Guides

Practical advice for meeting new people over video: staying safe, protecting your privacy, starting good conversations, feeling confident on camera and getting the best call quality. Written by the Smilaroo team.

• How to stay safe on random video chat

  Practical safety habits for talking to strangers over live video: what to share, what to avoid and what to do when a call feels wrong.

  6 min read

• How to start a great conversation with someone new

  Simple openers, good questions and small habits that turn a random video call into a conversation both people enjoy.

  5 min read

• How to spot and avoid online scams

  The most common stories scammers use on social and dating apps, the warning signs to look for and what to do if you are targeted.

  6 min read

• Protecting your privacy when meeting people online

  What to keep private, how to set up your profile safely and how to control who can contact you on a video chat app.

  5 min read

• What to do if someone threatens to share your images

  Step-by-step help if someone online demands money or threatens to share intimate images or recordings of you (sextortion).

  5 min read

• From strangers to friends: keeping in touch after a great call

  How following, mutual friends, History, messages and friend video calls work, and how to keep a new friendship going respectfully.

  4 min read

• Tips for better video call quality

  Simple fixes for blurry video, choppy sound and dropped calls: lighting, sound, network and phone settings that make video chat look and sound better.

  5 min read

• Nervous on camera? What actually helps

  If your heart races before a video call with a stranger, you're not alone. Small, honest tricks that make the first few seconds easier.

  5 min read

• Practising spoken English by talking to new people

  Grammar apps only go so far. How to use real conversations to get more fluent, without feeling embarrassed about your mistakes.

  6 min read

• New city, no friends yet? Where to start

  Moving for college or a job can be lonely. Honest, practical ideas for building a social life from zero, online and offline.

  5 min read

• When someone taps Next on you

  Getting skipped a few seconds into a call stings a little. Why it happens far more often than you'd think, and why it says very little about you.

  4 min read

• Video chat manners: the small things people notice

  The unwritten rules of talking to strangers on camera: how to start, how to listen, how to leave, and what makes someone glad they met you.

  5 min read

Looking for something else? See the FAQ or the Safety Centre, or write to us at support@smilaroo.com.