Random chat with a say in who you meet.

First set your filters: country, language, age range, gender, reputation, or leave them open. Then press Random chat. The site looks through the people who are online and available, leaves out anyone you have blocked or who has blocked you, and keeps only those who fit both your filters and theirs. From those it picks one at random.

That person is sent an invitation with your name and a short profile. If they accept, you both enter a private chat session. If they decline or do not answer, nothing is forced on either side and you can try again. Because both people choose, the first minute is usually friendlier than it is on sites that connect you without asking.

Sometimes nobody online matches. You are told so, and the useful move is to widen a filter, for example by allowing a wider age range or any country. You can also browse Discover to see who is around, join the queue of someone who is busy, or schedule a chat with someone who is offline.

Random chat follows the same age rule as everything else. People under 18 are matched only with people under 18, and adults only with adults. A random pick can never connect an adult with a minor.

Chats are text first. You can add photos and short voice notes. There is no video. You can talk in any language you both understand, and a language filter helps you find people who speak the one you want to practise.

When a chat ends, you and the other person have 24 hours to rate each other on politeness, thoughtfulness, how easy the person was to talk to, honesty and open-mindedness. Each person needs to have sent at least 10 messages for a chat to be rated. Ratings are anonymous and they build a reputation that other people can filter on.

Messages are not screened before delivery. If someone is rude or breaks the rules, use the flag icon in the chat to report them and block them. A person on our team reviews reports, and serious violations lead to suspension or a permanent ban.

Be clear about what you want. A short opening such as what you are interested in, or what language you would like to use, helps the other person decide how to answer. Do not ask for personal contact details in the first minutes, and do not share yours until you trust the person. If someone makes you uncomfortable, you can end the chat at any time, then report and block them.

The person you are invited to chat with sees your display name, your photo if you added one, and the profile details you chose to fill in, such as age, country, languages and interests. They never see your email address. This is why it is worth keeping your profile honest and short: it is the whole first impression.

Use random chat when you just want someone to talk to now. Use Discover when you want to choose, for example a person who shares a hobby or speaks a language you are learning. Use a debate when you would rather argue a position than make small talk: pick a topic, pick a side and you are matched with someone on the other side, either live or by written turns over a few days.