This was an online dating platform that offered its members free chat rooms to air their views and also create relationships.
It was a free online chatting forum, with over 5million registered users on exit. Most of its members came from Asia, North America, and Europe. It had a record of over 200,000 monthly users using the site during its time.
It had created different chat rooms for its users where they could meet, interact, and probably meet for a date. Chat rooms were designed to cater to various members’ interests.
This online dating site was trendy before, and not now. Other sources reveal this online dating site shut down and is no longer operational in most countries. Controversies which surrounded this platform included: child pornography and members luring children into sex.
Update: this online dating media no longer works. It has been brought down permanently for now.
How ChatStep Worked
This online media worked through chat rooms. In these chat rooms, you could find members to talk to, befriend and probably date. On these chat rooms, members would choose whether to register and have accounts or use the chat rooms as anonymous guests.
Using a chatroom as a guest, you were required to key in username and an optional password, accept its terms of use before being allowed to access the contents of the chatroom.
Using ChatStep as a member, you were required to create a simple account with the below details:
- Email Address
- Username
- Password
- Pass the CAPTCHA security system
Once your account had been verified, you would go ahead and use the chatrooms for free. Verification was always done through a link sent via email.
ChatStep Users& Audience Analysis
This chat forum used to have members spread across the globe. Members were from different geographical areas, different age groups, ethnic groups, and other characters, as discussed in the below segments:
- Geographical
- Ethnicity
- Age
- Sex
- Sexual Orientation
Users of this online chatrooms were all over the world. However, the majority of the users came from the United States, India, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
This dating platform had registered all races at its current time. You could find the Arabs, Black Americans, Chinese, Indians, Germans, among other ethnicities using this online chatting platform.
All members were above the minimum required age of 18 years. Active users ranged between the ages of 18 to 25 years old. However, due to the non-verification of ages, you could find underage users at the age of 18 years and below. This created controversies as it led to child pornography and users lured the under-aged into sexual activities and adult-rated contents.
The users of this online site were male and female. This feature also determined the kind of chatrooms one could join according to their gender.
This online site had different types of sexual orientations by the time of its exit. These included: Straight members, gays, lesbians, and transsexuals.
What Are the Unique Features?
This online dating platform had only three unique features, which made it enjoyable to use among its members. Since it was using the chatrooms, these features always revolved around these rooms. Members were given the freedom to create rooms, join rooms, or just participate in free forms.
These essential room features include the following.
- Create Room: This was a feature that was available to only registered users. Users could create their rooms depending on several factors which included:
- Clean/Explicit: Before creating a room, you had to tick an option to show if your room had clean or explicit content.
- Category: room creators were required to choose the type of room they were creating. These types were: Friendly rooms, Fantasy, and image rooms. Friendly rooms were for discussion on issues affecting the society or the community at large, and it only had a fresh content suitable for all age groups. Fantasy rooms focussed on sex and relationships while the image rooms were for sharing different kinds of photos and videos.
- Descriptions: users who created these chatrooms were required to give descriptions of what their rooms were meant for.
- Join Room: Once you are a registered member, you can join any type of chatroom according to your taste and preference. However, some chatrooms had passwords, which were to be sourced from the room creators.
- Public Rooms: These were rooms that were available to both registered and guest users. Public rooms were meant to discuss public content. Leaving these rooms depended on whether the user was registered or not.
o User Guidelines: the creators of these chatrooms were required to set terms of use for their groups.
ChatStep User Friendliness
Chatstep was so easy and friendly to use. From joining, chatting, and leaving the chatrooms, the process was smooth and swift to both the guest and registered members.
Everything was user-friendly. The site had zero complicated features, and it needed no expertise in joining, chatting, and creation of the rooms. Just basic computer knowledge would make one sit comfortably and enjoy this site.
ChatStep’s Design and Usability
Chatstep’s design was effortless and very fast to use. The website had few essential features which members could use to interact, hook-up, and maybe make contacts with each other.
The site features were available just on the homepage. Just after logging into the website, it directed you to the main features, which included: join the room, create a room, and the public room. You were only required to click on the tabs, create a room, or join the existing ones as per your preferences.
The only issue about Chatstep design was, once you login to your account and join the chatroom, the side menu became inaccessible. This created a lot of inconveniences for the users as navigation became a bit difficult.
Leaving the site depends on the user type. Registered members had to leave the site by following the logout processes manually. Guests or non-registered members only had to close the tab, which removed them from the site, and this also deleted their chatrooms and conversations.
Was There a ChatStep Mobile Application?
ChatStep had no functional mobile application.On its time of exit, this online dating platform had not developed a practical mobile application. However, users could access this site by using their smartphone browsers.
The website was speedy and easy to use via mobile browsers, and it offered all the features which were available on the desktop browsers.It was accessible on both Android and iOS mobile browsers.
WasThere Reliable Customer Support?
There was a customer support system, but it came a bit too late when the site was facing major controversies.
During its last days, the customer support system used to verify the accounts registered and took the mandate of regulating these accounts and the kind of chats that were being shared via this online chat platform.
Users could contact the customer support system via an email address: [email protected], which was provided or could just use the contact details which were found on the “about us” section of the website.
