Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account?
Not for anonymous rooms: you pick a display name and share the room's link. Personal chats, contacts, groups, status and kept rooms need an account, which is a Google sign-in and a username. AChat never asks for your phone number.
Who can read a personal chat?
The people in it. Personal chats, private groups and their files are end-to-end encrypted, so each message can be read only on those people's devices. AChat's moderators see a message only if someone in the chat reports it. See Passwords & encryption.
Is everything encrypted?
No. Communities, their channels, open anonymous rooms and status updates aren't end-to-end encrypted. A room with a password encrypts its messages on your device.
What does anonymous mean here?
No account and no phone number. It doesn't mean invisible: your device still connects to AChat's servers, as it would for any website. If you also have an account, AChat doesn't link your anonymous messages to it.
How long do messages last?
Personal chats and groups keep their history until someone deletes it, unless the chat uses disappearing messages (1 minute, 1 hour or 1 day). Each anonymous room message is kept for a set number of days, 10 by default, unless someone keeps the room. Status lasts 24 hours.
What if I lose every device?
Your recovery key or another linked device brings your history back. Google sign-in alone can't, and the AChat team can't either, because AChat doesn't keep a copy of your message keys. See Devices & recovery key.
Can I delete a message?
Yes. Delete for everyone moves your message to that chat's Trash, where anyone in the chat can restore it for a set number of days (30 by default). Copies people already saved stay with them. See Manage messages.
Does AChat record my location?
Only in a chat with device and location history on, and only after you agree. The chat shows what it records and who can see it before you enter; say no and it stays closed. See Device & location history.
Does AChat cost anything?
Free has no end date and covers personal chats, groups, communities and anonymous rooms. Pro and Team / Family raise four allowances: file size, files per chat, how many rooms you keep and for how long. See Plans & pricing.
Can the person paying for Team / Family read my messages?
No. The payer manages seats and renewal, and can't read other members' chats or see their location.
Can I embed a chat on my website?
Yes: an anonymous room or a display-name channel in a community marked Anonymous allowed. You can list the websites allowed to show it. See Embeddable widget.
Can I make voice or video calls?
No. AChat is for messages.
How do I delete my account?
Account, then the Data tab, then Delete account. It's immediate and permanent. See Kept rooms & your account.
Which platforms does it run on?
Any current browser, and Android. There's no iOS app; use the web on iPhone and iPad.
Which languages?
English, Spanish, French, German and Arabic.
Who can use AChat?
People 16 or older.
How do I contact the AChat team?
Use the contact page. Replies go to the email address you enter.