Gaurav Rathore
His write-ups blend creativity, personal experience, and tailored technical advice, meeting reader needs effectively.
Since Omegle has been taken down, several similar websites are trying to establish themselves among the netizens. One such platform is Y99 Chat. This is more than just a chatting platform, as it offers a separate section for memes, group chats, and more.
If your child is using it or has intentions to use Y99, you must know all the boons and banes of this website. Worry not; with this write-up, I’ve covered almost everything you need to know.
Y99 Chat is an online chat room service on which you can chat with random strangers. Not only this, but you can meet new people, make new friends, participate in group chats, play games, and more.
Based in India, the site resembles popular chat rooms of the 1990s and early 2000s; an example I can give here would be Omegle (RIP). When it comes to its setup, you just have to sign up and verify your account.
Like other online chatting platforms, Y99 connects you with random people all around the world with a click. The fact that separates it from other platforms is that it allows you to privately chat with strangers.
Moreover, you can also create your own public or private chat room. Right on the homepage, there’s an option available ‘Create a Chat Room,’, just click on CREATE ROOM, and you’re all set.
Then, you can choose to add password protection or have the option to submit your chatroom to Y99 search.
Starting on a negative note, Y99chat is not at all safe for children. To begin with, several troublemakers are using the platform, and you get only reporting and blocking as security features. Also, as you chat with strangers, you’ll find there’s no age verification before participating in a chat room or starting a random chat session.
On the positive side, the site claims that it doesn’t collect personal information from children under 13. But, it doesn’t mean that the site is completely safe for someone over 13.
Moreover, users of any age are prone to clicking on unidentified pop-ups that turn up as ads for mature audiences.
In addition, teenagers can join some ‘age-restricted’ chat rooms that only allow teens. But, there’s still no guarantee of safety because any person can access such rooms by lying about their age.
As it is important to know both sides of a coin, I’ve mentioned a few pros and cons that I found after using Y99. Take a look:
| Pros | Cons |
| Apart from the chat feature, Y99 boasts friend requests, a meme section, fun apps, group chats, and voice calls. | Constantly appearing in video ads can create an issue for those seeking a streamlined experience. |
| Has a dark mode. | Some ads block relevant information. |
| Has multiple side features that include drawing, watching, meeting, and other apps. | Website navigation, especially switching the chat boxes, is not as smooth as one expects. |
| Multiple active chat rooms with generic discussions. | |
| It allows you to share YouTube links and runs videos in picture-in-picture mode. |
Y99 is another anonymous chat platform where users of all age groups can participate, but it comes with a few risk factors mentioned below:
Keeping your identity anonymous on this platform could be a plus point, but there are some repercussions. As the people whom you chat with are also anonymous, there’s always a possibility of coming across an unhealthy conversation. For example, there are cases when children encounter sextortion or other coercive behaviors.
Moreover, since Y99 allows you to share your content on chat rooms, most of the images may come out to be explicit.
While active on Y99, you’ll see several ads from third parties that could be about anything. You need to be careful here, as some ads almost look like a new chat window and make you click on them. Such ads mostly lead to phishing scams and data-breaching incidents.
Going through a lot of instant messages sent by strangers increases the chance of bumping into inappropriate content. It is possible to send images, video links, or voice notes on the platform, and there’s no restriction on the nature of the content being shared.
Though the official site is completely safe from malware, users may send malicious links to you that become system viruses. Some people even use these online sites to send random links that redirect people to phishing websites or initiate downloads that infect the device being used.
As there is no moderation on chat screens, users are free to promote hate speeches, racism, and other extremist behaviors. They may even influence children who come across such discussions for the first time.
If your child expresses their intention to use Y99 or is already active on the platform, there are a few tips worth considering to ensure their safety. The tips are:
First of all, ask your kids what their intention is to use Y99 and how they got to know about the platform. This is essential, as you can offer multiple alternatives, like Discord, Tumblr, and Reddit, that work almost the same and offer better security options.
You must discuss the potential risks I’ve mentioned earlier with your child. It will give a heads-up to your child and even create chances to change their mind.
It is essential to mention the possibility of dangers, like a stranger asking for personal information or requesting to carry the conversation on some other platform. Your kids must know what is and isn’t okay.
If your child is already using Y99 and mentioned that something had ruined their experience, guide them about the measures to take afterward. On the other hand, if they reveal that they’ve experienced uneasiness or any sort of threat, they must refrain from using Y99.
Y99 Chat is safe until you don’t stumble across a ‘not-so-friendly’ stranger or something that you shouldn’t see. Apart from that, most group chats on the platform are welcoming, and people there don’t interfere with your details until you want them to.
Moreover, Y99 works perfectly as a modern-day online chatting platform with large groups, a meme feed, and so much more.
Y99 could be safe to an extent, as the group chats have strict moderators. Also, a random stranger can mention anything that may seem inappropriate for a healthy conversation.
Yes, you can find a basic chat app only for Android devices on the Google Play Store.
