OcroonOn a blind date you know almost nothing about the person in front of you, or on the other end of the line. That is exactly what makes it exciting, and exactly why the opening can feel like a cliff edge. A good question is the rope. It is easy to answer, it invites a story rather than a yes or no, and it makes the other person want to ask you something back.
Here are 50 that work, grouped by the moment you'd use them, plus a short list of questions to leave at home.
Three rules that matter more than any question
- Ask, then really listen. The best follow-up question is hidden in their answer. "You moved here for a job? What made you say yes?"
- Answer your own question. A blind date is not an interview. Share your answer too, so it becomes a conversation.
- Don't run through the list. Pick two or three that feel natural and let the rest of the date go where it goes.
Icebreakers for the first five minutes
- How did your day go before this?
- Have you ever been on a blind date before? How did it go?
- What made you say yes to a blind date?
- What's the best thing that happened to you this week?
- Where are you right now, and what can you see?
- What were you doing before we started talking?
- What's something you're looking forward to this month?
- Are you a morning person or a night person?
- What's keeping you busy these days?
- What would you be doing right now if you weren't here?
Fun blind date questions
- What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?
- What's a small thing that instantly makes your day better?
- What's your most-used emoji, and what does that say about you?
- If you could master any skill overnight, what would it be?
- What's the strangest food you've ever tried, and would you eat it again?
- Which song would you choose for karaoke, and are you any good?
- What's a hill you're willing to die on, even though it doesn't matter?
- What's the best piece of advice you've ever ignored?
- If your friends described you in three words, what would they say?
- What's your idea of a perfect lazy Sunday?
Questions about their life and what they love
- What do you love most about where you live?
- What does a good day at work look like for you?
- What's something you could talk about for hours?
- What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
- Where was the best trip you've ever taken?
- What's a place you've always wanted to visit, and why that one?
- What's a book, film or series you recommend to everyone?
- What's a hobby you picked up and actually stuck with?
- Who in your life do you talk to the most?
- What are you learning at the moment?
Deeper questions, for when it's going well
- What's something you're proud of that most people don't know about?
- What does a really good friend do, in your opinion?
- What's a belief you used to hold that you've changed your mind about?
- What's the best compliment you've ever received?
- What are you most grateful for right now?
- What's something you want to get better at this year?
- What makes you feel most like yourself?
- What's a small kindness from a stranger that you still remember?
- What does home mean to you?
- What's on your list of things to do before you're old?
Questions for a blind date by phone or voice call
A voice-only blind date moves faster than a dinner. On Ocroon the first call lasts three minutes, so you want questions that get to the interesting part quickly, and that use the fact you can only hear each other.
- What does your voice give away about you that a photo wouldn't?
- What's the background noise where you are? Tell me about it.
- What's the most interesting thing you did today, in one sentence?
- If we had three hours instead of three minutes, what would we talk about?
- What language do you speak at home, and what's a word in it you love?
- What's a sound that always makes you happy?
- What's the best conversation you've had with a stranger?
- Describe your perfect evening in three words.
- What do you hope I'm like?
- Shall we keep talking?
The last one is a joke on Ocroon, because you don't ask it out loud. When the timer ends you each answer it privately, and only a mutual yes is revealed.
Questions to avoid on a first blind date
- "Why are you still single?" It sounds like an accusation, however you mean it.
- Anything about their ex. If it comes up, let them bring it up.
- Money questions. Salary, rent and debts can wait for a lot later.
- Comments or questions about their looks. Especially on a blind date, where not knowing is the point.
- Rapid-fire life plans. Marriage, kids and five-year plans in the first ten minutes feel like a job interview.
- Their phone number or exact address. There's no reason to share either on a first date, and on Ocroon you never need to.
If the conversation stalls
Silence on a blind date feels longer than it is. Three things rescue almost any lull: go back to something they mentioned earlier ("You said you'd just been to the coast, where exactly?"), share a short story of your own, or be honest and laugh about it ("Okay, I've completely lost my train of thought"). Most people find honesty more charming than a perfect script.
Try it for real
The fastest way to get good at blind date conversation is to have a few. On Ocroon, the blind date app by voice, every introduction is a three-minute call with someone new, with no photos until you both say yes. Pick two questions from this list and tap Start.