Omegle is gone, but we still don’t know how to say hi

If you were there, you remember the ritual:

Stranger: hi You: hi Stranger: asl? You:…

That was 2010. In 2026, we’re doing random text chat again, but we can do better than asl and ...

On Aleatoria.app we see thousands of 1-on-1 chats every day. The best conversations — the ones that last 10+ minutes — all start the same way. The worst ones also start the same way.

So here’s a small etiquette guide from the Omegle era, updated for Aleatoria.

The Aleatoria Etiquette Playbook

1. Say hello. For real.

Don’t start with silence, don’t start with just “…” or a sticker. A real “hello” signals you are a human who wants to talk.

Bad: hi Good: heyy! how's it going? :)

It takes 2 seconds and it changes the whole tone. You’re not a bot. Show it.

2. Share a small introduction

You don’t need to doxx yourself. Just give the other person something to work with.

“I’m John from Santiago, 28, I usually hop on here after work”

That’s it. Name or nickname + where you’re chatting from + a tiny context. It breaks the ice instantly and makes you memorable. Strangers become people.

3. Share what you’re interested in

This was the best part of late Omegle — the interest tags. On Aleatoria it matters even more.

Don’t make the other person guess why you’re there. Are you here to practice English? Talk about music? Bored at 2am? Looking for someone who gets your weird hobby?

“I’m into indie games, lo-fi, and I’m trying to learn more about film photography” “Just here to kill time and have random deep talks”

Interests = conversation starters. It’s how you skip the awkward 5 minutes and get to the good part.

4. How long have you been using Aleatoria?

This one is underrated, but it builds trust instantly.

Are you new? Say it. People love to show newcomers around. Been here since the early days? Say it too. You become an instant veteran.

“I just found Aleatoria yesterday after Omegle shut down” “I’ve been on Aleatoria for like 3 months, mostly late night chats”

It gives context, it explains your style, and it’s a natural way to ask: “and you?”

Bonus: 3 unwritten rules from the old days

1. Read the room. If they give short answers, don’t push. If they’re excited, match their energy. 2. Don’t ghost mid-sentence. A simple “hey gotta go, nice talking! bye” is legendary etiquette in random chat. Use it. 3. Be curious, not creepy. Ask open questions. “What kind of music are you into?” > “are you f?”

A good opener template you can steal

“Heyy! I’m [name] from [city]. I’ve been on Aleatoria for [time]. I’m really into [2-3 interests] tonight. What about you?”

Copy-paste it, change it, make it yours. It’s 10x better than “asl”.

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Random chat is one of the last truly human places on the internet. No profiles, no followers, just two strangers and a text box.

Let’s keep it human.

See you in there — aleatoria.app