Ice Breaker Questions: 40 Easy Ones for Any Video Chat

You say "hi". They say "hi". Then comes the pause where both of you smile at the screen and wait for the other person to be interesting. Most video chats are won or lost in that pause, and a good question is the fastest way through it. The ice breaker questions below are the ones we see work: small, easy to answer and quick to lead somewhere. Pick two before your next call and keep the rest as backup.

Good Ice Breaker Questions Start Small

The best opener is rarely clever. It is a question that costs the other person almost nothing to answer. "What is the best thing you ate this week?" takes three seconds and tells you about their taste, their week and possibly their country. "What is the meaning of your life?" takes a seminar.

Good ice breaker questions share three traits. They are about everyday life, so nobody has to prepare. They are open, so the answer has more than one word. And they leave room for a follow-up, which is where the real conversation starts. Ask, listen, then ask about the part that sounded interesting.

If you are using video chat to meet new people, it also helps to say your own answer after theirs. It keeps the exchange balanced, and it shows the other person how much detail is welcome.

Fun Questions to Ask Strangers

These twenty are light, a little playful and safe for a first call. Use them when you want laughter before depth.

1. What is the best thing you ate this week?
2. If you could have dinner anywhere in the world tonight, where would it be?
3. What song have you had on repeat lately?
4. What is a small thing that made you smile today?
5. Which city would you move to if money did not matter?
6. What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
7. What is the strangest thing you believed as a kid?
8. Which movie can you watch over and over without getting bored?
9. What is your go-to comfort food?
10. If you had a free Saturday and no plans, what would you do?
11. What is the best trip you have ever taken?
12. Do you have a talent nobody expects?
13. What is a food you were sure you would hate and now love?
14. What is the most useful thing you have learned this year?
15. Which fictional place would you most like to visit?
16. What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
17. What is your earliest memory of the internet?
18. Which old-school habit do you wish more people kept?
19. What would you name a boat?
20. What is the best piece of advice you ignored?

Easy Ice Breaker Questions When You're Nervous

Nerves make everyone's voice tighter. If you feel yours, start with a question whose answer you already know. It lets you relax and listen instead of rehearsing.

1. Where are you calling from, and what is it like there today?
2. How is your evening going so far?
3. What is the one thing you are looking forward to this weekend?
4. Coffee, tea or something else?
5. Are you a morning person or a night person?
6. What language do you wish you spoke?
7. What is the nicest thing about where you live?
8. What is your favourite season?
9. Is there a show you are watching right now?
10. What is the last thing you bought that you really like?

A tip that works for most people: say the question slowly and smile before you speak. It sounds basic, and it changes the tone of the whole call.

Ice Breakers for a 1-on-1 Video Chat

In a private 1-on-1 video chat, there is nobody else to share the spotlight, so questions that invite a story work best. These ten are made for two people and no audience.

1. What made you open Tchatche tonight?
2. What is the funniest conversation you have had on a video call?
3. If we only had five minutes, what should we talk about?
4. What is a place you could talk about for an hour?
5. Which question do you wish people asked you more often?
6. What is a skill you are slowly getting better at?
7. What is the best compliment you have ever received?
8. What is something you are proud of that is not on a CV?
9. If you could ask me anything, what would it be?
10. What would make this conversation a good one for you?

What Not to Ask

An ice breaker should open a door, not corner someone. Leave these out until you know the person:

• Where exactly do you live? Country and city are fine. Street names are not.
• What do you do for money? It can feel like an audit.
• Anything about looks or relationships. It rarely lands well on a first call.
• Politics and religion. Fine later; heavy as a first question.

Not sure what is okay? Our safety guide lists what to keep private on a call.

Put Them to Use

Reading is easy; the first call is the real test. Pick one question from each list, open random video chat and try them out. If you want to learn the other half, our guide on how to start a conversation online covers timing, tone and what to do when the pause comes back. And when you are ready to go beyond small talk, see our deep conversation starters.