FAQ

1. What is ChatVille?

   ChatVille is a free webcam community for adults with thousands of real amateur users from all over the world. ChatVille combines random video chat with social networking to create a night club like online experience where you can watch, flirt, and invite people you like to a private room where anything goes. There are no tricks or gimmicks to get you to join other websites that cost money, and all the features you see here are real.

2. What makes ChatVille different from other webcam sites?

   ChatVille is a cross between a random video chat site and a social network where everyone can see each other. Our goal is to make you feel like this is your virtual party place, a place where you can let loose, express yourself, meet friends and lovers, or just have fun!

3. What is the minimum age allowed to enter ChatVille?

   All users must be at least 18 years of age to enter and use ChatVille.

4. Do I need to be a registered member to use ChatVille?

   No. You can watch and chat as much as you want without registering!

5. How much does it cost to become a registered member?

   Nothing. Becoming a registered member is free!

6. Do I need a credit card to become a registered member?

   No.

7. What can I do on ChatVille as a guest (unregistered user)?

   You can watch and listen to audio of up to four webcams at once, get invited to one on one private chat, receive private instant messages, view main chat messages, use full screen mode, enter non member rooms, view profiles, block users, see who is watching you, and search users. Please note, guests have a daily time limit for watching cams until they are asked to create a free account.

8. What can I do as a ChatVille registered member?

   As a registered member, you can do everything unregistered members can do plus: Send private chat requests to all users, even guests, reserve your nickname so noone else can use it, choose your text color in chat and use smileys, send unlimited messages in chat without delay, give to and receive Tokens from other registered members, set a permanent profile with multiple picture uploads, get rated by others with rating displayed in your profile, get fans to follow you and become a fan of other members, ability to enter Members Only chatrooms and VIP rooms, and display a custom message over your webcam.

9. How do I watch someone's webcam?

   Click on the webcam icon next to a user's nickname or click on their nickname to see their webcam.

10. How do I watch four webcams at once?

    Click on the 1, 2, 3, or 4 buttons next to a user's nickname to see their webcam on a smaller 1/4 screen. Button 1 will position the webcam in the top left, 2 in the top right, 3 in the bottom left, and 4 in the bottom right. You can click the 1, 2, 3, or 4 buttons of up to 4 users at once to see their webcams at the same time.

11. How do I zoom the video on a webcam?

    Click on the Zoom button at the top of each webcam to access the full Zoom menu, which will allow you to zoom in on any part of the video.

12. How do I change the size of the video screen?

    Click on the Resize button at the top of each webcam to change the size of that video screen. You can resize the video to 1/4 screen, larger screen, and full screen.

13. How do I change the audio volume for a single webcam?

    Slide the volume control at the bottom of each webcam to the left or right to adjust the volume of any user. To mute the sound of any user, click on the Mute button at the top of their webcam.

14. How do I change rooms?

    Click on the arrow next to the room name at the top to open the room menu. Then click on any room in the menu to enter that room.

15. How do I broadcast my webcam?

    Click on the Cam Settings link below your webcam to authorize your webcam to broadcast.

16. How do I invite someone to a private chat?

    If you are a registered member, you can invite any user whose webcam you are watching to a private chat (even guest/unregistered users) by clicking on the "Private" button over their webcam.

17. How do I invite someone to a private chat through email?

    If you are a registered member, you can invite your friends or anyone you know to a private chat by clicking on the "Invite" button in the top right hand corner, entering their email address and an optional message, and then clicking on the "Send" button. The person you invited will then get an email with a link which will connect them to you in a private video chat room. The person being invited does not have to be a registered member to accept an email private chat invite.

18. How do I send an instant message to someone?

    You can send an instant message to any online user by clicking on the "Profile" button on their webcam or their gender icon in the user list. You will then see their profile page with a "Send Instant Message" button at the top next to their nickname. Click on that button to open a small instant messaging window at the bottom right wihch you can type into to send an instant message. Click on the eye icon at the top of the instant message window to see a list of all the users in that room. Please note that we treat instant messages as public chatrooms where multiple users can post messages to the same user, and where all users can see each other's messages. The owner of each instant message room has the ability to block anyone from posting messages to their room.

19. How do I change the text size inside the chatbox?

    You can change the text size inside the main chatbox by hovering your mouse over the text input field to show the "+" and "-" buttons, and then clicking on the "+" (plus) button to increase the text size and the "-" (minus) button to decrease it. Your change will be saved until you log out of the chat.

20. Where can I see my rating?

    If you are a registered member, you can see your rating by clicking on the "My Account" button at the top right of the chat, or in your profile by clicking on the "My Profile" button over your webcam.

21. How can I see profiles of other users?

    You can see any user's profile by clicking on the "Profile" button over their webcam, or on the gender icon on the left side of their nickname in the user list.

