Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they join.
- Do I need an account to chat?
- No. Enter a username, your gender, age, and city, verify your age, and you're in as a guest. There's no email to confirm and no phone number to verify. If you'd like to keep your username and find your contacts again, you can create a free account whenever you want.
- Is ChatNow really free?
- Yes. ChatNow is 100% free: no monthly plan, no credit card, no hidden fees. Rooms, private messages, photos, and webcam are all included. There's an optional Premium upgrade for extras, but the chat itself never goes behind a paywall.
- How old do I have to be?
- You have to be 18 or older. ChatNow is for adults only. Before you can enter a room, send a message, or share a photo or your cam, you verify your age with AgeVerif, an independent provider. We only learn whether you're 18 or older, never your ID or your date of birth. The details are on our age verification page.
- Is the chat anonymous?
- Yes. We never ask guests for an email address, a phone number, or a real name, and we keep only what our Privacy Policy lists, for as long as it says. Your username is the only thing other people see. What you share beyond that is up to you.
- What happens when I click "Join the chat"?
- This page is the front door. The chat itself runs on chatnow.fr, our main site. Your username, gender, age, and city are sent over already filled in. You confirm them, verify your age, and land in the English-speaking room. You never type anything twice.
- Which room do I land in from the US?
- When you join from chat-now.net you land in the English-speaking room. That's where Americans meet, along with English speakers from Canada, the UK, and everywhere else. From there you can see every other room and switch whenever you like.
- What if I'm in Canada?
- Come on in. The English-speaking room is open to anyone who speaks English, wherever they live. Most people are chatting from the US, but Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and the rest of Canada are just as welcome. Enter your city when you join and pick it from the list like everyone else.
- How do I pick my city?
- Type the first few letters of your city and pick it from the list. You'll see the state and a ZIP code next to each name, like "New York City, NY (10004)" or "St. Louis, MO (63150)", so you can tell cities with the same name apart. That's how people near you find you. We never ask for your street address.
- Does ChatNow work on my phone?
- Yes. ChatNow works in any browser on iPhone, Android, tablet, or computer. The layout is made for touch screens and adapts to your device. There's no app to install and nothing to update.
- How does the webcam work?
- You can turn on your cam right in a room or in a private conversation by tapping the camera icon. Other people see you live. The webcam needs a current browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
- Can I send private messages?
- Yes. In any room, tap a username to open a private conversation. Messages, photos, and voice notes stay between the two of you: other users can't see them. Moderators may review them when something is reported or flagged, to keep the chat safe. If someone bothers you, you can block them at any time.
- Is the chat moderated?
- Yes. Human moderators enforce the rules every day, helped by automated tools. Insults, spam, and harassment are dealt with quickly. You can report a user or a message at any time. Read the Community Guidelines.
- Is ChatNow available in other languages?
- Yes. ChatNow also exists in British English at chat-now.uk, in French at chatnow.fr, in German at chat-now.eu, in Spanish at chatnow.es, and in Italian at chat-now.it, with rooms for other languages. Your language stays set once you're connected.