In short: chatroulette was born in 2009, created by a 17-year-old Russian teenager. The concept, being connected at random to a stranger over webcam, went viral and inspired dozens of platforms, from Omegle to Bazoocam and today's free alternatives.
Random video chat is now part of internet culture. But where does it come from? Here's a quick look back at the story of an idea as simple as it is brilliant.
2009: a teenager's idea
The very first chatroulette launched in late 2009, created by a 17-year-old Russian high schooler. The idea was minimalist: two webcams, two strangers picked at random, and a "next" button to move on to the next person.
Success was immediate and worldwide. Within a few months, the site went from a handful of users to hundreds of thousands of connections a day. The press latched onto it, celebrities talked about it: chatroulette became a phenomenon.
The golden age of alternatives
Since the concept was easy to reproduce, many platforms sprang up in its wake. Omegle popularized text and video chat with strangers, Bazoocam made its mark in France and across Europe, while others specialized by country, language or audience.
Each service added its own touch: filters by interest, themed rooms, stronger moderation. Meeting people over webcam went mainstream and reached an ever-wider audience.
Today: free, mobile and no sign-up
After Omegle shut down, a new generation of alternatives took over. The best are now free, anonymous, sign-up-free and built for mobile.
Camyster follows in this tradition: it brings together dozens of chatroulettes by language and by mood, while keeping the original spirit alive, the magic of meeting a stranger, at random, in a single click.