How to Stay Close and Have Fun with Long-Distance Friends

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Keep in touch with friends near and far with these creative ideas
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Even with so much technology designed to help us connect with other people, it’s still surprisingly easy to lose touch with your friends. Fortunately, there are things you can do to stay connected and involved in each other’s lives, even from miles away! To help you do it, we’ve compiled a handy list of ways to keep in touch with your friends. Whether you're long-distance or just have busy lives, we’re sure you’ll find something here to help you reconnect and stay in touch.

The Best Ways to Keep in Touch with Friends

  1. Play video games together.
  2. Share a virtual dinner or cocktail hour.
  3. Stream a movie together.
  4. Send each other surprise gifts.
  5. Start a challenge or virtual club together.
  6. Send a sweet text during a special event or occasion.
1

Play online games together.

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  1. There are a bunch of different gaming apps you can use, or you can use a classic console such as a PlayStation or an Xbox if all of your friends have the same console. Many games also have chat features so you can talk to each other while you play. You can catch up on each other’s lives, celebrate a win in the game, or poke fun at each other when a player makes a mistake.
    • You can all agree on a time to hop on the game and play together.
    • There are a ton of different games, from first-person shooters to turn-based puzzle games, so you can find one that everyone will enjoy or take turns picking the game.
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2

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  1. Have some fun choosing a recipe that everyone can enjoy (and cook), and set a time for you and your friends to get together over a video call. Cook your meal and enjoy it with your friends! Talk about the cooking experience while also catching up and spending time together.
3

Enjoy a virtual happy hour together.

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  1. You can choose a fancy cocktail and share the recipe with your friends, or just grab a bottle of wine or beer from your fridge. Organize a time you can all get together and catch up while you enjoy your drinks.
    • You don’t have to have an alcoholic drink! Make a mocktail or fancy juice concoction.
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4

Host a streaming party to hang out virtually.

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  1. Choose a movie or show that you and your friends will enjoy and schedule a time for everyone to start watching it. You can chat during the movie or use the “Netflix Party” browser extension to watch together and see each other’s faces on a video call at the same time.
    • Kast is another app you can use to share your screen and watch a movie or show together with your friends.
5

Challenge each other to shared experience.

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  1. Find something that aligns with your and your friends's goals, such as getting in shape or reading more. Check-in with each other to stay motivated and on track toward your goal. It’s a fun way to stay in touch, and it’s a shared experience you can have with your friends, even if you live miles apart from each other. [1]
    • For instance, you can start a challenge to walk for 30 minutes a day or do 20 push-ups a day. Whenever you do your part, you can text or message your friends about it.
    • A challenge also doesn’t require live conversation, and your friends can message you and do the challenge on their own schedules.
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6

Start a virtual book club.

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  1. Choose a book for all of your friends to read together, and set up a weekly or monthly virtual “meeting” to discuss what you’re reading. You can connect with an app like Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts. Have fun talking about the book and catching up on each other’s lives. [2]
7

Send memes, articles, or videos to your friends.

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  1. If you come across a really funny meme or an interesting article, send it to your friends! Chances are they’ll laugh or find it interesting as well. Plus, you don’t really need a reason to send a photo or a video. Just text or message it to them whenever you come across something you think they’ll like to let them know you’re thinking of them.
    • For instance, if you and your friends are big fans of The Office , you can send a meme from the show that you think they’ll find funny.
    • You can also send news articles you think they’ll enjoy.
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8

Connect through social media.

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  1. Add and follow your friends on any social media platforms you share, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Check their profiles to see what’s going on with them, and comment on posts to say hello. You can also tag them in posts and send them direct messages to talk to them. [3]
    • Social media is a great way to see your friend’s family and the things they’re into. For instance, you can comment on pictures of their children or congratulate them if they get a job promotion.
9

Mail a letter or postcard for fun.

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  1. Go old school with it and write out a letter by hand (or type and print it out). Stick it in an envelope and mail it to your friend as a nice surprise. You can also pick up a fun postcard and send that to them to brighten up their day. [4]
    • If you’re traveling somewhere, you can pick up a cute (or cheesy) postcard that features local landmarks and send that as a fun note.
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10

Send a care package.

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  1. A great way to stay in touch with a long-distance pal is to simply know when they need a sweet surprise. If your friend is struggling, don’t hesitate to send them a care package full of memories or their favorite things. This is a great way to be there without physically being by their side. [5]
    • Fill the care package with their favorite cookies, photos of you together from years past, self-care items, or something that made you think of them.
11

Get together to catch up in person.

