Live right now
Omegle live chat, but better
Live text or video with someone new — moderated in real time.
Text Chat Video ChatFree to start.
The part worth keeping
What people actually liked about Omegle was simple — talking to a stranger you'd never have met otherwise, live and unscripted. Chitchat keeps that: text or video, one-on-one, randomly matched.
The part we refused
What made Omegle fail was everything around that: no real moderation, no accountability, nowhere to turn when a chat went wrong. Chitchat is actively moderated and monitored while you're chatting — not after the fact.
Our moderation and age-verification systems are built and reviewed by the Chitchat Trust & Safety Team, with the enforcement numbers published in our Safety & Moderation Transparency Report.
18+ note: Chitchat is an adult platform, built and moderated for users 18 and older. It isn't designed or marketed for minors.
Random when you want it, filters when you don't
Matching can still be fully random — or you can narrow it with interest, region, and gender filters. Video chat requires a sign-in so people who break the rules can be removed and kept out; text chat can start without one, or with a guest account.
Want the fuller story of what happened to Omegle? Read our alternatives guide, or browse our video chat guides.
Live means moderated while it happens
Live is where moderation matters most — there's no delay between a bad interaction and the next person. Chitchat reviews activity in real time during conversations, with human moderators handling the judgment calls.
1 / 30s
actions taken every day, around the clock
We won't pretend that makes every chat risk-free. No system screens a stranger before you're already talking to them. Keep the instincts you'd use meeting anyone new: nothing identifying up front, and the report button the moment something feels off.
Starting takes about a minute
1
Open Chitchat
Mobile or desktop browser. It's free.
2
Pick text or video
Both are live and one-on-one. Video needs a sign-in; text doesn't.
3
Talk
Skip to the next person any time, or leave whenever you want.
FAQs
What is Omegle?
Omegle was a random chat site that paired strangers for live text or video conversations — one-on-one, no browsing profiles, no picking who you talked to. That simple idea is what people still search for when they look up "Omegle live."
What happened to Omegle?
Omegle shut down permanently in November 2023. Its founder cited the cost and toll of moderating it, plus mounting legal pressure — running a live chat site without watching it had stopped being possible.
Is Omegle back?
No. The original site hasn't returned, and its founder was clear the shutdown is permanent. That's why searches like "is Omegle back" mostly lead to alternatives now — the live random chat idea lives on, just on different platforms.
Why did people use Omegle?
Mostly for an unscripted conversation with someone they'd never have met otherwise. Low stakes, no shared social circle, and you could skip anytime. The downside was everything around that: little real moderation, almost no accountability, and nowhere solid to turn when a chat went wrong.
What are the best Omegle alternatives in 2026?
Chitchat, if you want the live stranger-chat core with real moderation during the conversation — text or video, random or filtered matching, and accountability when someone breaks the rules. For a fuller comparison of sites like Omegle, see our Omegle alternatives guide .
Is Chitchat safe to use?
No chat site is risk-free, but Chitchat is safer than unmoderated chat. Activity is reviewed in real time during conversations, humans handle judgment calls, and we publish enforcement numbers in our transparency report . No system screens a stranger before you're talking to them, so keep the usual instincts: nothing identifying up front, and report anything that feels off.