to keep them out of the main video chat section. You can voice your opinions, be sure to share them in the comments at the end.
2. LivU
Another noteworthy app for video and voice chat with strangers online for free is LivU. According to the LivU site, the company has paired nearly 20 billion users for a one-to-one chat.
LivU is also noteworthy for its iOS and Android apps. Thanks to the possibilities offered by a smartphone, the apps provide some features that are not present in the web site. They take account of real-time video filters (to add some fun to your chat) and a Beauty Effect feature that learns your functionality and therefore improves them for the viewer.
The app offers instant messages (with chat history supported), unified login across all platforms, and filters by country and gender.
3. FaceCast
FaceCast is a bit dissimilar from the other services we have discussed so far. This service is only available through the smartphone app; you cannot use a web app. The app is available on iOS and Android.
The FaceCast app will pair you with strangers for a conversation. If you get along well with the other person, you can start following them. Once you follow yourself, you can return to a video chat at any time. The feature slightly simplifies using the app to make meaningful friendships.
Other features take in(include) a GPS so you can find nearby strangers to talk to, a way to collect your best “Moments” and view them on your profile, and an unlimited number of video streams.
There are some basic tools for video editing. They contain special effects, filters, stickers, music, and more.
4. Camsurf
Camsurf is more like LivU and also an alternative to Chatroulette; it offers both a web app and a smartphone app.
Camsurf’s web app allows you to dive in and start chatting right away; you don’t need to create an account or enter any other details. From an ease of use standpoint, this is a good thing. However, as we have seen with Chatroulette, practice inevitably leads to problems.
If you are using the Camsurf smartphone app, you can filter the connections by language and location. Beyond that, the web and smartphone versions are almost identical.
5. Chatspin
Chatspin is a web-only way to chat with strangers. Like Omegle, there’s also a text chat feature available for anyone who doesn’t want to turn on their microphone or camera.
Again, however, the security features are minimal. You just have to enter your gender to find another person to talk to. There is no need to go through any account creation process.
6. MeowChat
Let’s finish with MeowChat. Like FaceCast, it’s only available via the Android or iOS smartphone app. The app is available in over 130 countries around the globe.
The service meowchat supports followers and fans. As such, the user of meowchat can see who are the funniest people to talk to in your area, as claimed by other users.
Be Careful When Chatting with Strangers
If handled properly, chatting with strangers online can be a fun way to meet new people. However, care must be taken. Make sure no personal information is observable in the background of your video, don’t display any valuable items, and make sure you follow the rules of the service you are using. Also you can find more helpful resources at thedigitaltrendz.
