HOLLA Video Chat Review: Is It Worth Using?

With only a click to interact with people worldwide, video chat applications have become increasingly popular. One such software is HOLLA, which claims to deliver enjoyable, spontaneous chats with strangers directly to your screen.

But is HOLLA worth your time, given the abundance of options? In this review, we will explore it in depth to assist you in determining whether this is a perfect or safe platform for your needs regarding social video chatting.

Part 1. What Is HOLLA and How Does It Work

With the HOLLA video chat platform, users can have live video, phone, and text chats with people worldwide. HOLLA makes it simple for anyone to sign up using a Google account or Facebook account. To use this app, users must allow access to their microphone and camera, whether online or through its application.

Then, with just one click, video chats with other online users can be launched. When encountering someone they like while video chatting, they can add them to friends. It's a match if both people add each other as friends. To skip the profile users don't like, just swipe up.

HOLLA at a Glance

• User Base: HOLLA is primarily used by younger age groups, with most users aged 18 to 24. Around 77.79% of males and 22.21% of females use this app. The app attracts a global audience, with users from various countries, particularly India, the United States, Brazil, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
• Matching Algorithm: HOLLA claims it uses unique algorithm to match users one-on-one with people. This algorithm may be based on users' "swiping" activity, profile, and preferences. So, it suggests users do not lie about their age and gender (which might affect the match).
• Pricing: HOLLA is free to download and use, providing free video calls and random conversations. However, its premium features, such as unlimited matches, unlimited gender and location filters, and no ads, require a subscription. The HOLLA Plus plan costs $6.99 for 7 days or $14.99 for one month.

What Happened to HOLLA?

As it was complained about and reported for its plenty of sexual content, which is a breach of Apple's policies about content moderation and user safety, HOLLA was removed from the Apple App Store in 2019.

According to Washington Post investigation, they reviewed 6 random chat apps (HOLLA included) and their reviews from App Store using a machine learning algorithm. And it turned out that there are more than 1500 complaints about unwelcome sexual advances (many of which were made against minors) in all 130000 reviews.

It is alarming, particularly in light of Apple's dedication to presenting the App Store as a secure and reliable resource. Based on such serious issues, Apple took actions, such as removing the app or raising the app age ratings, to safeguard its users' well-being.

Part 2. Top Features of HOLLA

HOLLA offers a variety of features designed to enhance user interactions and provide a fun and engaging experience. Here are some of them:

Random Video Chat

This function lets users make quick video connections with random people. Users can match and start chatting with others by swiping up. Personally, random video chats on HOLLA weren't very friendly, as my first match was with an adult man who showed he was masturbating. Despite the content moderation, it is not robust.

Gender & Geo Filters

Before video chat, users can customize their matches by applying filters based on region and gender to find individuals who fit their particular tastes.

Beauty Filters

As mentioned before, the camera and microphone must be on to use the HOLLA platform. Moreover, if the other party is not showing the face, it will show a blurry masking effect. So, it provides users with beauty filters to look better or stickers to cover their faces for privacy.

Matching History

HOLLA keeps a history of the people you have been video chatting with. This means that once a chat session ends, you can go back to find them within the app.

Discover

Discover is a section where users can discover and browse popular profiles of strangers globally. They can also launch a text or phone chat after sending an in-app gift to someone they are interested in.

Virtual Coins and Gifts

HOLLA allows users to purchase gold coins or earn them by completing daily missions. With these coins, users can purchase a gift to start a text or voice chat in the Discover tab.

Read Receipts

Although HOLLA primarily focuses on live video chat, users can check the read status of sent messages in text-based communications as long as they subscribe to HOLLA Hi Plus.

Language Translation

As HOLLA Video Chat is like stepping into a global party, it supports text auto-translation, which translates the messages into your device language.

Safety Features

HOLLA includes features to report and block users who violate community guidelines, helping to maintain a safe environment. It also allows users to turn off screen recording during video chats, which is helpful in protecting users' privacy.

