How to talk to strangers from other countries online

Talking to someone on the other side of the world used to need a pen pal scheme or an expensive phone call. Now it takes a browser. This guide covers where to find people from other countries online, what to expect from random chat, and how to turn a first hello into a real conversation.

The short answer

• Random video or text chat is the fastest way: you are paired with someone somewhere in the world within seconds, no account needed. It is good for one-off conversations and language practice, less good for keeping in touch.
• Language exchange sites and apps pair you with people learning your language while you learn theirs. Slower to start, better for talking to the same person again.
• Interest communities such as forums, Discord servers and online games are international by default and are the best route to lasting friendships abroad. Our guide to making friends online as an adult explains how.

How countries work in random chat

Most random chat sites match you with whoever is online at that moment, from anywhere. Who you meet depends a lot on the time of day, because most people chat in their own evening: during a European evening you tend to meet Europeans, and during an American evening, people from the Americas. That is the simplest way to reach a region without any filter at all.

Some services sell a country filter. Before you rely on one, check three things on the service’s own site: whether it is free or paid, whether it uses your connection’s country or a country you choose (a VPN changes the first), and whether choosing a small country means waiting a long time for a match.

On RandomHey there is no country filter, free or paid. What there is:

• A country flag in video chat. Each person sees the other’s country as a flag, worked out from their connection, unless they tick “Hide my country”. Nobody sees an IP address.
• Languages. You can choose up to three languages you speak. If you do, you are only matched with someone who shares one of them, unless you allow other languages. Choosing English reaches people from many countries; choosing Spanish, French or Portuguese reaches speakers on several continents.
• Interests and a goal. Up to five interests, and an optional goal such as “practise a language”. When both people choose that goal, the conversation starters are made for learners.

More on this in how matching works and on the international chat page.

Reach a region without a filter

1. Chat during their evening, not yours. Work out when it is evening in the region you want and chat then.
2. Set the language. A language preference does more than a country filter, because it also makes sure you can actually talk.
3. Use “Next” freely. Random chat is built for short chats. Moving on quickly is normal and nobody is offended.
4. Say where you are, and ask. “I’m in Spain, where are you?” is the most natural opener there is, and the flag makes it easy in video chat.

Openers that work across cultures

Questions about everyday life travel well, because everyone has an answer and the differences are interesting:

• “What time is it where you are, and what are you usually doing at this hour?”
• “What is a food from your country that people abroad have never heard of?”
• “What do people in your country do on a Sunday?”
• “What is something about your city that tourists get wrong?”
• “Teach me one phrase in your language that you use every day.”

For more, see conversation topics for talking to strangers and get to know you questions.

Talking across a language gap

• Start with text if speaking is hard. Random text chat gives both of you time to think and look words up.
• Use short sentences and avoid idioms. “Do you like your job?” is easier than “How’s work treating you?”
• Ask for repeats without embarrassment. “Sorry, could you say that again?” is enough.
• Offer to swap. Half the chat in your language, half in theirs. Our guide to practising English online has phrases for learners.

What random chat is not

Random chat is not a dating site and not a way to find a partner from a particular country. RandomHey has no profiles, no gender filter and no way to find the same person again; when a chat ends, it ends. Sites and accounts that promise to introduce you to partners from abroad are a common front for romance scams. If a conversation turns to money, visas, gifts or moving to another app quickly, end it.

Stay safe with people you cannot check

• Keep your full name, address, workplace and phone number to yourself, however friendly the chat is.
• Never send money or gift cards to someone you met online, whatever the story.
• Photos are not proof. The FBI’s guidance on romance scams suggests searching a person’s photo to see whether it has been used elsewhere, and treating someone who quickly wants to leave the site as a warning sign.
• Use Report and Block. On RandomHey both are always visible during a chat; blocking ends it and stops you being matched again.

The full list is in staying safe when you talk to strangers online.

Start now

Set your languages, pick a couple of interests, and start a random video chat or a random text chat. Both are free, need no account, and are for adults only. Say where you are, ask where they are, and go from there.