I have a QR code sticker at my car’s window. Whenever someone wants to contact me, he can just scan the QR code and directly enter into a chat with me, e.g. to inform me that I’m parking in a restricted place, something is wrong with my car or whatever. Both participants in the chat (you and the other person) stay anonymous, unlike when using Whatsapp, Telegram or similar.

Similarly, you could hand out such QR code stickers or small printouts to anyone with whom you want to start a chat.

How does this work?

This is based on my chat website c99.chat, which allows browser-based chatting without registration, App install, download etc. Just open c99.chat and start.

You can share the chat site’s URL via the Share icon. Just copy the QR code and print it, maybe with a statement such as “Please scan this code to contact me!” or similar…

This QR code points to (a simpler version of) the chat site, where users can enter text messages or audio recordings. Easy, isn’t it?

In the chat settings (click on the double left arrow icon, then settings icon) you can change some settings.

In the notification settings (click on the icon at the top right) you can configure some notification options. Your safest option – in order to be informed if anyone enters a chat message for you – is an email; state your email address, confirm it and then either use an App such as Pushover or configure the email app on your mobile device such that emails from this service trigger a push notification. In Gmail you need to set a label for emails from “c99@c99.chat” and then follow this instruction.

If you set the icon to ‘On’, you will always receive an email when there is a new chat entry; otherwise only for the first entry after you left the site; then you have to visit c99.chat again before new emails will be sent (this prevents email flooding if you have many open and active chats).

Of course you can create as many of these chats as you like…