Always improving
We regularly update Chat AHOY and try new things from time to time. Have an idea or spot something that could be better? We'd love to hear from you.
v2026.9.3
- Group chats can now start with 3–6 people when fewer people are available. Less waiting, more chatting!
- See your selected search filters while queued, with easy access to edit them or leave the queue.
- Message notifications are more reliable when you're elsewhere in the app, with improved alert timing and sounds.
- A more compact sidebar and tighter chat rows leave more room for your conversations.
v2026.9.1
- Group chats can now bring up to six people together. Sender avatars, tappable profile pictures and clearer participant actions make it easier to know who’s who.
- Group matching now broadens filters automatically unless you opt out, and continues reliably while the tab is in the background.
- On phones, active video and audio calls now use an immersive full-screen layout. Messages float above the call and fade after inactivity, returning when needed.
- Chat history now pins the date you’re reading, and the chat list marks conversations with unsent drafts.
- Several rough edges are gone: sign-up and sign-in explain problems more clearly, app-install instructions open neatly from one button, and common dialog actions live in cleaner headers.
v2026.9.0
- Discover can now match you into group chats with up to four people, with a clear participant list to keep track of everyone.
- Chats are smoother all around: drafts survive navigation and refreshes, unread conversations open at the first unread message, and photos can be sent together with a caption.
- Contact requests sent outside a chat can now include an optional introductory message.
- PLUS members now receive a badge on their profile, the map, and in chats. Prefer to keep it subtle? The badge can be hidden in profile settings.
- A reconnecting banner now lets you know when your session has temporarily lost its connection.
v2026.8.22
- Explore new guides about safe, enjoyable chats, available in English, Dutch and German.
- Offensive chat messages are now blocked to help keep conversations friendly.
- Quiet chats stay connected more reliably, so messages, typing indicators and call signals are less likely to go missing.
- Contact-request notifications now tell you who accepted your request.
- Guest sign-up is better protected against abuse and no longer leaves partial accounts behind when validation fails.
v2026.8.21
- Fixed an annoying error toast that popped up whenever an ad blocker stopped an ad from loading — it's now just a quiet console note
- Profile view counts now display with proper number grouping in your locale, instead of a raw run of digits
- The ignore button on received contact requests is now icon-only for a tidier look
v2026.8.18
- Fixed a glitch that could show a blank blue screen when starting a chat from Discover.
- Tidied up the chat list layout so it looks the same on mobile and desktop.
v2026.8.16
- Profiles and new chats now show how far away someone is, along with a compass arrow pointing in their direction.
v2026.8.15
- Ad breaks are now timed more carefully while browsing and returning to the app. Private conversations remain ad-free, while shared cooldowns and navigation checks prevent awkward or back-to-back interruptions.
- Android now shows PLUS prices supplied directly by Google Play in the shopper’s local currency. Clear loading, unavailable, and retry states avoid showing a price that Google Play would not actually charge.
- Refreshed light and dark gradients make the background calmer, improve the contrast around headers and cards, and help mobile browser chrome blend smoothly into the page.
v2026.8.14
- Tap any chat message to copy it or reveal its exact timestamp.
- chatmitfremden.de members can now buy a one-off PLUS upgrade via Stripe instead of only subscribing.
- We'll warn you before sending a voice message that would arrive silent, instead of letting it through.
- Installing the app is now one clear prompt on every platform — Android, iOS, and desktop alike.
- Buying PLUS through Google Play now shows a confirmation and closes the dialog automatically.
v2026.8.13
- Dress up your messages: pick a text color, bubble, and font — everyone in the thread sees them.
- Thinking of leaving PLUS? A one-screen before you go step, and returning members get a welcome-back with their previous plan.
- Scrolled up in a chat? Jump back to the latest, with a count of new messages. On desktop, the composer is ready to type.
- Unanswered profile requests expire after a week, and you can turn incoming requests off from your profile.
- After a temporary chat, if you were idle you’ll get a way back into the queue. The sidebar also stopped shuffling chats out from under you.
v2026.8.12
- Send a voice note instead of typing: tap the mic, record up to a minute, then send or toss it. The player lets you scrub, and a little meter proves the microphone is actually listening.
- Profile views: the who-looked list matches this week, PLUS names the latest 30, and everyone else gets the PLUS pitch in the count line instead of a blurry fake list.
- The sidebar stays on screen while you scroll Discover, the map, or recent chats. “Next chat” only shows up right after a conversation actually ended — not on a recap from last week.
v2026.8.11
- Paste or drop a photo into a chat, or pick an emoji from the new picker — no need to hunt through a file dialog just to share a screenshot.
- Next chat moved up into the header so the composer can breathe. The emoji and photo buttons are quieter now, and tapping the name opens the profile.
- Unread badges in the sidebar stay on one line, even when they hit double digits.
- Profile views now have proper headings, so the week overview and PLUS teaser actually read as sections.
v2026.8.10
- Profile views now give everyone a week of visit counts and a few tips on how to get seen, even without PLUS. Who looked still stays behind the PLUS curtain.
- In recent chats, tap the name — or anywhere on the row except the avatar — to open the conversation.
