cht.so

Feature Guide

Everything a weekend group needs, behind one room link.

cht.so is built for event-lived rooms: fast joining, live chat, live photo walls, useful shared resources, light admin controls, and a clear way to close the room when the event is done.

Join by link

Guests open /r/your-room from a QR code or shared URL. There are no accounts or email invites.

  • Choose a display name
  • Pick a color or use a suggested one
  • Identity is saved locally on the device

Realtime chat

Messages update live in the room and keep the timeline moving without a full page refresh.

  • Optimistic sends
  • Replies and edit window
  • Read and received details
  • Typing indicators

Mentions and notifications

Use @mentions to call someone into the conversation and trigger push notifications when supported.

  • Inline @user suggestions
  • Mention highlighting
  • Push notifications for mentions
  • Notification actions

Virtual DJ music

Create a shared YouTube playlist, host playback from one device, and let guests vote what plays next.

  • YouTube links and playlists
  • One host deck
  • Guest add and vote controls
  • Local preview for non-hosts

Emoji reactions

React to messages without adding noise to the chat stream.

  • One reaction per emoji per user
  • Reaction details
  • Smooth heart and balloon effects
  • Inline emoji entry

Photo album

Collect shared photos and turn them into a fullscreen live photo wall for the room.

  • Browse or download selected media
  • Live wall starts from a random photo
  • New photos queue next
  • Emoji reactions jump to the reacted photo

Shared lists

Build a list in the composer, then publish it into the chat stream when it is ready.

  • Queue multiple items before sending
  • Assign items to @users
  • Assigned items can only be ticked by that person
  • Completed lists disappear from the jump banner

Polls

Create a quick group decision directly in the chat.

  • Add multiple options
  • Vote from the stream
  • Live totals
  • Useful for plans, food, rides, and timing

Agenda

Queue one or more events, then publish the agenda with an optional caption.

  • Date and time
  • Location name
  • Reminder minutes
  • Past agenda items stop appearing in the jump banner

Locations and photos

Attach a current location or image to a message from the add menu.

  • Location opens from the message
  • Camera and photos picker
  • Optional captions
  • Mobile-first controls

Split expense tracking

Add a receipt, total, split method, and participants, then track outstanding balances and paid status in profiles and split cards.

  • Even, percentage, or exact split
  • Receipt image support
  • Balances net by person
  • Paid/unpaid status per participant

Room admin

The first room creator becomes an admin and can manage the room from the room details dialog.

  • Theme colors and backgrounds
  • Album URL and welcome message
  • Join password
  • Promote, eject, or delete

Mobile app feel

cht.so is installable as a browser-based app on supported mobile devices.

  • Web app manifest
  • Service worker
  • Full-screen home-screen launch
  • Vercel-ready deployment

How It Works

The intended room flow.

Step 1

Create the room

Pick a short room name from the homepage. The first guest to create it becomes the first admin.

Step 2

Set the room up

Tap the room name to set the album URL, welcome message, theme, expiry, join password, and admin controls.

Step 3

Invite guests

Use the invite button to share the link or show the QR code. If a password is enabled, the invite can include it.

Step 4

Add resources

Tap the plus button beside the input to queue music, lists, agenda items, polls, splits, photos, or locations.

Step 5

Publish with Send

For resources, the main Send button publishes the completed resource into the chat stream with optional caption text.

Step 6

Wrap it up

Let the room expire automatically or delete the room and contents from the admin controls.

For hosts

Use room settings to theme the chat, add the photo album, launch the live photo wall, set the room expiry, protect access, and manage guests.

For guests

Join without an account, keep your name on the same device, react to messages, and handle your own split balances.

For costs

Split expense tracking nets by person, so several expenses between the same people turn into one outstanding amount with paid/unpaid status.

Ready to try it?

Create your own room from the homepage.