Hi folks π
Iβve always found small talk and real-time conversations a bit challenging - so I decided to turn that discomfort into something creative.
I built an anonymous 1-on-1 video chat app - no signups, no usernames, just a direct connection between two strangers.
π Try it here
π» Source code on GitHub
π οΈ Tech Stack:
- Java 21 + Virtual Threads (for lightweight concurrency)
- Spring Boot (backend server)
- WebSockets (for signaling)
- WebRTC (for peer-to-peer video streaming)
- Render (for deployment)
π‘ Why I Built It
- To understand the actual handshake between browsers during a WebRTC connection.
- To explore how virtual threads in Java 21 could scale real-time communication.
- And honestly, to build something weirdly personal β something that felt a little like Omegle, but from scratch.
π§ What I Learned
- WebRTC is deceptively complex. STUN/TURN servers are essential once you're outside local networks.
- Java virtual threads are amazing for handling lots of concurrent lightweight tasks β perfect for chat apps.
- Signaling is half the battle β getting peers to connect securely and efficiently is a big chunk of the work.
- Being introverted doesnβt mean you canβt build communication tools β it just means your version might be simpler, quieter, and intentional.
π§ Things I Want to Improve
- Better UI/UX (right now itβs very minimal).
- Optional audio-only mode.
- Mobile responsiveness and fallback logic.
- Add basic moderation or CAPTCHA to prevent abuse.
If this sounds interesting to you, feel free to try it and let me know what you think β feedback, bugs, weird edge casesβ¦ all welcome!
Thanks for reading π
β Check it out β
π GitHub Repo β
Top comments (1)
good post!