"Anonymous chat" gets thrown around a lot. On Chat AHOY it means something specific: you decide what other people learn about you, and the site doesn't reveal more than you choose. Here's what that looks like in practice.
What other chatters see
The profile you set up: a display name of your choosing, an avatar, and whatever else you add. You don't have to use your real name, and you don't have to add a photo of yourself. In a chat they see what you type and, if you start a call, what your camera shows.
They don't see your email, phone number, sign-in method, exact location or IP address.
Location and the world map
Chat AHOY uses your approximate location for the distance filter and the world map of who's online. Positions on the map are deliberately fuzzy, not everyone is shown, and you can opt out of the map completely in your location settings. With PLUS you can set a custom location too.
Guest access
You can chat as a guest without an email or phone number. If you decide to stick around, link sign-in details to the same account later — see from guest to account.
What Chat AHOY stores
Anonymous towards other chatters isn't the same as invisible to the site. Chat AHOY stores what it needs to run: your sign-in details, profile, chat history, and your IP address for security and abuse prevention. IP addresses that are no longer needed are generally deleted within 31 days.
Chats are private in the sense that matters: no other chatter can read them and they're not shared with third parties. Two exceptions worth knowing: moderation — automated checks and, when a chat is reported or flagged, a moderator — can look at a conversation to enforce the rules, and authorities can receive data when the law requires it. Full details in the privacy statement.
Deleting your account
Leaving? Delete your account from your account settings. Your data and conversations are removed after a seven-day cooling-off period, in case you change your mind.
It cuts both ways
The person you're chatting with is anonymous too. That's normal and healthy — and it's why you shouldn't take an unverifiable claim at face value. The safety guide is worth five minutes.
Anonymous, not unaccountable
Being anonymous doesn't mean anything goes. The house rules apply to every account, reports are reviewed within minutes, and serious violations can be reported to the police. Anonymity on Chat AHOY protects your privacy, not bad behaviour.