Random video chat etiquette: how to make a good first impression

By the OMG Chat team · Updated 13 November 2026 · 7 min read

On random video chat you get about three seconds before someone decides whether to say hello or press Next. You can't control everything, but a few small habits dramatically improve how many conversations actually start, and how good they are.

Set yourself up to be seen

• Light your face. Sit facing a window or a lamp. A bright window behind you turns you into a dark shape, and most people skip dark shapes.
• Camera at eye level. Looking down into a phone on your lap shows the ceiling and your chin. Prop the phone up, or raise the laptop on a few books.
• Show your face, not just the top of your head. Head and shoulders, roughly centred, is the friendliest framing.
• Reduce noise. A TV in the background or a fan blowing on the microphone makes conversation hard. Earbuds with a mic help a lot.
• Check your background. Tidy is nice; private is essential. Nothing with your address, school or workplace on it should be visible.

The first ten seconds

Here's the single most effective thing you can do: be ready when the call connects. Look at the screen, smile, and say hello within a second or two. People who appear looking at their other phone, eating, or with the camera pointed at the wall get skipped almost every time, because the other person can't tell whether anyone is there.

Follow your hello with something specific. "Hi, where are you calling from?" works better than "hi" alone, because it gives the other person something to answer. We've collected seventy openers in our conversation starters guide.

Being skipped is normal

Most random calls are short. People skip because they wanted a different language, they're just browsing, their connection was bad, or they hit Next by accident. It's not a verdict on you. Experienced users treat skips like doors in a corridor: you open a few before you find a room you like.

If you notice you're being skipped instantly every time, check the basics: is your camera actually showing your face, is it bright enough, and is your microphone working? Our camera and microphone guide helps with the technical side.

How to skip politely

You never owe anyone a conversation, and on OMG Chat Next works instantly on the first tap. Still, if you've been talking for a while, a quick "nice chatting, I'm going to move on, take care!" before you skip is kind and costs two seconds. If someone is rude or breaks the rules, you don't owe them anything: skip, and block or report if needed.

Talking across languages

• Speak a little more slowly and use simple words if English (or your language) isn't the other person's first language.
• Use the text chat. OMG Chat translates incoming messages automatically, which makes it easy to talk with someone who doesn't share your language.
• Ask them to teach you a word or two. It's one of the easiest ways to make a call fun.
• Gestures, drawings held up to the camera and showing the view from your window all work in any language.

Basic respect

• Don't record or screenshot people without asking. It's against the rules, and it's simply not fair to someone who trusted you with their face.
• Keep it clean. Nudity and sexual content are not allowed and get accounts banned.
• Don't push for personal details. If someone wants to share their social handle, they'll offer it. Asking in the first minute feels creepy, even when you don't mean it to.
• Accept "no" the first time. Whether it's a question they don't want to answer or a request to stop, move on.
• No spam or selling. Random chat isn't the place to advertise.

Voice-only etiquette

Not every day is a camera day. Voice-only mode lets you talk with your video off, and voice-only users are matched with each other first. Because the other person can't see you, say hello out loud straight away so they know you're there, and keep background noise down, since your voice is all they have.

Ending a good conversation

When a call has been great, say so. If you'd like to talk again, OMG Chat's friends feature lets you add each other and chat later without swapping phone numbers. If you don't want to, a simple "this was really fun, good luck with [the thing they mentioned]" is a lovely way to end.

Etiquette checklist