ChatStep: Registration and Profile Creation
Registration on Chatstep depended on how one would like to use this site. One can use this site as a member, or just login in as a guest.
Login in as a guest did not require registration. One only needed to choose his preferred chatroom and provide a username and optional password, only if they would require to use the account again.
ChatStep Registration
Registration for members on this online platform was straightforward and fast. It took approximately two minutes to complete the whole process. On registering their accounts, members were required to provide the below information:
- Username: Users were required to create an anonymous username that they would be login in to use these chat rooms. They could use the same username to get into as many chatrooms as possible.
- Email Address: Email address was required during registration and future logins. It was mainly used to verify and secure the member’s account. You were required to confirm your email address before completing the registration process.
- Password: members were required to secure their accounts by providing a secure and unique password for their accounts—passwords needed to be confirmed on the second tab.
- Terms of Service and Privacy Policy: before being allowed to create your account, Chatstep required members to accept its terms of service and privacy policy.
Do You Need to Create a Profile on ChatStep?
You did not need to create a user profile on ChatStep. The registration details were enough to secure an account.
Is There a Verification Process?
Verification on ChatStep accounts was done through the email address used during registration.ChatStep always sent a link through the email address, where the user needed to click on the link to verify the account.
ChatStep Search Options
ChatStep allowed its users to search for chatrooms using the below chat options:
- Topic: you could search chatrooms via trending topics available on this site.
- Religion: You could search for rooms by using the religion feature available on this online dating site.
- Sex: a male or female option to search was available.
- Age: you could search for your favorable chatroom using age as a filter.
What’s The Chatting & Matching Process On ChatStep?
ChatStep online website did not have a matching algorithm for its members. It had chatrooms that were sorted according to religion, age, ethnic group, and using topics that were being discussed by members on this chat platform.
These rooms were straightforward to use. You could choose more than a room, depending on your preference. Once you choose a room, you can follow and add conversations, which were typically color-coded to differentiate one conversation from another.
Members could send message or picture chats on this online platform. But it entirely depended on the type of room one was.
There was a messaging app to contact a member that you could use to send a message to the other user privately.
ChatStep Membership Accounts
ChatStep had only two types of accounts:
- Guest Account: These were one time accounts used by members who only wanted to visit this site once. It did not require registering an account. All thatwas needed was: a username and an optional password. Guest accounts always got deleted once the member left the page.
- User Account: these accounts required registration and could be used more than once to login to several chatrooms available on this dating platform. Members were required to provide their username, email address, and a secure password to register a user account.
Free
ChatStep User and Guest Accounts were free of charge. There were no subscriptions while using this dating site. Users were required to create accounts to access all features of this dating platform.
Paid
There were no paid accounts on ChatStep. Users were only required to create an account to access all these features. It was a free-to-use online dating website.
ChatStepPricing
There were not payable subscriptions on the ChatStep. Members enjoyed free chats and free messaging services on different chatrooms, which were available on this website.
Let’s Discuss Cancelling Your ChatStep Subscription
ChatStep was free to use to all its members. No subscriptions were needed during the time, thus no cancellations.
Deleting an account was depended on the type of the user. Registered users could remove their accounts manually, while those on guest accounts just required closing the browser to leave the site.
What About the Website Safety & Security?
ChatStep was faced with different security threats to its members and their data. There were so many controversies surrounding this site regarding its members since there were no verified accounts, and most of these accounts lacked profile pictures.
Controversies which surrounded this site include:
- Fake and anonymous accounts: users were using these anonymous and fake accounts to spread hate and threats to other users.
- Child Pornography: due to its inability to verify accounts, underage users’ found their way into this adult site, threatening their security and safety while dealing with mature members.
- Pedophiles: some mature members were accused of luring young, underage members into sexual activities and exposing them to adult-rated content.
Before its exit, Chatstep tried to improve on its security features by bringing in a privacy policy, which committed to safeguarding its members and their data while on this site.
The site also introduced the use of profile pictures to users’ accounts, account verification, and other security features to redeem its image, but it was a bit late.
It had to shut down permanently.
Does ChatStep Have Competitors and Alternatives?
Despite Chatstep coming down, there are several other alternatives that one can
use to secure a date or get the same services that were being offered by ChatStep.
These alternatives include the following.
- FuckBook:
- FlingSter
- Flirt
This online dating site offers casual sex to its members. It works by connecting members who are looking for quick sex and the models providing this service. FuckBook is only available via the website.
It is an adult chatroom available to all genders and every other ethnic group in the world. It also accepts anonymous chatting by providing masks to user profile pictures. Flingster can work in mobile and desktop browsers. It does not have a mobile application.
This online dating site designed for singles that are looking for casual dates. It is a site for individuals looking for readily available sexual partners in exchange for cash. The site is only available to desktop and mobile browsers. There is no mobile application for Flirt.com
ChatStep Review Conclusion
ChatStep online platform is no longer operational. It was a good site despite its controversies, which were caused by age issues and scam profiles.
Nevertheless, it was not a real dating site. Reasons for this include absence of matching and communication features. It was more of a forum where members hooked up to share ideas about community, love, sex, and other related issues concerning the society at large. It was not recommended for those who were looking for perfect dates, relationships, and sexual partners due to its lack of features.
