Random Video Calls with American Women, free on your phone

In American English, "How's it going?" and "How are you?" work as greetings more than questions. A short answer such as "good, thanks, you?" is the usual reply, and the real conversation starts with the next line.

"Where are you calling from?" is the natural second line, because it hands both of you something to talk about: a city, the weather, the time of day. Hey and hi are both fine, first names are the norm, and there is no need for titles. If you missed a name, ask again; nobody minds.

For more on meeting someone new, see talk to strangers on Cafe.

Endings are friendly and quick. "Nice talking to you", "take care" and "have a good one" all close a call politely, and you can say the same when you skip ahead. Nobody expects a long goodbye, and moving on is part of how Cafe works.

If English is your second language, speak at your own pace. Short sentences and a smile carry further than perfect grammar, and asking someone to repeat or slow down is normal on any call.

Names and places can take a moment to get right. Spell a name out if it helps, say where you live in a few words, and agree early on how to pronounce each other's names. Getting a name right once makes the rest of the call easier.

Start with what you can both see and know: the time of day where each of you is, the weather, what you ate today. The time difference alone gives a call a few minutes of material, and "What time is it there right now?" is always a fair question.

Work and study travel well. "What do you do?" and "What are you studying?" are ordinary early questions in the United States, and they lead to cities, jobs and plans. Music, films, series and sport give you plenty to compare; ask what the other person has been watching or listening to lately and let the answer steer the next question.

Be curious rather than quizzing. Asking about the United States as a whole gets short answers, because it is a very large place, while asking about one city, one trip or one favorite thing gets stories. If you have been there yourself, say where and when.

The usual courtesy applies: no pressure, no personal questions that make a stranger uncomfortable, and nothing you would not say in a public place. If the conversation does not click, a friendly goodbye and a skip is the polite way to end it.

Holidays make easy openers too. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November and the Fourth of July marks Independence Day, so around those weeks the other person may be busy with family or plans. Asking about them is friendly, and you can share your own in return.

Press start and Cafe connects your camera to another person's within seconds. You can begin without registration, so there is nothing to sign up for, nothing to fill in and no payment card to hand over. Your browser asks for camera and microphone access, and then the call opens.

A call has no time limit and ends when either of you leaves. Skips cost nothing and there is no cap on them, and the next person appears as soon as you tap. Because every call is one to one, there is no crowd to compete with: two people on camera, and either of them can end it.

Before you start, check three things: the camera and microphone are not blocked in your browser settings, you are somewhere you can talk, and your connection can hold a steady video call. A quick look at your own camera first saves an awkward first minute.

The same matching runs across Cafe's random video chat experience.

Calls are free and there is no subscription. Press start and the call happens; nothing has to be unlocked first. The only thing that uses coins is the gender filter, and a free account comes with 125 coins to try it.

Coins are bought only if you want the filter, and the card statement stays discreet. Everything else on Cafe, from starting a call to skipping, costs nothing.

Calls without coins are covered under free video chat on Cafe.

Cafe runs in the browser of a phone, tablet or computer, so there is nothing to download. Open the site, allow the camera and microphone, and tap start.

Android users can also get the Cafe app on Google Play. On an iPhone, use Safari or any other browser: there is no iOS app, and the browser version gives you the same free calls.

Hold the phone at eye level, face a window or a lamp, and wear headphones if you can, so the other person hears you clearly and you do not get an echo.

Every call on Cafe is a 1v1 video chat with two people and nobody else.