“I was bored one night, and I wanted to find something to do to pass the time. I searched Google for chat platforms for gay men, and I came across MenChats. I logged in as a guest and had an enjoyable hour conversing with other online users. I didn’t bother creating an account because I know that I wouldn’t need it. If ever I’d use it again, it doesn't bother me that I won’t be able to save my chats. MenChats is a mere chat platform that men use to pass the time. I don’t think you can get a date from it.” - Rayver, 28
Being gay has not been easy for me especially during my younger days. Now, I am slowly getting out of the closet but still not comfortable showing it off to people I personally know. MenChats helped me be confident and slowly accept myself and understand that there are people who will accept me for who I am. I have casual conversations with members of the site. Sometimes, I use it just to have late night serious talks. Soo I'll be ready to be me outside the site. I cannot be more thankful to it and the people who encouraged me. -Barney, 22
Design and Usability
The years of service of MenChats can be seen through the chat site’s web design. The chat site could use a little improvement to cater better to this generation. However, that doesn’t mean that the website is not functional in providing service to its users. It still does what it’s meant to do.
When you click ‘enter chat’ from the home page, you will be redirected to MenChat’s chat app. It can be comparable to an old pop-up website, similar to Internet Explorer’s old browser design. From there, you will see an interactive carousel of the chat site’s logo, a login page, and registration click out page.
Even without logging in, you can see the available chatrooms at the bottom of the carousel, as well as the currently active users on each room. On the left side, you will see a link to the chat rules, settings icon, as well as language and skin options.
Once logged in, you will see that the chat room is very straightforward. The text area can be found at the bottom together with smileys and attachment icons. On the right side of every chatroom, you’ll be able to see the currently active participants. If you choose to join a Vid Chat, the webcam options can also be found there.
MenChats vs. MenChat Live
MenChats and MenChatsLive are two different websites. However, they are owned by the same company. They share the same logo and icons, but the MenChatsLive logo has a ‘live’ added to the side.
While MenChats caters to gay and bisexual men who want to chat with other gay users, MenChatsLive is a platform where cam models host live video shows. Members of the website can watch and virtually participate in the videos. Users of MenChats who wish to see what MenChatsLive is all about can log in to the site using the same login credentials. However, they have to upgrade their membership to access some of the paid features.
If you go to MenChats’ home page, you will see pop-ups, a sidebar, and footer ads advertising MenChatsLive. You will see profiles of online cam models, and even a preview of a currently live video on the bottom right-hand side of the page.