Random chat has its charm, but most of us would rather not spend the evening skipping past chats that were never going to work. That's what filters are for. On Chat AHOY you choose who you meet before the conversation starts. Here's what each filter does and how to get the most out of them.
Chat type
Text or video. Filtering by chat type means you only meet people who want the same thing right now — which removes the most common source of awkward first exchanges. Change it any time on the discover page.
Maximum distance
How far away can the people you meet be? A small radius is great for local chats (same weather, same city, maybe a coffee one day). A big radius, or no limit, works better late at night or if you like meeting people from elsewhere. Distance is based on your approximate location; see chatting with people nearby.
Age and gender
With PLUS you can also filter by age range and gender. If you have a clear idea of who you'd like to talk to, these two save the most time.
Location
Your location is normally detected from your device or connection. In your location settings you can pick a preferred location; with PLUS you can set any location you like — handy when travelling, or just curious about a particular city.
Combos that work
- Quiet weeknight: text only, wide distance. Plenty of people, zero pressure.
- Local: any chat type, small radius. Conversations about places you both know.
- Practising a language: text, custom location set to a country where it's spoken.
- Face to face: video only, plus your age and gender preferences.
Discover page gone quiet? Loosen one filter at a time — usually distance first.
The world map
The world map shows who's online right now, all over the globe. It's a good way to see where the action is before you set your distance. With PLUS you can open profiles straight from the map.
Filters aren't judgement
A filter narrows down who you meet; it can't tell you whether someone is nice. Keep the basics from staying safe while chatting online in mind, and remember the report button is always there.