Active Audience | 77% |
Quality Matches | 93% |
Popular Age | 13-18 |
Profiles | 1 850 000 |
Reply Rate | 95% |
Ease of Use | 9.9 |
Popularity | 9.5 |
Fraud | Very Rarely |
Rating |
9.3
|
Registration | Free |
TeenChat goes as far back as 2012. Since then, it has built a sizeable membership on its online platform, offering instant messaging and video chat for teens.
Only teenagers aged 13-18 are allowed to use the site and its features. Here, teens are given a venue all to themselves and can interact with others in the same age bracket. Registration and the services offered are entirely free.
With the chats and message boards, girls and boys can talk about anything teen-related issues. They can also express themselves in blogs. TeenChat has one of the best profile creation features offered on any similar teen sites.
Its goal is to establish a friendly teen community that can serve as a support group during the rough years of growing up as a teen. In this review, we’ll find out if TeenChat delivers on this lofty promise.
On TeenChat, the only way you can confirm that you’re talking to a teen is through a webcam chat. It’s private between members, although there’s no way for the site to control what goes on within a video chat. A large part of a members’ safety would depend on their discretion.
There are moderators on the website, but they do a poor job in the chat rooms. They make a much better effort on the message boards called the Teen Chat Forum. There, members are free to start teen-related topics and discussions, although only a few use it.
You can also search for members on that message board. Teens can get to know a little about other teens beforehand by viewing their profiles. That’s why it’s crucial to create and complete a profile first before trying to communicate with others.
Other teens will only take you seriously if you have a filled out and verified profile. Having a verified profile doesn’t mean the confirmation of the age, though. It only separates them from guests who’re also allowed to create a temporary and limited profile.
You can send another teen a DM saying “hi” or something to introduce yourself with and ask to be their friend. You can also communicate with them via direct messaging and video chat. Finally, you can add a person that you like on your “friends list,” and their profile photos will appear on it for easy access.
Users also have an ignore list where they can place member usernames if they want nothing to do with them. It would be a good idea to add the names of accounts that you think are scams and are fake. There’s a blog section that encourages members to be creative and submit write-ups. It’s also the area for reading articles from the staff.
Registration is a breeze, and signing up and getting full access to the website’s features are free. They let unregistered guests navigate the site to some extent. It will allow visitors to get an idea of what goes on inside TeenChat before they decide to join.
When a guest registers, he or she must be a teen 13-18 years of age and is expected to comply with the site’s rules. After registering an account, a member will have complete access to the chat, and all the communication features.
Those who want to join will need a username and password unique to the site and a valid email address. Once an email is verified, you’ll have an account with TeenChat. On the downside, you’ll quickly notice that there isn’t an effective age verification process, which is concerning.
On TeenChat’s Welcome page, visitors will see its logo on the top left and a horizontal menu on its right. There’s a short welcome message where they claim to be the #1 source of chat for young and older teenagers alike who want to get connected for free. The overall vibe the page gives you is simple, bright, and pleasant.
A large photo of four smiling teens who are all holding their phones will greet you. Within this photo is TeenChat’s login. If you’re a registered user, you can select “Login.” For visitors, there’s a “Guest login” available where you type in a username before you enter.
Selecting any of the menu options except “Chat” will take visitors to those pages. However, picking “Chat” will always return you to the login screen. You’ll have to login as a member or guest if you want to see the chat room.
Entering the site will take you to the Home Page with the same logo and top menu. If you left-click on its logo, you will be brought back to the Home Page. There’s a picture of a smartphone with photos of groups of smiling teens on its screen. There’s also an “Enter Teen Chat” button on the left.
On the lower part of the page, there’s a checklist of the site’s “Rules and Regulations.” They expect members and visitors to comply with them strictly. They also suggest that bisexual, lesbian, and gay teenagers must visit the lesbian and gay teen chats for better compatibility.
Those who aren’t teens are discouraged from entering and are asked to find a “free online chat community” elsewhere. It also includes warnings like the possibility of others recording your webcam streams, for example.
Options on the top menu include Chat, Blog, Chat Guide, Forums, Safety, and Emoticons. Left-clicking on the Chat or Enter Teen Chat button will take visitors to the chat room. You’ll see the ongoing chat messages on the left, and you’ll immediately get a sampling of the exchanges they allow.
On the right there are usernames of members who are currently online. Left-clicking on a username would open a dropdown menu with the options “Private,” “Profile,” and “Action.” Selecting “Private” will open a separate chat window similar to Facebook’s Messenger. “Profile” will show you that user’s profile. “Action” will allow you to block that user if you want to.
At the top of this chat is a bar where even guests can receive private messages. There’s a button on the right where they can create a temporary profile. To create a permanent profile, they have to register and join TeenChat. At the bottom is where users can enter a chat message. There’s also a neat radio on the lower left with channel options to keep them entertained.
Selecting “Forums” on the top menu will take guests to the “Teen Chat Forums.” It becomes quickly apparent that members don’t use these forums frequently. It’s the public and private chats where the members are most active. However, the Forums page is where users can search for other members. There’s also another means to register and login to the site before you can join the forums.
