Paltalk features multi-media chat rooms
Paltalk chat rooms contain many elements. There are controls for your speaker and microphone. You can use your web cam to broadcast yourself. You can view others who are publishing their web cams. You can send gifts, start instant messages, send stickers and emojis, move things around etc. In other words, the chat room window does lots of stuff. Oh, you can chat too! :o)
The chat room window
Collapse, pop out or enable featured mode video
Click the '>>' Live Videos icon to collapse the video viewer area. Once collapsed, you can use the << icon to expand it again. If you collapse the video viewer area, any videos that you were viewing or start viewing will pop out into individual windows.
On the right side you see two more icons.
 | Pop out the video viewer |
 | Turn on featured mode |
Pop out the video viewer
 | The icon to the far right 'pops out' the entire video viewer area. You can stretch the new video viewer area to any arrangement you like, like horizontal, vertical, or tile mode. The videos will automatically expand to fit whatever arrangement you select. This is a really nice feature! |
 | close the pop out video panel using the 'insert' icon at the top of the panel |
Turn on featured mode
This is probably the least known but most incredible video mode. It is so cool that we will have to devote a separate article to it! In the meantime give it a try and enjoy the best chat experience on Paltalk!
Tip: click on the little mic icon at the top of the viewer to 'follow' whoever is speaking.
Text and voice chat
Use the text entry area at the bottom of the window to type, send emotes or 'smileys' and stickers.
You can speak to the group by clicking on and holding the blue 'mic' bubble. Release when you are finished speaking.
Header
The blue header on the top of the window shows information about the group and allows you to 'follow' the room.
Icons
The icons at the top right let you do the following...
1 - Share / invite your pals to the room
2 - Send a gift to the room
3 - Mute or un-mute the audio
4 - Start or stop your webcam
5 - Open a menu with more options
Who's talking now?
Under the blue icon panel you can see who is talking, and a bit of information about them. You can also see how many people are waiting to speak.
Who is waiting to talk next?
This list shows who is waiting in line to speak. If you want to join in on the conversation and you see a list of people who are already waiting, it would be considered very rude to jump the line ahead of them.
Get in line to speak
Click the 'join queue to talk' button to get in line.
As those in line speak, the person next in line will show in the 'talking now' section so you will always know who's turn it is when the person currently talking is finished.
When it is your turn you are welcome to 'take the mic' to speak.
Go ahead and 'take the mic' to speak
Click on and hold down the blue 'microphone' bubble to speak. When you are finished speaking let go of the mouse button. You can alternatively use your CTRL key on your keyboard instead of using the mouse.
If you plan to speak for an extended time, or you are playing music, it would be inconvenient to have to hold down your mouse button or a key on the keyboard. In this case you would want to 'lock' the microphone 'open'. Click the small 'lock' icon on the bottom right of the blue microphone bubble to 'lock the mic. When you are finished you would then release the mic by clicking the lock icon again, or by briefly clicking the mouse on the microphone bubble, or tap and release the CTRL key quickly.
Who are all of these people?
Under the 'talking now' area you see a list of people. This is a list of all of the people who are currently in the chat room.
The list is broken into different groups. On the top you see the person who is speaking. You can also tell if people are waiting in line and how many.
Next you see 'on webcam'. This area lists everyone who is publishing video to the group. Click on anyone who has a gray camera icon next to their name to view their web cam. If you are already viewing them a green 'eye' icon appears instead of the camera icon.
Next down the list are all of the other folks who are listening or chatting in text.
Below the 'chatting' group you would see 'restricted' users (if there are any). Restricted users may have certain restrictions placed on them by the 'admin' (administrators) of the room. For example they may not be allowed to speak or type or publish their video.
You can interact with anyone in the participant list by right clicking on their nickname with your mouse. When you do that a menu appears with a plethora of options, which we will cover elsewhere.
