First video call with someone you met online: how to prepare
Updated October 18, 2026
A video call is the step between texting and meeting in person. It confirms the person is real, shows whether the conversation flows and, when you live in different countries, it's how you really get to know each other.
Before the call
- Set a day and time with the time zone in mind. Brasília is 1–2 hours ahead of New York and 4–5 hours ahead of California.
- Test your internet and camera and charge your phone.
- Light in front of you (a window or a lamp), never behind you.
- A quiet spot with a plain background. Avoid showing details of your home or street.
- Have two or three topics in mind: something from their profile, travel, food.
During the call
- Keep it short: 20–30 minutes is great for a first time.
- Be yourself. A little nervousness is normal, even charming.
- Language hiccup? Laughing together fixes it. Use simple sentences and type a word in the chat if needed.
- End on a high note: “I really enjoyed this, want to do it again?”
Safety
- Be wary if their camera never turns on or the video looks pre-recorded and doesn't react to what you say.
- Never undress or send intimate images. A common scam, sextortion, records the victim and then threatens to share the images unless they pay.
- If someone blackmails you: don't pay, stop responding, keep screenshots, report the profile and contact the police. In the US you can also report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.
- Don't show documents, cards or banking screens.
If the call went well, the next step might be meeting up. Read our first meeting safety checklist first, and see how to spot a fake profile.