IRC never really went away
Internet Relay Chat has been running since 1988. It powered the first generation of Indian chat rooms and still hosts thousands of communities worldwide, from open-source developers to regional friend groups. Cafe Chat connects you to the ChatLife IRC network using KiwiIRC, a well-known web client, so you do not need mIRC or any desktop software.
If you already use an IRC client, you can connect to ChatLife directly too. Ask in the chat for the current server details.
Useful IRC commands
/join #room joins or creates a room. /msg nick message sends a private message. /nick newname changes your nickname. /me waves shows an action. /ignore nick hides someone. /list shows public rooms. /part leaves the current room.
Channels to start with
Try #India for general Indian chat, #Allnitecafe for late-night conversation (see Night Chat), and #ChatLife for the network's main lounge. Every page on Cafe Chat opens the same network, so you can move between rooms freely.
How to join IRC Chat
Pick a nickname
Type any name in the chat window. No email, phone number or password.
Say hello
You land in the room straight away. Say hi and mention where you are from.
Go private or go full screen
Tap a name to chat one-to-one, or open the full-screen chat for an app-like view.
Use the chat window at the top of this page. On a phone, open the full-screen chat for the most room to type.
IRC Chat is part of Cafe Chat's free Indian chat rooms. Every room runs on the same ChatLife IRC network, so you can hop between them with /join or browse the full list of chat rooms.
IRC Chat FAQ
What is IRC chat?
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is an open, real-time text chat protocol used since 1988, organised into channels that start with #.
Do I need mIRC?
No. The web client in your browser does everything mIRC does for everyday chatting.
Which IRC network does Cafe Chat use?
The ChatLife IRC network.