22. How can I become a fan of other users so my picture shows up as a fan in their profile?

    If you are a registered member, you access the user's profile by clicking on the "Profile" button over their webcam, or on the gender icon on the left side of their nickname in the user list, and then click on the "Become A Fan" button under their profile picture. If the user is a guest/unregistered user, you will not be able to become their fan, since the "Become A Fan" button will not be there.

23. How can I receive email notices when a user I am a fan of goes online? 

    If you are a registered member, you can receive email notices each time any of the users you are a fan of go online by clicking on the "Subscribe" button next to any nickname in your My Stars list.

24. How can I send private offline email to other users?

    If you are a registered member, you can send offline email messages to your fans (we call this Fan Mail). To send a message to any fan, click on the "My Account" button at the top right of the chat, then on "My Fans" tab, and then on the "Send Message" button next to any fan.

25. How can I receive private offline email from other users?

    If you are a registered member, you can receive private offline email messages from your fans without having to reveal your real email address (we call this Fan Mail). If you enabled Email Notices in your account, you will receive an email alert each time a Fan Mail message is received. You can also access your messages by clicking on the Fan Mail tab in your account or the "@" button at the top right of the chat.

26. How can I see and edit my profile?

    If you are a registered member, you can see your profile by clicking on the "My Profile" button over your webcam. You can edit your profile by clicking on the "Edit My Profile" button below your profile picture.

27. How can I display a custom message over my webcam screen? 

    If you are a registered member, you can enter your message in the area in the middle of your webcam, or click on the "My Account" button at the top right of the chat, and enter your custom message at the top.

28. What is the purpose of the short message over my webcam screen?

    A Webcam Message instantly tells other users something you want them to know without you having to repeat yourself in chat. For example, you can have your message say "Check My Profile" so people know you have more info about yourself in your profile. Remeber, the maximum length of webcam messages is 19 characters, so please try to make it short and to the point.

29. How can I make my webcam screen clickable so it opens a link of my choice when clicked?

    If you are a registered member, click on the "My Account" button at the top right of the chat, and enter your link at the top. After you save changes, other users will be able to click on your webcam, and visit your link. You can see your link by relogging, and hovering your mouse over your own webcam.

30. How can I block users from seeing my webcam and my messages in chat?

    You can block users by clicking on the "X" button next to the nickname of the user you would like to block, and then clicking on the "Block" button. Once blocked, the user will not be able to see you in the user list or see your webcam and messages in chat. You will also not be able to see users you have blocked anywhere. User blocks last for as long as you are logged in, and clear after you log out.

31. How can I unblock users that I have blocked?

    User blocks last for as long as you are logged in and clear after you log out, so to unblock someone you would simply log out and then log back in.

32. How can I see only females in my user list?

    Gender filter checkboxes are located above the user list at right, directly below the search box. You can filter out users by gender when you uncheck the corresponding gender filter checkbox. To see that gender again, simply check the box.

33. How can I search for users by their nickname?

    The user search box is located directoly above the user list at top right. To search for any user by nickname, simply type the nickname in the search box.

34. How do I change rooms?

    To change rooms, click on the down arrow next to the current room name, which will open the room menu. Click on any room in the room menu to enter it.

35. How do I stop the text chat from autoscrolling when new messages are posted?

    To stop autoscrolling, click on the "Autoscroll" button to the right of the smileys button. To start autoscrolling again, click on the "Autoscroll" button again.

36. How do I turn my webcam on and off?

    Click on the "Cam Settings" link below your webcam to turn your webcam on or off by authorizing its access to the chat application.

37. What are Tokens, and do I have to have them?

    Tokens are used as appreciation points which can be given to other members. Members are NOT required to have Tokens in order to use ChatVille.

38. How do I get Tokens?

    As a registered member, you can Buy Tokens, or have other members give them to you. Tokens can be kept in your account, given to others, or if you become a verified model, our company will pay you based on the amount of Tokens you have accumulated. You can receive Tokens in both public and private chat.

39. How much does it cost to purchase one ChatVille Token?

    It costs $0.09 to purchase one ChatVille Token.

40. How do I send Tokens to other users?

    Registered members can send Tokens to other registered members by clicking on the "Tip" button over the other user's webcam, and then clicking on the button with the amount of Tokens you wish to send.

41. How can I see how many Tokens someone has?

    You can see how many Tokens any user has from their profile by clicking on the "Profile" button over their webcam, or on the gender icon on the left side of their nickname in the user list. Only registered members can have Tokens, and the number of Tokens each user has are shown in their bio next to their profile picture.

