To start using the Monkey app immediately, you can create a profile based on your Google or Facebook account. Monkey will automatically pull data such as your name, date of birth, gender, and location directly from your linked account. The video chat pairings are randomized, but Monkey’s algorithm connects people of a similar age and location and with similar interests. If you're familiar with social media apps and online chat platforms like Snapchat or FaceTime, you’ll instinctively know how to use the Monkey app, which is based on user profiles, a matching algorithm, and common chat features like direct messaging. After launching the Monkey app and hitting the Start Chat button, you’ll be automatically added to a video call with a stranger. The only info you’ll see is their gender, profile pic, username, age, and location.
Once the video chat begins, you have 15 seconds to decide what to do next. You can either request more time to chat or you can tap the Next button to immediately end the chat and match with another person. If the 15 seconds expire without both users hitting the Time button, the call will end automatically. Participants can also add each other as a connection by tapping the Friend button. But to video call again, or move things to a text chat, you have to subscribe to Monkey Plus, which currently costs $13.99 a month or $6.99 a week. In addition to the direct message feature, Monkey Plus offers other perks, such as letting you sort matches exclusively by your preferred gender or apply an LGBTQ filter.
The free version of the Monkey app makes all the basic features, like setting up a profile and posting “moments” available to all users. Like other social media apps, you can follow people to view their shared content and see how many other followers a person has. Profiles look similar to Instagram and include a bio under a profile picture, alongside sections noting interests and hobbies. By default, a profile will show the user's zodiac sign based on their date of birth, which cannot be changed once set. Users can also set a “mood” and even choose a song that plays automatically when visiting their profile. The Monkey app's so-called “moments” are a Monkey app free feature that works like Instagram or TikTok stories,s where users can take a picture or video, edit it, and post it. But users’ moments are visible not only on their profiles but also in the search feature of the Monkey app, making this a potentially dangerous feature for people who overshare online.