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  1. If you’re from the same town, try visiting and getting together with your friends. You can also plan to meet up somewhere fun, like a new city or the beach, and hang out together. Try to meet up at least once a year if you can. [6]
    • For instance, you could both rent rooms in a hotel near a beach to have a vacation or make plans to meet up in New York City for a fun trip.
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12

Set a standing date to contact each other.

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  1. It may seem simple enough to just call your friends or send them a message to stay in touch, but life can get crazy sometimes. It’s easy to lose track of time, and suddenly, you haven’t spoken to your friends in weeks or even months! Ask your friends when they’re most available to talk or send messages and make a commitment to get in touch with each other then. [7]
    • For instance, if you’re free on Wednesday nights and your friend has a break from work at the same time, you can set it as a standing date to contact each other.
    • Things can come up at the last minute, so it’s also important to be flexible. Just try to let your friend know if you can’t call or talk to them if you’re busy when you’re supposed to connect.
13

Set reminders to reach out.

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  1. Sometimes, a simple text can help you reconnect and stay in touch with a long-distance friend! [8] Log birthdays, anniversaries, and special events in your calendar or phone reminders. This way, when the special day comes, you won’t forget and can send a sweet message to your friend. [9]
    • The dates don’t have to be anything too serious! Try setting a reminder for National Ice Cream Day if your long-distance bestie adores ice cream or a new movie release if you hope to see a movie with someone when it comes out.
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14

Don’t feel bad if you fail to follow through.

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  1. Apologize , and explain what’s going on. It’s totally normal for things to fall through or for life to get in the way of your plans. As licensed psychologist Adam Dorsay advises, “Don’t overthink it.” The best policy? Honesty. Things happen—you can’t control everything! And if your friends are true friends, they’ll understand. Be open about conflicts and what’s going on in your life. Remember, your friends are here for you. [10]
    • Even so, try not to bail during every scheduled meetup or activity, as this could give a bad impression, and you don’t want your friends to feel abandoned.

Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I avoid the "elephant" in the room as much as possible?
    Community Answer
    You could hangout with other friends around the room. Just act as if that "elephant" isn't even there. Don't let that person ruin your day or night.
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  • Question
    How should I start a note when trying to catch up with old friends?
    Community Answer
    You could start by saying something like "I was just thinking about..." and then bring up a fun memory the two of you shared.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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  • Question
    What if they are in a different country?
    Isobel
    Community Answer
    You could write letters, text, email, or use social media. Just because your friend is in another country doesn't mean you can't stay connected!
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/smarter-living/how-to-maintain-friends.html
      2. ↑ https://introvertdear.com/news/how-to-stay-in-touch-with-long-distance-friends-as-an-introvert/
      3. ↑ https://www.pearson.com/ped-blogs/pearsonstudents/2020/04/10-ways-im-using-technology-stay-touch-friends-quarantine.html
      4. ↑ https://introvertdear.com/news/how-to-stay-in-touch-with-long-distance-friends-as-an-introvert/
      5. ↑ https://advicefromatwentysomething.com/how-to-stay-in-touch-with-long-distance-friends/
      6. ↑ https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-secret-to-staying-in-touch-with-longdistance-friends
      7. ↑ https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-secret-to-staying-in-touch-with-longdistance-friends
      8. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2022/03/14/1086433752/stay-connected-long-distance-friends
      9. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/smarter-living/how-to-maintain-friends.html
      1. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2022/03/14/1086433752/stay-connected-long-distance-friends

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To keep in touch with your friends, text or call them when you think of them and ask how they are. For example, you could text your friend something like, “I just heard our song on the radio and it reminded me of you. How are you doing?” Or, if your friend’s obsessed with a certain actor, you can start a conversation by asking if they’ve seen their latest movie. Then, you can ask if they’re free for a call or video chat sometime. Or, schedule to meet up if you live nearby. If your friend is on social media, like and comment on their posts to stay connected. You can also use other online services to connect with your friends, like playing games together or setting up a shared playlist on Spotify. For more tips from our co-author, including how to catch up with several friends at once, read on!

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      • Samantha

        Mar 20, 2018

        "Thanks, I can't wait to invite all my friends to the movies! Even my far-away friend."
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