42. Is it possible for me to charge Tokens for private chats so the user who invited me is billed automatically?

    Yes. If you are a verified model, you can set a per minute Token charge for private chats by clicking "My Account", selecting the rate you want to charge in the Private Chat Charge menu, and then clicking on "Update Info". After this is done, the next time you log into the chat and someone invites you to private chat, they will be notified of the rate you charge for private chats, and given the option to accept the charges or cancel the chat invite. If you charge for private chats, every private chat invite that you receive will be from a user who has Tokens, and agrees to pay what you charge. As soon as you accept the invite, you will start receiving Tokens from the other users automatically every few seconds based on the rate you charge per minute. Please note that if you charge for private chats, you need to be invited in order for you to earn Tokens, but if you invite someone else, that private chat will be free for both of you.

43. How can I get paid for my Tokens?

    If you are a verified model, our company will pay you based on the amount of tokens you have accumulated. To get paid for your tokens, click on the "My Tokens" tab and complete the Get Paid section.

44. Why do some users have a black VIP badge in their profile?

    Any member with 270 Tokens or more automatically becomes a VIP member. VIP members can broadcast their webcams, automatically unblock their accounts in the event of a block, enter full rooms and VIP Rooms at any time, and get a black "VIP" badge in their profile. Other than keeping 270 Tokens or more in your account, being a VIP member is free.

45. How can I change my nickname if I am a registered member?

    If you are a registered member, you can change your nickname by clicking on the "My Account" button and scrolling to the bottom of the page. If you change your nickname, all your profile data, photos, messages, fans, and stars will be changed to the new nickname.

46. Can I have more than one account?

    You can have up to two registered accounts, but each account must have a different gender. For example, you can have one male account and one couples account, but not two male accounts. Please note that you should only use your couples account when you appear with your partner.

47. Is it possible to block people from certain countries or states from seeing me?

    No. We do not offer location based blocking at this time.

48. Am I allowed to ask for or give out my personal info, like email, Skype, MSN, etc.?

    No. You will be kicked from the chat for doing this without warning.

49. What happens if I am a male, and I log in as a female, TS, couple, or group?

    You will be permanently banned from the chat without warning.

50. What happens if I am rude, obscene, or do something illegal while broadcasting?

    You will be kicked or permanently banned from the chat without warning.

51. What happens if I am kicked from the site?

    Your chat sessions will end, and you will see a message telling you why you have been kicked. You will then be able to enter the chat again in about 15 minutes.

52. What happens if I am blocked from the site?

    Your chat sessions will end, and you will see a message telling you why you have been blocked. As a blocked user, you will not be able to enter the chat or use any of the site features for at least 30 days.

53. If I am blocked, why was I blocked, and how do I request to be unblocked?

    In most cases you would be blocked for opening too many accounts, being kicked too many times for rule violations, or if your ISP accidentally gives you a previously blocked IP address. Most blocks are removed automatically after 30 days unless the block was placed for a major rule violation. If you are a VIP member, you can click on the "VIP Access" link on the login screen to unblock your account immediately.

54. Why can't I accuse someone of being a video in public chat, won't that help the site?

    Instead of accusing someone of playing videos in public chat, you should report them for abuse, and if your complaint is valid, our staff will permanently block them from the site. The reason we do not allow users to accuse others of being videos in public chat is if they are wrong, they end up spoiling another user's experience on the site. Calling someone a video will not get them to disappear and will only make the site seem less real to others, especially if the accusation is false, which has happened many times before we instituted this policy.

55. What kind of links can I post in my profile and over my webcam?

    Any link is allowed as long as it is not to a website which promotes malware, illegal activity, spam advertising, or fake webcam sites which are designed to trick people into signing up.

Help FAQ 

The section below will help you troubleshoot commonly reported problems before contacting support for assistance.

1. What are the system requirements for ChatVille?

   Your system must have Flash player version 11 or higher. Click here to download and install the latest version of Flash.

2. Why do I see an empty white / gray screen or a blank gray button and nothing else as soon as I log in?

   The most common cause for this is a corrupted Flash cache in your web browser. Please follow the easy steps below to fix this problem.
   
   a) Go to the Flash cookie clearing page by clicking here, and then click on the "Delete All Sites" button.The most common cause is a corrupted Flash cache in your web browser. Please follow the easy steps below to fix this problem.
   
   b) Clear your web browser's cache and delete temporary internet files. The following are links to instructions on how to clear the cache of most popular web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera.The most common cause is a corrupted Flash cache in your web browser. Please follow the easy steps below to fix this problem.
   
   c) Close all broser windows, open a new window, and you should now be able to login to the chat.The most common cause is a corrupted Flash cache in your web browser. Please follow the easy steps below to fix this problem.
   
   d) If you are still unable to log in, please try using a different web browser. Here are links to download most popular web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera. The most common cause is a corrupted Flash cache in your web browser. Please follow the easy steps below to fix this problem.
   
   e) If using another web browser does not help, it is most likely that your Flash plugin has crashed, and you will need to reboot your computer.

