Monkey App Alternative: FlashChat and Monkey Compared
If you are looking for a Monkey app alternative, FlashChat is a free text and video chat for adults that runs in the browser, starts without sign-up and has servers in Hyderabad. Monkey is a random video chat with swipeable profile cards and group video with friends; it is on Google Play and the web but not in Apple's App Store, from which it was reported removed in early 2020. Monkey has a bigger audience and a Play Store app; FlashChat has few filters, no app-store app and a much smaller pool of people online. This comparison is written by FlashChat.
Quick verdict
FlashChat
- No sign-up; a random username on first visit
- Nothing sold for money, no in-chat ads; optional extras with free FlashCoins
- Text first; voice or video only when both people agree
- One-to-one messages never written to disk unless reported
- IT Rules 2021 grievance officer and compliance report
- Smaller pool, fewer filters, no app-store app, no ID check
Monkey
- Android app from Monkey Group, 1 crore+ downloads
- Website with video and text chat
- Not in Apple's App Store
- Profile cards to swipe, DUO group video with friends
- Says it is 18+ only, with AI checks for underage users
- In-app purchases; prices not published on its site
Bias disclosure: this page is published by FlashChat. The facts about Monkey come from its website and Safety Center, its Google Play listing, an App Store search, Wikipedia and the parent-safety site Internet Matters, checked on 21 October 2026. Where a point is only reported by others, we say who reported it. If anything here is wrong or out of date, contact our grievance officer with evidence and we will correct it.
Where each one wins
If you want to start without an account
FlashChat gives you a random username and you are chatting. Monkey is built around a profile with a mood, a profile song and cards that other people swipe.
If you want to know where to complain
FlashChat names an IT Rules 2021 grievance officer and publishes a compliance report. We did not find an India grievance officer on Monkey's site.
If you want an Android app and more people
Monkey's Play Store app shows 1 crore+ downloads. FlashChat has no store listing and far fewer people online, so you may wait for a match.
If you want published age checks
Monkey's Safety Center describes AI detection of underage users, permanent bans for confirmed minors and a one-tap exit being tested for verified women. FlashChat does not check age beyond self-declaration.
Full comparison
Checked on 21 October 2026.
| Dimension | FlashChat | Monkey | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free. Nothing sold for money, no in-chat ads. Optional extras, such as a match pass with filters, use FlashCoins earned free | In-app purchases, per its Google Play listing. Prices not published on its website | FlashChat |
| Sign-up | None. Email and password optional, only to keep buddies and chats across phones | A profile; its Safety Center mentions checks "during video chat or registration" | FlashChat |
| Apps | Browser on Android, iPhone and desktop; can be added to the home screen. No store listing | Android app (Monkey Group, 1 crore+ downloads, updated 19 October 2026) and monkey.app on the web. Not found in the App Store | Monkey, on Android |
| Chat style | Text first; voice or video only when both agree. Public and private rooms, group video for up to 15 in private rooms | Random video chat, text chat, swipeable profile cards, DUO group video with friends | Different styles |
| Moderation | Every chat photo checked on the server, including a known-CSAM hash check, and again in the receiving browser; report and block everywhere | Says AI-powered real-time detection and 24/7 monitoring; report in a match or from match history; block | Different approaches |
| Age | 18+ by self-declaration, no ID check | 18+ under its own rules; AI flags suspected minors, appeal by ID. Google Play India rating: 12+. Internet Matters reports no age verification | Neither checks ID at sign-up, as reported |
| Data | One-to-one messages never written to disk unless the chat is reported; photos self-destruct | Play data-safety entry: may collect location, personal info and other types; does not declare data as encrypted in transit | FlashChat |
| People online | Much smaller pool. Sometimes a wait, and possibly an AI companion when nobody is free | Larger; its Play listing claims over 30 million users worldwide | Monkey |
| India | Servers in Hyderabad; 480p video cap; Indian-language rooms; grievance officer, compliance report, takedown policy | No India grievance officer found on its site; latency from India not published | FlashChat |
What happened to Monkey on the App Store
Monkey started as a short video chat app for meeting new people. Wikipedia says it was co-founded by Ben Pasternak and Isaiah Turner and acquired by the rival app Holla in December 2017; today its Google Play developer is listed as Monkey Group.
In February 2020, Wall Street Journal reporter Katie Bindley wrote that Apple had pulled Monkey from the App Store the month before, and that Monkey said it had removed 3.2 million underage accounts and planned an 18+ version. Internet Matters, a UK parent-safety organisation, says Apple removed it because of safety concerns and that it remains on Google Play and the web. We found no public statement from Apple about the reason. On 21 October 2026 a search of the App Store did not return Monkey.
Age, safety and data
Monkey's Safety Center, updated in December 2025, says the platform is strictly 18+, that its AI looks for underage signals during video chat and registration, that confirmed underage accounts are banned permanently, and that it is testing an "Instant Safety Exit" for verified women. Google Play in India nevertheless lists the app with a 12+ content rating, and Internet Matters reports that sign-up asks for a date of birth without proof. Monkey's own data-safety entry on Google Play does not declare data as encrypted in transit.
FlashChat does not verify age either: it is 18+ by self-declaration, with no ID check. What it does do: one-to-one messages are never written to disk unless someone reports the chat, photos self-destruct, every photo is checked on our servers, including against a known-CSAM hash list, and again in the receiving browser. A call can show the other person your IP address, because it tries a direct connection first. Report and block are on every chat. If nobody is free within the wait window, you may be connected with an AI chat companion. FlashBot is labelled; not every AI companion is. The safety page has the details.
The short version
If you want an Android app with profile cards, group video with friends and a larger audience, Monkey offers that, though not on the App Store. If you would rather start in a browser with no account and nothing to pay for with money, and can accept fewer people online, try FlashChat. For more options, see sites like Omegle, the Azar alternative page and our guide to talking to strangers.
FAQ
Is Monkey still on the App Store?
We did not find it in the App Store on 21 October 2026. Apple's removal was reported in February 2020 by Wall Street Journal reporter Katie Bindley, who wrote that Apple had pulled it the month before, and Internet Matters says it was removed over safety concerns. We found no public statement from Apple.
Is Monkey 18+?
Monkey's Safety Center says it is strictly for users 18 and older and that its AI looks for underage signals. Google Play in India shows the app with a 12+ content rating. Internet Matters reports that Monkey has no age verification at sign-up.
Can I use Monkey on an iPhone?
Not as an App Store app. Monkey has a website, monkey.app, with video and text chat, which iPhone users can open in a browser. FlashChat also runs in the browser on iPhone and can be added to the home screen.
Is Monkey free?
Its Google Play listing says it has in-app purchases. Monkey's website does not publish prices. Nothing on FlashChat can be bought with money; optional extras use FlashCoins, which you earn free.
Does FlashChat check age?
No. FlashChat is 18+ by self-declaration and does not check ID.
Are all FlashChat matches real people?
Not always. If nobody is available within the wait window, you may be connected with an AI chat companion. FlashBot is labelled; not every AI companion is. Messages between two people are never sent to any AI service.