The “Blog” top menu option lets members read various blogs from the staff and post their articles. “Safety” merely shows tips for teens to follow on how to be more responsible in protecting themselves on the website. “Emoticons” show the emoticons and GIFs that are usable on any text post. “Chat guide” is also a simple list of how to use the chat room.
TeenChat offers a bit more customizability on their user profile creation than on other similar websites. It’s not much compared to a full-fledged dating site, but it’s better than several other teen sites.
There are buttons on the right of a bar above the chat to view private messages and notifications and create a profile. Selecting the last button opens a dropdown menu for “My Profile” and “Logout.” Pick “My Profile” to create one.
It will have an “About Me” and “Options” tab. The “Options” tab lets you configure Sound, Theme, and Private settings. You can also set your time and location and manage your Ignore List, which we guess will be pretty handy in avoiding unpleasant or fraudulent accounts. Themes are another welcome feature, and those available are the default, dark, gray, and lite.
In the “About Me” tab, you can upload a profile photo. However, there aren’t any strict guidelines followed in posting one. That’s why there are many cartoons, anime images, and even TV series characters instead of teen faces showing up.
Uploading a banner image or animated gif is also allowed to make the profile more eye-catching and colorful. On the profile banner, there are buttons for opening a private chat and blocking the member.
Members can opt not to display their age, but they must pick a male, female, or “other” gender. Lastly, there’s an “About Me” field where a member can write a short description of themselves and what they’re about. There’s also a “Friends” tab, which will show a thumbnail gallery of their friends on TeenChat.
Left-clicking on any member’s username will give the option to view his or her profile. In addition to the entries above, others will see if their account is verified.
TeenChat has a well-optimized mobile version of the site but no specific mobile app. As with other mobile versions of desktop sites, it offers a convenient alternative by allowing users to enjoy TeenChat from anywhere around the world.
All users have to do is to search for teenchat.org on their phones and enter it just as they would other websites. It will have the same features and functionalities as the desktop version but on a smaller screen.
TeenChat has reasonable moderator support to protect its legit members. As it stands, moderating in the site is firm as it needs to be. They try to filter violent, obscene, and inappropriate content, most of the time, however, teens are allowed to say anything they want.
There’s also some amount of fraudulent accounts running amuck on the place and posting questionable links and sending the same on private messages. It can be hard to regulate what’s being exchanged by members in those private messages.
The teens themselves have to be more responsible about their safety by only mingling with verified accounts and sharing their details with persons that they know and trust.
As a plus, it frowns upon posting other personal social media links. On the website’s data exchange and security protocols side of things, there’s enough protection from malicious code.
Joining TeenChat is free. However, you need a registered account to utilize the site, free of charge fully. Once you’re a member, you’ll have access to the following features:
Forums
Only members are allowed to post in the forums and start a new subject thread. This is even a better-moderated part of TeenChat. Moderators have the time and convenience to keep the forums clean from any unwanted content or unacceptable posts. Here’s where users can find the member search to help them make new friends.
Rooms
In the chat rooms, teens can hang out, meet new members, and engage in a live discussion. As a negative, the chat seems unattended at times, and the teens have too much leeway in posting what they want.
Friend Requests
Once friend requests are accepted, new friends will show up on the user’s profile under the “Friends” tab. There, they can easily find and get in touch with other teens on the website whom they like. Teens have to be careful and choose only verified accounts, and never mingle with guests.
Messaging between members is possible through DMs, instant messaging, and private video chats similar to what you see on Facebook’s messenger feature.
Support is available by selecting “Contact Us” at the bottom right of any page. Users needing assistance can type in their username, email address, their concerns on the “Comment” field, and left-click on “submit.”
“Chat Help” on the bottom left is a short guide on how to log on to teenchat.org and use its essential features. There’s nothing to interact with, so your option is limited to contacting them by email.
Data protection and site security protocols are adequate to protect the site from hackers. Messaging is hard to police, but the message boards are kept clean from undesirable posts.
It’s not a comprehensive dating site with matchmaking and other dating features, but it’s a platform that lets teens know other kids their age. Some could form friendships that could lead to an online relationship, which, in turn, could lead to dating.
To be able to enjoy TeenChat fully, you have to be a registered member. Members can join the public chat, DM, and private chat with other teens once they have an account. Video cam chats are also allowed.
TeenChat doesn’t charge anything from its members. It earns money from advertising placed on the website, and there aren’t many. Registering an account and using all of its functions and features are free.
TeenChat provides a platform for teens to socialize with others of the same age. It’s up to the members and how they use the site’s features to find a relationship. It will work if they try to make it work for them.
The fundamental premise of TeenChat is filled with good intentions and is admirable. However, they could do more with improving their execution and implementation of their concept, for example, working on mobile apps.
Dating is a typical activity pursued by today’s teens. It’s as much a part of growing up as school is and other stuff. TeenChat allows teenagers to get to know a person more behind the safety of a computer or mobile device screen before they can commit to a real-life date.
TeenChat has a pleasantly designed platform with enough features to keep teens busy and help them find a suitable date. It’s also an excellent venue to get connected with people who can be your lifelong friends if the relationship is established and progresses over time.