Meeting new people online is fun precisely because you don't know each other yet. That's also why a little caution goes a long way. The habits below take almost no effort and cover nearly every situation you'll run into on Chat AHOY — or anywhere else.
Decide up front what you share
You don't need your real name on Chat AHOY, and you choose how anonymous you stay in every conversation. Rule of thumb: share things about you, not things that identify or locate you.
Totally fine: a first name or nickname, your hobbies, roughly where you live, what you do.
Keep to yourself, at least early on: surname, home or work address, phone number, email, social handles, photos that show your street or workplace, and anything to do with money.
Know the red flags
Most people are exactly who they seem. The few who aren't tend to follow the same script:
- Pushing to move to another app within minutes.
- Asking for money, gift cards or "help with a transfer", however small.
- Declaring big feelings suspiciously fast.
- A story that keeps changing, or dodging simple questions.
- Asking you to do something on camera you didn't offer.
Two or more of these? Slow down. Recognising scams and fake profiles goes deeper.
Use what's built in
- The report button. It's in every chat. Reports are reviewed within minutes, 24 hours a day, and moderation steps in when the rules are broken.
- Photo moderation. Every photo sent in a chat is checked before it's delivered, so unwanted images are stopped at the door.
- Deleting a chat. You can delete a whole chat any time. It ends the conversation and takes it out of your chat list for good; you can't reopen it. Deleting your account is what removes your data, after a seven-day cooling-off period.
- Approximate location. Chat AHOY uses your location for the distance filter and the world map, but never precisely, and you can opt out of the map in your location settings.
On camera
You're never obliged to turn your camera on. If you do, remember the other person could in theory record their screen, so don't show anything you wouldn't want saved. More in video chat etiquette.
Meeting in person
If a chat turns into a plan to meet, treat it like meeting anyone from the internet: public place, daytime, tell a friend, sort your own ride.
Trust your gut
The best safety tool is the one you already have. If something feels wrong, it probably is. End the chat, report if needed, move on — there's always someone else online. For the full picture, see the safety center and the house rules.