Join now: 3 months of Premium free
Free chat rooms and an old-school messenger for New Zealand. A contact list, nudges, emoticons, personal messages and that sign-in sound, the way instant messaging used to be.
New Zealand · adults 18+
Remember racing home to sign in? We rebuilt the feeling from scratch, for New Zealand, in your browser. No app store, no algorithm, no feed. Just people, chatting.
See who's Online, Busy, Away or Be Right Back, with gel status orbs and personal messages under every name.
Shake a friend's whole window when they're ignoring you. Use responsibly. Or don't.
Type :) ;) :P (Y) (L) (K) and watch them turn into faces, just like you remember.
The most suspenseful words on the internet are back, live, in every conversation.
"kiwi_kate has just signed in." Chimes, message dings and the nudge rattle, with a pop-up in the corner.
The lobby, throwback rooms, both islands, sport, gaming, music and more. Jump in, say hi.
Pull up to 20 of your contacts into one conversation. Invitations, renames, the lot.
On a computer, every chat opens in its own window: drag it, minimise it, watch the taskbar flash orange.
Pick a classic illustration, or upload your own photo with Premium. Personal messages included.
Everything that makes it feel like 2004 is free. Premium adds your own display picture, unlimited contacts and the Premium lounges. Everyone who joins now gets 3 months of Premium free.
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Contact list, statuses and personal messages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Private messages, nudges and emoticons | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chat rooms and group chats | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contacts | Up to 5 | Unlimited |
| Display picture | Classic illustrations | Your own photo |
| Premium lounges | — | ✓ |
| Gold star by your name | — | |
| Price | Free | Free for 3 months when you join now |
Pick a screen name (the more 2004 the better), confirm you're 18 or over, and you're in. No payment, no app to download.
Choose a display picture, write a personal message, and set yourself to Online. Or Appear Offline. We won't tell.
Jump into a room, add the people you click with to your contacts, and send your first nudge.
40 rooms, from the lobby to the Throwback rooms. The ones with a star are Premium lounges.
Chatroom is a free chat site for New Zealand that looks and feels like the instant messengers of the early 2000s: a contact list with status orbs and personal messages, chat rooms, private conversations, nudges, emoticons, group chats and sign-in sounds. It runs in your web browser on a computer or phone.
Yes. Signing up is free, and so are the chat rooms, private messages, nudges, emoticons and group chats. Premium is an optional extra that adds your own display picture, unlimited contacts and the Premium lounges. Everyone who joins now gets 3 months of Premium free.
Three things: upload your own photo as your display picture (free members choose from the classic illustrations), unlimited contacts (free members can have up to 5), and the Premium lounges. Premium members also get a little gold star by their name.
No. Chatroom is an independent New Zealand site that brings back the look and feel of early-2000s instant messaging. It isn't affiliated with Microsoft, MSN or Windows Live Messenger, and all of our artwork and sounds are original.
No. Chatroom runs in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone. On a phone you can add it to your home screen for an app-like icon.
Start a group chat with up to 20 contacts, invite people, rename it and keep it going. Plus a few ideas for what to do with your group.
29 October 2026, 1 min read
Bebo, the Nokia 3310, Snake, burning CDs, dial-up, and racing home to sign in. A nostalgic list for New Zealanders who grew up in the 2000s.
29 October 2026, 1 min read
Chatroom is free to join. Here's exactly what's free, what Premium adds (your own photo, unlimited contacts, Premium lounges) and how the free Premium months work.
29 October 2026, 1 min read
Practical habits for chatting safely online in New Zealand: what not to share, spotting scams, blocking and reporting, and where to get help.
29 October 2026, 1 min read
Free to join: chat rooms, a contact list, nudges, emoticons and sign-in sounds. Join now and get 3 months of Premium free.