# How to make friends online across countries [Sea Pals](https://seapals.app/) › [Guides](https://seapals.app/guides) › [Making friends online](https://seapals.app/guides/make-friends-abroad) Updated 11 October 2026 To make friends online across countries, join a friendship or hobby community and start with an interest you share. Send a short message with an easy question, give replies time and ask which language feels comfortable. Keep conversations in the app and leave personal details private. ## Choose a place for the conversation you want Pen pal communities give you room for longer stories; language exchanges suit people who both want practice; hobby groups let you start with a game, music or cooking. Read the age rules, privacy settings and reporting options before joining. Take part in an existing discussion before asking for a private chat. A country gives you somewhere to be curious about; a shared interest gives you something to say. “I am trying to grow herbs on my windowsill” is a warmer start than “I want an international friend.” Ask what the other person enjoys instead of expecting them to explain a whole country. - Pen pal apps: a letter gives you space to share a small story and reply when you have time. - Language exchange: good for people who both want practice. Ask whether they prefer gentle corrections or just a chat. - Interest communities: join a discussion about a game, music or a hobby. Answer a specific question before asking someone to chat. ## Write a first message that is easy to answer Say hello, share one detail about your interest, then ask a question. Keep it short enough to read without a dictionary. Ask about the other person’s own experiences so they have room to tell a story. This example offers a few ways to reply: the game, the garden or the music. Swap in things you really like. If you mention a show, say where you have reached so your new friend can avoid spoilers. > Hi! I like cosy games and listening to music while I play. I have been making a little garden in my game this week. What do you like building or collecting? I would love to hear about a game you enjoy too. ## Let the friendship find its own pace When it is your afternoon, your friend may be asleep. A slow reply can also mean a busy day, a language they are still learning or a wish to write something thoughtful. Leave room for all of those before assuming you have said something wrong. Try “I usually write at weekends, so there is no rush to reply.” Letters work well when you cannot be online together. Pick up one detail from the last reply: “Did you finish the garden you were building?” Remembering a small thing helps a conversation feel like a friendship. If the chat goes quiet, one gentle message is enough: “Hope your week is going well. I tried the song you mentioned!” Then leave space. ## You do not need perfect English Use the language you feel comfortable with, or short sentences in a language you are learning. “I like this song because it feels calm” is easier to follow than a long sentence full of slang. You can say “I am still learning English. Could you use simple words?” If a sentence seems strange, ask “Do you mean…?” before guessing the tone. Jokes and slang may lose their meaning, so explain them in plain words. Learning can go both ways. Ask “How would you say ‘have a lovely day’ in your language?” Offer a phrase from yours too, and ask before correcting someone. Keep the conversation about things you both enjoy. ## Keep new friendships inside the app Use a nickname. Do not share your full name, school, address, phone number, social handles or photos early. Talk only inside the app; decline requests to switch to a private account or arrange an in-person meeting. A shared hobby does not prove who someone is. You can say “I would rather keep chatting here.” If someone pushes for private details, sends unwanted messages or asks you to keep secrets, stop replying and use block and report. Teens should tell a trusted adult if anything feels wrong, even after sharing something. Parents can agree on these boundaries together and make it easy to ask for help without blame. ## Try a first letter on Sea Pals [Start with a letter on Sea Pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals) about the hobby you would like to share. Mochi looks for people with shared interests and languages, often in a new country. ## Sea Pals at a glance - Price: Free - Works on: iPhone, Android and the web - App languages: English · 한국어 · 日本語 · Deutsch · Português (Brasil) · Español · Русский · Türkçe · Bahasa Indonesia · Tiếng Việt · ไทย · Italiano · Français · Polski - Minimum age: 13+ · 14+ in South Korea · 16+ in Australia - Translation: Built-in, on supported devices and language pairs ## Questions ### Do I need good English to make friends abroad? No: shared interests and simple words are enough to start. Write in a language you are comfortable with, explain that you are learning, and use translation where your phone and language pair support it. ### How do I find people who share my interests? Name a specific hobby and look for conversations about it, whether in a pen pal app or an interest community. A question about a favourite game, song or recipe gives someone an easy way to reply. ### Is it safe for teens to make friends online? There are risks, so check age rules and privacy controls together, keep chats inside