How to Stay Safe While Chatting on Omegle?

On the 25th of March 2009, 18-year-old Leif K-Brooks made an unusual innovation to the world of online communication and named it Omegle. Omegle is an online service that allows communication between two strangers.

Omegle has grown popularity for being one of the best sites for starting a random communication online, with a stranger. As a user is not propelled to create an account or submit any personal details, Omegle quickly gained popularity as a ground for an online misdemeanor, and cybercrime.

How to Use Omegle?

Omegle can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. There are two portals for accessing Omegle. It is either accessed through the official website or the iOS app. Omegle is only for users above 13. Users less than 18, (but older than 13) could use the service with parental guidance.

To start chatting on Omegle after opening the app or website, the user selects text or video. A little test maybe a pop up to ascertain if the user is human, or a spambot, though this is not done most times. Once the user passes the text, they are quickly paired with another random user, and the chat begins.

While chatting on Omegle may be a lot of fun, it can also be very unsafe. With the presence of many cybercriminals and people looking to have cyber sex, it is a hub for many dangerous activities.

Omegle has some other features apart from just random video and text chat. Users can tailor the interests of the kinds of people they would like to meet. There is also a spy mode, where a user drops a question for two strangers and watch them debate about it. If a user has a .edu email address, the user may participate in the college students’ chat, after verifying the email. Lastly, and most dangerously, there is the Adult and unmoderated video section where it is likely to come across adult content.

Major issue users may need a solution to is how to use the amazing Omegle features without coming across cybercriminals, bots, and horny users, as they are called.

How to stay safe while chatting on Omegle

Omegle was created for fun, as it is evident from their description; “a great way to meet new friends“, though the accuracy of this statement is debatable. As a user is matched with another random user, chances are high that the users are matched with a bot or other unwanted users. Here are a few tips for meeting healthy users on Omegle.

1. Do not share personal details

Not only on Omegle but anywhere on the net. Hundred of thousands of snoopers are in search of personal information like emails and phone numbers. These snoopers might pose like a regular user, and steal other users’ information.

2. Do not click external links

Most cyber crooks approach Omegle intending to install malware on an innocent victim’s computer, once the link is clicked, the malware downloads and wreak havoc on the computer. It may also be a phishing link, which clones a reputable company and prompts a user to log in, thereby stealing the user’s login information in the process.

3. Never reply ASL

ASL is an acronym for age, sex, and location. It is popularly used by several Omegle users (those looking for instant communication). Unless a user’s mission is similar, ASL should be tantamount to immediate disconnection.

4. Adding interests

Adding interests makes it easier to connect with real humans. Under the “What do you wanna talk about”, users should input their interests to make Omegle a safer and healthier place to be.

5. Do not agree to a real-life meeting

Omegle is designed for fun and many other things, but offline hookup is something it was not designed for. Meeting people offline would require divulging personal details, which could be toxic to the user. There are other chat apps made specifically for meeting new friends, but Omegle is just to chat anonymously, and have fun.

6. The disconnect feature is two clicks away

If a user behaves abnormally or sends random spam, it is time to disconnect. Omegle made disconnection so simple, by just clicking stop, and then confirming you want to end the chat, the chat ends. Reconnection is not a problem, as there are over 20000 active users on Omegle each day, finding another one to connect should not be a difficult task.

7. Do not share social profiles

People generally share much information about themselves in their social media accounts. This makes it unsafe to disclose social media profiles to just anyone, especially those met on Omegle. It may lead to submitting one’s social profile to a bot and subsequently receiving annoying messages, and most times, getting hacked.

8. Text, not video

While this may not be necessary, it is a good practice to keep the “crooked ones” out. To avoid exposure to pornography on Omegle, it is recommended to stick with the text version of the chatting service.

9. Use RitaVPN

As messages sent over the Omegle chat are not automatically encrypted, there is a possibility of information leakage. Using a speedy VPN service with strong encryption protocols protects user information from being viewed by hackers and internet service providers. RitaVPN is available for as low as $5.34 per month if you choose the yearly plan. Not to mention, RitaVPN sometimes offers other pricing plans such as the 1-week plan and the 6-month plan which are tailored for flexible users. 

Conclusion

Omegle was created for humans to interact and have fun, not a platform to get harassed by bots and cyber crooks. Following the above-listed tips, one gets a flawless Omegle experience without fear of being hacked, harassed or sexually insulted.

By using RitaVPN with Omegle encrypts data sent from the user’s device and makes sure the user is completely safe, and not snooped by online predators while using the Omegle service.