Making your first contact
Found a penpal who looks interesting? Saying hello is easy — here are the two simple ways to reach out and start a new friendship.
How to reach out to a penpal
- Open Search in the menu at the top of the
page.
Screenshot: the main menu — the Search link is on the left.Search is the first link in the menu at the top of every page. - Fill out the search form with the kind of penpal you would like to find — country, age range, gender, perhaps a shared interest — and tap the green Search button at the bottom of the form.
- Your search results will appear. Each result shows a snippet of a penpal’s profile — tap the profile name of anyone who catches your eye to view their full profile. Once on the profile page, you can send them a message or a Smile.
- On their profile, choose how you would like to say hello:
Send a message — write a friendly introduction. Tell them a little about yourself and why you would like to be penpals.
Send a Smile — a quick, friendly hello for when you are not sure what to write. It lets that penpal know you would like to connect.
Screenshot: a penpal profile with the “message” and “Send a Smile” options.Both ways to say hello are on the penpal’s profile. - Wait for a reply. Once your penpal responds, you can chat freely and your friendship is under way.
What is a Smile?
A Virtual Smile is a simple expression of interest — a light way to break the ice without writing a full message. Your penpal sees that you would like to connect, and if they reply with a message, your conversation can begin. You can send up to 10 Smiles a day.