the app and leave personal details and photos out of early conversations. If anything feels wrong, stop the chat, block or report, and tell a trusted adult. ### Can I choose which country my Sea Pals friend is from? No: letters go to a few people with shared interests, often in a new country. You cannot choose a country or a particular person. ## Try it [Explore pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals) [Get Sea Pals](https://seapals.app/#get) ## More guides - [Guides](https://seapals.app/guides) - [First pen pal letter](https://seapals.app/guides/first-letter) - [How to make Korean friends](https://seapals.app/guides/korean-friends) - [How to make Japanese friends](https://seapals.app/guides/japanese-friends) - [Pen pal safety for teens](https://seapals.app/guides/pen-pal-safety) - [Korean letter phrases](https://seapals.app/guides/korean-phrases) - [Japanese letter phrases](https://seapals.app/guides/japanese-phrases) - [Pen pal questions](https://seapals.app/guides/pen-pal-questions) - [Pen pal apps compared](https://seapals.app/guides/pen-pal-apps) - [K-pop words](https://seapals.app/guides/kpop-words) - [Reading Hangul](https://seapals.app/guides/learn-hangul) - [Korean names for friends](https://seapals.app/guides/korean-honorifics) - [BTS concert tips](https://seapals.app/guides/bts-concert) - [K-drama words](https://seapals.app/guides/kdrama-words) - [Korean comfort food](https://seapals.app/guides/korean-comfort-food) - [Pepero Day](https://seapals.app/guides/pepero-day) - [Photo booth poses](https://seapals.app/guides/photo-booth-poses) - [Apps like HelloTalk](https://seapals.app/guides/apps-like-hellotalk) - [Sea Pals vs Slowly](https://seapals.app/guides/sea-pals-vs-slowly) - [Pen pal meaning](https://seapals.app/guides/what-is-a-pen-pal) - [Apps to make friends](https://seapals.app/guides/apps-to-make-friends) - [Apps for teens to make friends](https://seapals.app/guides/apps-for-teens-to-make-friends) - [Long distance relationship ideas](https://seapals.app/guides/long-distance-relationship-ideas) - [Letter to a best friend](https://seapals.app/guides/letter-to-best-friend) - [Friendship quotes](https://seapals.app/guides/friendship-quotes) - [Cozy apps](https://seapals.app/guides/cozy-apps) ## Find pen pals - [Group chats](https://seapals.app/lagoons) - [Safety](https://seapals.app/safety) - [Friends widget app](https://seapals.app/widgets) - [Memory book & photo journal](https://seapals.app/memory-book) ## Related pages - [Group chats](https://seapals.app/lagoons) - [Safety](https://seapals.app/safety) - [Friends widget app](https://seapals.app/widgets) - [Memory book & photo journal](https://seapals.app/memory-book) [Open in your browser](https://seapals.app/app) ## Pen pals for… - [BTS fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/bts) - [K-pop fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kpop) - [Korean pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/korean) - [Korean practice with friends](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-korean) - [K-drama fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kdrama) - [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime) - [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese) - [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese) - [English practice](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-english) - [Adult pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/adults) ## Legal - [Otter maker](https://seapals.app/make/otter) - [Four-cut photo booth](https://seapals.app/booth) - [Friendship book](https://seapals.app/book) - [Sea creature quiz](https://seapals.app/quiz) - [Letter paper](https://seapals.app/letter) - [Friendship quiz](https://seapals.app/friendship-quiz) - [Virtual pet app with friends](https://seapals.app/doori) - [Friends in other countries](https://seapals.app/lagoons) - [Pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals) - [Safety](https://seapals.app/safety) - [Guides](https://seapals.app/guides) - [Friends widget app](https://seapals.app/widgets) - [Memory book & photo journal](https://seapals.app/memory-book) - [Long-distance friends](https://seapals.app/long-distance-friends) - [Culture](https://seapals.app/culture) - [Long distance relationship app](https://seapals.app/long-distance-relationship-app) - [BTS fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/bts) - [K-pop fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kpop) - [Korean pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/korean) - [Korean practice with friends](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-korean) - [K-drama fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kdrama) - [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime) - [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese) - [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese) - [English practice](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-english) - [Adult pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/adults) - [Help](https://seapals.app/help) - [Privacy](https://seapals.app/legal/privacy) - [Terms](https://seapals.app/legal/terms) - [Community guidelines](https://seapals.app/legal/guidelines) - [Child safety](https://seapals.app/legal/child-safety) - [About](https://seapals.app/about) City data from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)