- On Android, if you previously denied notifications, the settings toggle now opens the system notification screen so you can turn them back on.
v2026.8.8
- Signing in from an email or SMS link on Android works again. Tapping a second link no longer signs you into the first account, and a brief hiccup no longer burns your one-time code.
- Ads stay out of private conversations. If one tried to linger when you opened a chat, it shouldn’t anymore.
v2026.8.6
- Signing in is more resilient. Brief service interruptions no longer send signed-in users back to the sign-in screen, and session retries no longer trip over each other.
- Temporary text matches no longer offer call buttons, respecting the choice that started the conversation. No mixed signals.
- The What’s New page and older contact-request links now behave correctly in the Android app. Release notes also follow the app’s language.
- Before buying or extending PLUS on the web, guests are prompted to link an email address, phone number or social account so their paid access remains recoverable.
v2026.08.1
- Scroll back in a chat and older messages now flow into view automatically—no more “Load earlier messages” button.
- Type a classic smiley like :-) and it turns into an emoji as you type.
- Guest profiles, chats, contacts, and photos now stay intact when you add sign-in details. You can link a phone number too.
- Free users no longer see PLUS promotions taking over ad spaces.
- More careful automated moderation reduces the chance of an incorrect block.
v2026.08.0
- After a good temporary chat, you now get a recap with the message count and duration, plus an easy way to reconnect.
- Visiting from Android? A new sidebar reminder helps you find the app without getting in your way.
- New web orders now reflect the amount actually charged, including discounts and price changes.
- The avatar gallery gradually settles down and pauses when it is hidden or out of view—much calmer.
- Names affected by a temporary moderation hiccup can be checked again instead of staying blocked forever.
v2026.07.20
- Fixed an issue where loading profile-view insights at startup could disrupt your session, break Discover, and prevent one-on-one chats from starting.
- On received contact requests, tapping the avatar now opens the profile, and the decline button is easier to recognize.
- Background matching now recovers from stuck tasks instead of silently stopping, keeping new matches moving.
v2026.07.19
- New profile view insights show how many people viewed your profile this week. With PLUS, you can see exactly who stopped by in the last 30 days and receive a weekly push recap.
- Mobile ads now behave more predictably after chats and recover better from startup or consent hiccups—while PLUS stays ad-free.
v2026.07.18
- PLUS expiry reminders moved to the sidebar, so they're easier to spot and dismiss.
- Fixed an issue where a failed SEPA renewal payment could leave your subscription stuck without notice — you'll now be notified right away.
v2026.07.15
- Sidebar reminders now nudge you to finish your profile or turn on notifications, with a cleaner button style.
- The "start next chat" button is easier to reach on narrow screens — it now sits on its own row and shortens its label while you're composing.
- Added a feedback prompt on the Updates page, so it's easier to tell us what you think of recent changes.
- Sidebar ads no longer show once you already have chats or contacts, so things stay tidy once you're active.
v2026.07.14
- We redesigned the sidebar: clearer Discover, Chats, and Contacts sections, more compact rows, and contact requests now collapse into a tidy summary with their own dedicated page instead of cluttering your chat list.
- Guest accounts now get a friendly, once-per-session nudge to link a permanent account so an important chat isn't lost if the guest session ends.
- The "What's new" page has been renamed to Updates, with a cleaner date display and its own button in the header instead of a small badge.
- Fixed relative timestamps (like "just now") always showing in Dutch — they now follow your chosen language.
v2026.07.13
- See who’s around at a glance: signed-in users now get a live online count below the site title, while an empty chat list shows people who are currently online.
- Bought PLUS as a guest? Your order can now suggest the email address used for payment to help you secure your account.
- Age checks now consistently enforce the 18+ requirement.
- Reports now require a real interaction—either a received message or an active video chat—to reduce false reports.
- No webcam? The camera setup now offers handy shop links to help you find one.
v2026.07.11
- Sign-in is tidier: unavailable options have been removed, the guest flow has less clutter, and you can review the terms, house rules and privacy statement without losing your progress.
- Reports from several independent people can now trigger faster action against disruptive accounts, helping keep conversations pleasant.
- The online gallery now only shows people with a real uploaded profile photo — what you see is what you get.
- We refreshed the landing pages with clearer wording, better search and share previews, and visual polish matched to each community.
v2026.07.10
- We refreshed the welcome and sign-in experience, making it clearer how to start directly as a guest or continue with an account.
- Video calls now reconnect more reliably after network stalls or an expired session, with fewer duplicate or stuck calls along the way.
- The app can now recover more gracefully when an update briefly interrupts loading.
v2026.07.9
- The short-lived About me profile bio has already said goodbye — profiles are simpler and tidier now.
- Long names in the contact requests sidebar no longer get squished; the accept and ignore buttons politely step aside.
- The What's new page moved to a fresh home at /updates — same news, better address.
v2026.07.8
- A fresh visual design: bigger, easier-to-read text, clearer buttons and forms, and a calmer overall look
- Chats now keep your loaded history when the page reloads, and messages sent during a connection hiccup recover on their own
- Overlapping pins on the world map spread apart so every pin gets its own tap
- Discover filters are more dependable — clearing your gender filters now works even after PLUS expires
- This very page is new: a What's new changelog so you never miss an update