Chatroulette became one of the hottest online chat websites when it was released. It was developed by Andrey Ternovskiy, who was a 17-year-old student.
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The concept came from chats he was having with friends online, and the name came from watching ‘The Deer Hunter’ where prisoners were playing Russian Roulette.
Visitors to the Chatroulette site can have text, audio and video conversations with another site user.
However, within a short time, the site received an addictive status, and the numbers of users grew to over one million.
It wasn’t long before there were issues. Users only needed to confirm their age and accept the terms, yet this was being abused.
With lots of criticism, the site took steps, and now individuals are being blocked for no reason.
Be it the sites algorithm, or any of the moderators. On top of this, the site retains more information about its users and random screenshots.
Either users are blocked, or they wish to keep their location and identity private. Here we ask ‘is Chatroulette safe,’ why you are blocked, and which VPN can help you unblock Chatroulette and get back online.
What is Chatroulette?
Chatroulette pairs random users and connects them together. These can be from any location around the world where they can see each other by using their webcams.
Since there was a lot of criticism regarding offensive content and nudity, it has been blocked in schools and workplaces.
Some countries have also taken action, and deem it not an innocent place, so they block access to the website.
Chatroulette does have some community guidelines, but these are often ignored, or the Chatroulette website administration and algorithm block users for no reason.
One of the biggest issues is how easy it can be to access the site, and thus, it is a place for online predators.
All users have to do to start is have a working webcam. Once they grant access, then they hit the start button and are offered up another user. If they wish to chat, they can, or they can move onto another user.
The site uses Adobe Flash Player to display and access the videos. When the webcam is working, the services uses P2P network capability of Flash.
Some routers don’t allow UDP and default to RTMP; this means connections are not as secure.
Chatroulette Not Working
Nowadays, users need to log in or sign up before they can access the features of the site.
Signup needs a username, email address and a password. There are also options to add gender, age and location among other bits of information.
Some users head to the site and find the camera simply stays loading where the webcam is working fine before.
This can be an easy fix and is often because the site needs an updated version of Flash.
However, you may find that what was working fine before has now been blocked depending where you are.
This is where a VPN comes in handy to bypass any blocks that are in place. Your internet connection will show your IP address and the IP address of the video chat site.
Once this is picked up by whatever means of blocking, there is you will lose access.
Here we will look at the top five VPN’s that can help you access websites such as Chatroulette because most of them face the same problems due to their popularity.
Best VPN’s to Unblock Chatroulette
Video chat sites can be fun, but they can be a risk, as they don’t do a lot to protect your identity.
They work on the principle that anyone with a webcam and who accesses the site is open for chat to whoever.
It is the randomness that attracts users, and there are many who wish to find nudity or they are forcing this on others.
1. ExpressVPN
When it comes to privacy, there are not many VPN’s that top the security features of this VPN provider.
It has one of the best records for unblocking many services that face restrictions, sites like Omegle or Chatroulette among them.
When it unblocks Chatroulette, it does this easily as the network comprises over 3,000 VPN servers that spans 94 countries.
This means you will never be stuck for a place to connect with unlimited server switching.
ExpressVPN masks your real IP address and gives you one from their network, this makes users appear in another location.
On top of this, the company adheres to a strict zero-logs policy so they retain none of your online activity.
There is nothing to relate your Chatroulette activity to you, no matter who is looking.
With a kill switch, your IP will never be accidentally leaked, and the connections are fast with unlimited bandwidth.
It also offers the broadest range of device support of any VPN, this means you can use apps like Chatroulette on any device and have protection.
ExpressVPN also offers the chance to try the service before paying anything with their 30-day money back guarantee. No questions, just cancel if it doesn’t suit you.
2. NordVPN
This VPN covers 60 countries, yet their server count is higher. To access Chatroulette in one of these is straightforward.
For video streaming on video chat sites, they deliver fast enough speeds to make sure these are high quality.
Nord is known as having some of the best security features of any VPN, yet some of these won’t be used when accessing Chatroulette. They have a built in kill switch and use 256-bit AES encryption.
The company is based outside any 5-eyes jurisdiction, so they can maintain their zero-logging policy. However, they are linked to a US-based company for payments.
One downside for Chatroulette is the VPN app doesn’t allow server switching; this means you will have to reconnect from scratch if you find yourself blocked.
3. Surfshark
This VPN is very new compared to the first two in the list. While it covers 60 countries, the number of servers is much smaller than a lot of the competition.
Chatroulette users may find it a bit of a restriction if they become blocked.
Aside from this, Surfshark does a good job with fast speeds on most occasions, and the included features for security.
It comes with a kill switch to protect your IP should your connection fail, and it offers an ad-blocker and malware cleaner which are a good inclusion.
It is still in its infancy, yet Surfshark does a good job of accessing sites like Omegle, Chatroulette or many of the others you can find around the web.
This VPN service delivers good device support and feature set and is affordable if you sign up for an extended period.
The company also offers great customer support, which is better than some of its competitors.
4. IPVanish
IPVanish is a popular VPN service; users can unblock Chatroulette by suing the 1,200 + servers that covers 60 countries.
With a strong sense of privacy, users can change their IP address at intervals; this means you can be one step ahead of being blocked on Chatroulette.
With DNS leak protection and the same 256-bit AES encryption, users will be safe when conducting their online activities.
With 10 device connections, this VPN offers great value for money. However, it does fall down when unblocking some streaming services. Luckily, Chatroulette isn’t one of them.
5. CyberGhost
New users of VPN’s choose CyberGhost because it makes things easy. It has 3,500 servers across 58 countries, so unblocking Chatroulette should be easy.
For many streaming services, it does offer a one-click approach, yet this site isn’t on the list and you will need to select a server location manually.
The service includes DNS and IP leak protection, so even ISP’s can’t block users from Chatroulette.
There is the same industry-standard 256-bit AES encryption, so user identity is kept secure and private.
Device support covers the main devices, so you can access Chatroulette while on the go as with the other VPN’s on the list.
Unlike the others, this service offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, yet they do want to resolve user issues before giving a refund.
Why Chatroulette Needs a VPN
Chat sites of this nature all follow the same premise of connecting strangers at random. Many of these services find it hard to control the content on their platforms efficiently.
This leads to users being randomly blocked for no apparent reason. Add to this, the places which block Chatroulette from their networks, and it is easy to see why it can be hard to gain access.
Even Chatroulette for Android faces the same restrictions as desktops or other devices. It all comes down to a user’s IP address.
The best VPN from the list above can give users the chance to connect to their favorite chat site.
It does this easily and effectively and will stop ISP’s blocking users, and cybercriminals from accessing user data or chat logs that sit on these sites.