3. When I enter, I see Allow / Deny buttons asking for webcam permission, but I can't click on them. What do I do?

   There is a bug in some web browsers making the Allow and Deny button on the Flash player asking for webcam permissions difficult to click. If you click on either Allow or Deny a few times, it will eventually work. To prevent this from happening in the future, click on Cam Settings link and check the "Remember" box and then the "Close" button to remember your choice. After this, you will not see the webcam permissions dialog box again after logging in.

4. Why does a gray screen with an "Enter Video Chat" button suddenly appear while I am logged in?

   When you see a large "Enter Video Chat" button appear while you are logged in, it means that you have lost connection to the chat. This can result from our server being restarted or a very slow Internet connection on your end caused by your provider or a loss of WiFi signal. If this happens, you should wait a few seconds and click on "Enter Video Chat" to return to the chat. If you are unable to enter the chat, make sure you are connected to the Internet, refresh the page in your web browser, and try logging back into the chat. If you are unable to log in, try selecting another room and logging in again. If you are unable to log into any room, it is most likely that you have lost your Internet connection or all our servers are down at the same time (a highly unlikely scenario).

5. When I try to log in I get an error that says, "Enable cookies and set the correct time". What do I do?

   That error means your browser cookies are disabled or the time on your computer's clock is not set correctly. Cookies are enabled in the web browser's privacy settings and in most devices you can click on the clock to change the time. If you continue to get this error after enabling cookies and making sure your time is set correctly, please try using a different web browser. Here are links to download most popular web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera.

6. Why do I see a large red "Start Video Chat" button which redirects me to another site?

   You are either blocked from the site, or ChatVille is not available in your area.

7. If I am blocked, why was I blocked, and how do I request to be unblocked?

   In most cases you would be blocked for opening too many accounts, being kicked too many times for rule violations, or if your ISP accedentally gives you a previously blocked IP address. Most blocks are removed automatically after 30 days unless the block was placed for a major rule violation. If you are a VIP member, please click on the "VIP Access" link on the login screen to unblock your account immediately.

8. My webcam does not work, what can I do?

   Click on the "Cam Settings" link below your webcam to make sure you have authorized access to chat application. If you have authorized access, please test your webcam to make sure it works outside of the chat or on other similar sites.

9. I can no longer see the chat input box, and can't send messages. How do I fix this?

   This happens because you accidentally zoomed in your browser. To fix this press the Ctrl/Command - (minus sign) buttons together to zoom out until you see the chat input box again.

10. I am logged in, but I can't see any webcams and my user list is empty. What can I do?

    You have most likely lost your connection. To reconnect without having to relog, Click on the "Reconnect" button with the lightning symbol on it next to the search box at top right. If that does not fix it, please make sure the search box is empty, and all the gender filter checkboxes are checked. You can also try changing rooms. If everything fails, then click on  Logout  and log in again. If after relogging, you still can't see any users in any of the rooms, please contact support to report an outage.

11. Why is there a lag on some user webcams and text chat?

    First you should always try clicking on the "Reconnect" button (blue lightning at top right) to refresh your connection. If the lag persists, sometimes your Internet connection can be slowed down by your ISP or multiple computers streaming video at the same time. If you are on a wireless connection, you could also experience more lag because of interference or distance from your router.

12. When I click on a link to accept a private chat invite nothing happens. What do I do?

    If you can accept private chats from some users but not others, it usually means the users whose requests you cannot accept have a very slow Internet connection on their end or have lost their connection completely. If you cannot accept a private chat request from anyone, it is most likely caused by a very slow Internet connection on your end. First you should always try clicking on the "Reconnect" button (blue lightning at top right) to refresh your connection. If that doesn't help, try logging out and then log back in after a few seconds. If you are still unable to accept any private chats, sometimes your Internet connection can be slowed down by your ISP or multiple computers streaming video at the same time. If you are on a wireless connection, you could also experience a slower connection because of interference or distance from your router.

13. When do I need to become a VIP member to broadcast my webcam?

    If you are a male user who has been a member for 30 days or more, you are asked to become a VIP member or maintain a minimum of 270 Tokens in your account to continue broadcasting your webcam. If you do not become a VIP member, you can continue using ChatVille for as long as you like without broadcasting your webcam.

14. Can I use your site on my iPhone or iPad?

    Yes. You can use ChatVille on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod by installing the Photon app from iTunes or the App Store. You will be able to use all site features except broadcasting your webcam, since Flash does not have support for controlling webcams on mobile devices. Click here for more information on how to add full Flash support to Apple mobile devices.

15. Can I use your site on Android powered phones or tablets?

    Yes. You can use ChatVille on any Android powered device, since Android fully supports Flash. You will be able to use all site features except broadcasting your webcam, since Flash does not have support for controlling webcams on mobile devices.

16. How do I close and delete my account?

    To close your account, please click on the Close Account link at the bottom of your "My Account" page.