What to talk about with a stranger
Meeting someone new on camera is easy once the first line is out. Below you will find openers and follow-up questions sorted by interest, plus simple habits for the first seconds, the middle and the goodbye of a chat on Ominglo.
Published by the Ominglo team.
Let your tags do the first bit of work
The start screen of Video chat asks what you want to talk about. Tags are optional. Type one word, press Enter, and it turns into a small label; on a free account or as a guest you can add up to 5. Short tags work well: music, films, cooking. Plain letters from a to z, numbers and spaces are kept; other characters are dropped.
After you press Start, Ominglo first tries to pair you with someone who added one of your tags. That lasts only a few seconds; then anyone looking for a chat can join. So treat a tag as a hint about what you enjoy, not as a promise about who you will meet. The paid Max plan raises the limit to 100 tags (see Plans), but most people never need more than three or four.
When you both picked the same tag
If the person you meet added a tag you also added, a line in the text box tells you, for example You both added #music, #travel. That line is a ready-made opener. You already know one thing the other person likes, so skip the small talk and ask about it.
The first ten seconds
- Say hello out loud. A smile and a plain "hi" do more than a clever line. The other person is deciding whether to stay, just like you.
- Use what you share. Start from the shared tags line, or from something friendly you can see, like a guitar on the wall or a cup of tea.
- Ask one open question. "What have you been watching lately?" invites a story. "Do you like films?" gets a yes and a pause.
- Check the sound. If one of you is somewhere noisy, switch to typing for a moment.
Openers and follow-ups by interest
Each group below names a tag you can add, one opener and two follow-up questions. The follow-ups count more than the opener: they show you heard the answer.
Music (tag: music)
Opener: "What song have you had on repeat this week?"
- Is that what you usually listen to, or something new for you?
- Which concert would you go to again tomorrow?
Films and series (tags: films, series)
Opener: "Watched anything good lately, or are you stuck between three shows?"
- Would you recommend it to someone who has never seen that kind of story?
- Which film do you rewatch when you need cheering up?
Games (tag: games)
Opener: "What are you playing at the moment?"
- Do you prefer playing with friends or on your own?
- Is there an old game you still go back to?
Travel (tag: travel)
Opener: "Where was the last trip that surprised you?"
- What would you tell a friend to eat or see there?
- If you could leave next week, where would you go?
Food and cooking (tag: cooking)
Opener: "What is the one dish you can cook without a recipe?"
- Who taught you to make it?
- Which food from your region should a visitor try first?
Languages (tag: languages)
Opener: "Which language are you learning, and how is it going?"
- What is a word in your language that has no good translation?
- Do you want to practise for a few minutes? I can go slowly.
Language practice is where the text box shines: write a word down when the sound is not clear, or spell a name.
Sport (tags: football, running, gym)
Opener: "Do you play, watch, or both?"
- What got you into it in the first place?
- Is there a match or race you will remember for years?
Books (tag: books)
Opener: "What are you reading right now, and would you finish it?"
- Paper, screen or audiobook?
- Which book did you give to someone else as a gift?
Study and work (tags: study, design, coding)
Opener: "What do you spend most of your day on?"
- What is the part of it you would happily do for free?
- What did you want to be when you were ten?
Keep it general. Talk about the kind of work or subject, not the name of your school or employer.
Pets (tag: pets)
Opener: "Is there an animal at home that might walk into the picture?"
- How did they end up with you?
- What is the strangest habit they have?
Keeping the chat going
- Swap, do not interview. After you ask something, share your own answer too. Two people asking in turn feels like a chat; one person asking feels like a form.
- Ask for stories, not facts. "How did that happen?" goes further than "How many?".
- Use the text box for details. Every video chat has a text box beside the video: on the right on a computer, under the video on a phone. It suits titles, names of places and anything hard to hear.
- Let a pause be a pause. A few quiet seconds are normal. If a topic runs dry, go back to the other shared tag.
Ending a chat politely
Nobody has to stay in a chat, and nobody has to explain. If you want to move on, a short "Thanks for the chat, I'm heading off now" does the job. Then press Next to meet someone new, or Stop to go back to the start screen, where nobody new joins until you press Start again. When the other person leaves first, do not take it personally: maybe their tea went cold.
What to keep to yourself
A good chat does not need personal details. Do not give out your full name, home address, school, workplace or passwords, even when the talk feels friendly. Do not move to another app with someone you met a few minutes ago, and never send money or codes. The Safety page has the full list of habits.
If someone breaks the rules
Ominglo is for adults only, 18 and over. If someone acts against the Community Rules, press Report next to their name and choose a reason. The chat ends at once. The report reaches the moderation team with one frame of that person's video and the last messages from the text box, and a person reviews it. You can also simply press Next whenever a chat stops being fun.
What next
New here? Your first random video chat shows every screen and button. When you are ready, add a tag or two and start a video chat.