Privacy Policy
Last updated: 26 September 2026
- No sign-up. No email, phone number or real name is needed to use Strangely.
- Your voice goes directly to the other person (peer-to-peer, encrypted). We never record or store calls.
- We do not store your text chats. The only exception: if someone reports a call, the last minute of that chat is kept for 24 hours as evidence.
- No advertising, no tracking pixels, no analytics, no cookies.
- You can download or delete what we hold about your device at any time on the data protection page.
1. Who we are
Strangely (strangely.live) is an anonymous voice and text chat service that connects adults (18+) who want to talk to someone new, practise a language or play and read together. In this policy "we" and "us" means the operator of Strangely, who is the data controller for the processing described here. You can reach us any time through our contact page.
2. What we collect
2.1 Stored only on your own device (browser storage)
These never leave your device except where said:
- An anonymous device ID — a random code created by your browser. It is sent to our server so we can remember friends, blocks and safety decisions for this device. It is not linked to your name, phone or email.
- Your preferences — nickname, languages, interests, country choices, settings, theme and app language. Your preferences are sent to our server while you are searching so we can match you, and are shown to the person you are matched with (nickname, languages, country if you set one).
- Call history and "journey" stats — kept only on your device. We never receive them.
- That you confirmed you are 18 or older.
2.2 Held by our server
- Friends: when two people both tap Add Friend, we store the pair of device IDs, the nicknames and the date so you can call each other later.
- Blocks: the device IDs you have blocked (reporting someone blocks them).
- Trust score: counts of thumbs-up / thumbs-down ratings your device has received, used to keep abusive users away from everyone else.
- Reports: the reason, the time, the reporter's device ID and up to 1,500 characters of the last minute of text chat.
- Suspensions: the device ID and when the suspension ends.
- Messages you send us through the contact form or complaints bot: what you write, the category, the email address if you choose to give one, and your device ID if you allow it.
2.3 Held only in memory while you are connected
Your IP address, your current preferences, your place in the matching queue and the current call. These are gone when you disconnect or the server restarts. Our hosting provider's web servers also keep standard access logs (IP address, time, page requested) for security, which they control and delete on their own schedule.
2.4 What we do not collect
We do not collect your name, phone number, contacts, location (beyond the country you choose to show), photos or video, and we do not record audio.
3. How calls and chat work
- Voice is sent peer-to-peer between the two browsers using WebRTC, encrypted with DTLS-SRTP. When a direct connection is impossible (for example on some mobile networks) the encrypted audio passes through a relay (TURN) server. The relay forwards data it cannot decrypt and does not store it.
- Text chat, reactions, captions and room-tool moves pass through our server so they can reach the other person. They are delivered and immediately discarded. Chat messages are filtered on the server to remove links, social media handles and phone numbers to protect you.
- Live captions are off by default. If you switch them on, your browser's own speech-recognition service turns your speech into text, which is sent to the other person as text. In Chrome and Edge the browser maker (Google or Microsoft) processes that audio under their own privacy policies.
- The other person can, of course, remember or write down what you say. Don't share personal information with strangers.
4. Room tools (chess, reading, doodle and games)
During a call the two of you share a private room. When either of you opens a tool, moves, drawings, notes or the text you choose to read together are sent through our server to the other person only, and are not stored. Any text in them passes through the same chat filter. When the call ends the room closes and its contents are gone.
5. Safety, reports and automatic suspensions
To keep people safe we process safety data on the basis of our legitimate interest in running a safe service and protecting users (and, where it applies, to meet legal obligations):
- Reporting someone blocks them for you immediately and attaches the last minute of text chat as evidence.
- If a device is reported by three different people within 24 hours, it is automatically suspended for one hour. This is an automated decision. If you think it was wrong, tell us through the complaints bot and a person will review it.
- Low ratings make it more likely that you are matched with other low-rated users.
- We may share information with police or authorities if the law requires it or someone's life or safety is at risk.
6. Third parties we rely on
| Provider | What for | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Namecheap, Inc. (web hosting) | Runs our server and stores its data files | Everything in section 2.2 and 2.3, as our processor; access logs |
| Google (Google Fonts, public STUN server) | Loading fonts; letting your browser discover how to connect a call | Your IP address and browser details |
| Open Relay Project by Metered (TURN relay) | Relaying encrypted audio when a direct connection fails | Your IP address and encrypted audio it cannot read |
| Your browser's speech service (only if you turn captions on) | Speech-to-text | Your own speech |
We do not sell or rent personal data, and we do not share it with advertisers. Some of these providers operate outside your country (for example in the United States); where the law requires it we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.
7. How long we keep it
| Data | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Calls, text chat, room tools | Not stored |
| IP address, matching preferences, queue | Only while you are connected |
| Reports and their chat evidence | 24 hours |
| Suspensions | Until the suspension ends (normally 1 hour) |
| Friends and blocks | Until you delete them or use "Delete my data" |
| Trust score (rating counts only) | Kept while the service runs, because it protects other users. You can ask us to review it. |
| Contact and complaint messages | Until resolved, then up to 12 months |
| Data on your device | Until you clear it (Data protection page → "Clear this device", or your browser settings) |
8. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live you may have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to the use of your data, to data portability, and to complain to a data protection authority. Because we don't know who you are, your device ID is how we find your data. Our Personal Data Protection Policy explains your rights in detail and gives you one-click tools to download or delete your data.
9. Age limit
Strangely is only for people aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly process children's data. If you believe someone under 18 is using Strangely, report them during the call ("Seems under 18") or tell us through the complaints bot.
10. Security
The site is served only over HTTPS. Calls are end-to-end encrypted between browsers. The device ID is random and unguessable. Server data is kept to the minimum above and is only accessible to the operator. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affects you, we will tell you and the relevant authority where the law requires.
11. Changes
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top. If the change is significant we will show a notice in the app.
12. Contact
Questions about privacy? Use the contact page or the complaints bot (choose "Privacy / my data").