Part 3. Is HOLLA Safe to Chat with Strangers

No, I am not convinced using HOLLA to talk to strangers is totally safe.

Improper content, such as pornography, is frequently encountered when using the platform to find a match. A lot of people use HOLLA to display inappropriate content, such as nudity and here's what a Reddit user said about this:

Since there are more men using HOLLA, if you use it, you are likely to fall into the same situation as me and this Reddit user: encountering countless men who opt to show their private parts.

Scammers are rampant on HOLLA. The platform's casual vibe can let users let their guard down, increasing their vulnerability to such schemes. Scammers frequently create fake profiles with alluring photos and made-up stories to lure people into sharing personal information. Although there are users showing off their cars, high-salary jobs, and much more on HOLLA, can you tell whether this is true or false?

In conclusion, there are several safety concerns with HOLLA video chat:

How to Use HOLLA Safely?

For Adults:

If you insist on using HOLLA after understanding its potential dangers, here are vital guidelines that you can go by to guarantee a safer experience.

• Disable In-App Screen Recording

Users are allowed to stop someone from recording or sharing their conversations without their permission. To do so, go to the HOLLA settings > Video Chat > turn off Allow Screen Recording.



• Block or Report Offensive Users

Use the block or report feature immediately to end the conversation and safeguard yourself if you witness uncivil or inappropriate behavior.

• Don't Share Personal or Financial Information

Avoid disclosing passwords, credit card numbers, home addresses, or phone numbers. Scammers frequently target naive people in search of such information.

• Use HOLLA Filters

Set location and gender filters to personalize your matches. This can give you more control over your connections and help you avoid uncomfortable conversations with specific users.

• Avoid External Links

Refrain from clicking on any external links that other users have shared in the text chat, as they could take you to malware or phishing websites trying to steal your data.

For Minors:

We do not suggest minors use HOLLA and other random chat apps due to the flood of offensive content. Moreover, these apps are intended for users aged 18 or above.

To add an extra layer for minors' safety, parents ought to act to limit the access of their children's devices to this app. Parents can go to Play Store settings or Apple Screen Time to limit their children's devices from downloading the HOLLA app.

If the HOLLA app has been downloaded on kids' devices, AirDroid Parental Control helps parents to block kids' access to the HOLLA app and website completely and remotely.

In addition to taking coercive measures to block HOLLA usage, parents can have open conversations about online risks that users would encounter on HOLLA and other random chat apps. This is crucial in helping minors understand the potential threats.

Part 4. Sites Like HOLLA to Have Live Video Chats

If HOLLA is not your cup of tea, you can also try HOLLA alternatives to have random chats. There are several other platforms if you are looking for alternatives to HOLLA for random chats:

1Chatki

This platform is a video chat website that pairs you up randomly with people worldwide. The best part of Chatki is it allows users to add their interests by tags, which can promote successful matches. It has an easy-to-use UI that makes it simple to start a chat.

2Chatroulette

Chatroulette is another free video chat service that connects people with random strangers worldwide. It does not need users to register or reveal personal information, unlike standard random chat platforms.

3Omega

Omegle is well-liked by individuals searching for impromptu chats and provides text and video chat features. Similar to HOLLA, this app is free to download and use, but it has a lot of advertisements. Plus, it doesn't have an option to let users filter by region.

4Chatspin

Users can interact with people all over the world and make new acquaintances with this random video chat website. It offers face masks, which add to the excitement while video chatting with strangers.

Our Verdict

After testing this app for a few days, I can say that it is best to avoid using HOLLA.

For females, there are high chances of encountering inappropriate conduct. Take my experiences for example; the men I matched with on HOLLA made me so uncomfortable as they were naked. For males who are looking to talk to girls, a Google user suggests: "go back to Tinder. This is not going to work out for you. I don't think I've ever had a conversation with a girl on here."