You click "Start" and 2 seconds later you're talking to a stranger on video. Magic? Not really. Let's break down the technical curtain.
Step 1: Matchmaking
Your browser opens a WebSocket to PLOXX's server. You send your criteria (mode, language, interests, gender preference). The server puts you in a queue and searches for a compatible match through a multi-phase algorithm.
Step 2: Signaling
When two users match, the server relays SDP offers/answers and ICE candidates between them. This signaling phase prepares the direct connection.
Step 3: WebRTC
WebRTC sets up the real-time media connection between the two browsers. When peers connect directly, latency is low (20-100ms).
Step 4: STUN/TURN servers
Most users are behind NAT. STUN servers help discover their public IP. When NAT is too strict (~10%), TURN servers relay the traffic—costly but necessary for some networks.
On PLOXX, this TURN relay is forced for every video call (not just as a fallback): your IP address is never exposed to the stranger. Video stays end-to-end encrypted—the server can't watch it—at the cost of a bit more server bandwidth.
Step 5: Moderation
Since video is end-to-end encrypted, the server never sees it. PLOXX combines: structured reporting with reasons, screenshot capture only at report time, human moderation with auto-priority on critical reasons, IP bans.
Modern random video chat is a cocktail of WebSocket + WebRTC + STUN/TURN + smart moderation. All invisible to the user.