Meow Chat: what is it and how do I block the endless invites?
Popular chatting app urges users to request their Facebook friends to join up, prompting outcry
Hundreds of people took to Twitter today to complain that they were being bombarded with invitations to join Meow Chat. The app is a new social network featuring pictures of a big orange cat. But what exactly does it do and how can you stop the requests?
What is Meow Chat?
Formerly known as Meow, Meow Chat claims to be one of the fastest growing social networks with millions of members from countries across the world. It began as an instant messaging service, similar to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, but has recently added a random chat feature, which randomly pairs up strangers from across the globe. It also allows you to browse nearby users, much like Tinder, and suggests people with whom you might be "compatible". With the ability to swap voice messages and photos and connect with people from specific areas, some say it also works as a dating app in disguise.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Where did Meow Chat come from?
Meow Chat comes from New York app developers Minus, set up by Shanghai-born entrepreneur John Xie, who built his first website at the age of nine, and Carl Hu, a former software engineer at Microsoft and Amazon.
How popular is Meow Chat?
It is currently sitting at the top of the iTunes app chart in the UK and is in the top ten for Android apps. "It is now the number one most downloaded free app in the UK and Australian App Store charts, alongside countries as far-flung as Lithuania, Mongolia, Mauritania and Macau," says the Daily Telegraph.
Nevertheless it has caused mounting frustration from tweeters complaining about the influx of Meow Chat invitations they have received in the past day.
Why do I keep getting Meow Chat invitations?
Everyone who installs the app is asked to connect their Meow Chat account with their Facebook account, giving access to their friend list. It then asks users to invite their Facebook friends to download the app. In the last 24 hours a pop-up message was sent out to users, reminding them to invite their Facebook friends if they did not do so when they first signed up.
How can I block Meow Chat invitations?
On your Facebook home page, click 'Games' on the left. Then click 'Requests' and find your most recent Meow Chat request. Click on the X and you should see an option to 'Block Meow Chat'. Click and confirm and you should be able to avoid further invitations.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Bluesky: the social media platform causing a mass X-odus
The Explainer Social media platform is enjoying a new influx but can it usurp big rivals?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Pakistan 'gaslighting' citizens over sudden internet slowdown
Under the Radar Government accused of 'throttling the internet' and spooking businesses with China-style firewall, but minister blames widespread use of VPNs
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Threads turns one: where does the Twitter rival stand?
In the Spotlight Although Threads is reporting 175 million active monthly users, it has failed to eclipse X as a meaningful cultural force
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
Is the AI bubble deflating?
Today's Big Question Growing skepticism and high costs prompt reconsideration
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How social media is limiting political content
The Explainer Critics say Meta's 'extraordinary move' to have less politics in users' feeds could be 'actively muzzling civic action'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Elon Musk's most controversial moments
In Depth The business mogul has a long history in the hot seat
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Last updated
-
Elon Musk's 'frivolous' but precedent-setting free speech fight with Media Matters
Talking Point The lawsuit is just the latest in Musk's ongoing tension with social media watchdogs
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Twitter's year of Elon Musk: what happens next?
In the Spotlight 'Your platform is dying', says one commentator, but new CEO is aiming for profitability next year
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published