Random things to text friends: 150 messages that each ask for a reply. They are random things to type to a friend, not say out loud: a question out of nowhere, a made-up headline, a tiny dare or a this-or-that.
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Random things to text about, by kind
A question out of nowhere asks something small: "What would a statue of you be doing?" A made-up headline reports your day as news. A tiny dare asks for something back, such as a two-line poem about their lunch. This or that gives two choices: "Fold the pizza slice or leave it flat?" For your best friend holds random things to say to your bff: "Don't reply to this. I only wanted your phone to buzz." For an email holds random things to email your friends, each opening with a subject line.
How to send one
Send it on its own, with no greeting before it. If nobody has answered by the evening, answer it yourself and send the next one.
Take your own dare. Send your answer straight after theirs.
In a group chat, count the votes on a this-or-that before you give your own.
Questions and answers
What are random things to text to your friends?
Anything small that needs an answer: "What is the nearest yellow thing to you right now?", "Voice note or a wall of text?" or "Dare: describe your day so far in exactly four words."
What are random things to text to your friend when nothing is new?
A made-up headline turns no news into a message: "JUST IN: Nothing has happened, and sources say it's going great." Choose A made-up headline for 25 of them.
What are random things to say in group chats?
Things everyone can answer at once: "Roll call. Reply with one word for how today is going." or "Whoever replies third chooses where we eat next time." For a group chat holds 20 roll calls, polls and votes.
What are random things to text message someone after a long gap?
Something easier to answer than "how are you": "What did you nearly text me this week, and then didn't?" or "When did you last see a really good dog?"
Are these messages safe to send to anyone?
They were written to be. No message is an insult or a prank, none is about romance, bodies or faith, and none asks for a password or an address. Every dare is something to type, draw, hum or photograph where you are.
How many pillows is the correct number of pillows?Ask them to explain any answer over three.
How many unread messages do you have, and are you all right?Admit your own number.
If animals could text, which one would send the longest messages?Then ask which one would never reply.
If today were a flavor, what would it be?Send yours back, and ask again tomorrow.
If your front door had a sign on it today, what would it say?Draw the sign and send the drawing.
If your phone could sigh, when would it have sighed today?Sigh back in letters.
What are you pretending not to put off right now?Offer to put off something of your own in support.
What can you hear right now if you stop and listen?Listen for a moment yourself and send your list.
What did you nearly text me this week, and then didn't?Whatever it was, say you wish they had sent it.
What is the nearest yellow thing to you right now?Send yours first. No getting up to look.
Show all 150 messages (140 more)
A question out of nowhere, continued
What was the first thing you said out loud today?Tell them yours, even if it was to the cat.
What would a statue of you be doing?Describe the statue of yourself in return.
What would the trailer for your week show?Ask who does the voice-over.
What's a hill you would defend that doesn't matter at all?Take the other side for exactly three messages.
What's the last thing you laughed at on your own?Ask for the whole story, however small it sounds.
What's the last thing you looked up, and did you get an answer?Confess your own last search as well.
What's the latest photo on your phone? Describe it, don't send it.Guess what it shows, then ask to see it.
What's the latest thing you kept "just in case"?Ask what the case would have to be.
What's the most recent thing you were right about?Congratulate them, however small it was.
What's the oldest thing in your fridge? Be honest.Admit yours before they answer.
When did you last see a really good dog?Photos are welcome and descriptions are fine.
Which drawer in your home is the messiest, and what's in it?Ask for three items from the drawer.
Which month is the most overrated? Defend your answer.Take the month's side, whichever one it is.
Which of your shoes has been through the most?Ask for a photo of the shoe in question.
You've been handed a hedgehog. What's its name? Ten seconds.Time them. Late names still count if they are good.
A made-up headline 25
ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm bored. No further details at this time.Follow it with a dare or a question.
ARTS: Shower concert earns a standing ovation from one shampoo bottle.Name the song if they ask.
BREAKING: I found the other sock. Celebrations are planned.Follow it with a photo of the reunited pair.
CORRECTION: Earlier I said I was five minutes away. I was not.Send it once you have arrived.
DEVELOPING STORY: I've started cleaning my room. Experts are doubtful.Post updates as the story develops.
EXCLUSIVE: The leftovers were even better on the second day.Say what the leftovers were. People will ask.
FASHION: Same hoodie, third day. Critics call it "consistent".Swap in whatever you are wearing.
GOOD NEWS ROUNDUP: The bus came on time. That's the roundup.Swap in your own one good thing.
HEADLINE: Friend texts friend for no reason. Friend "delighted".For when you have nothing to report.
HISTORIC: I answered an email on the same day it arrived.Accept congratulations politely.
INVESTIGATION: Who ate the last cookie? I have some questions for myself.Close the case in a second message.
JUST IN: Nothing has happened, and sources say it's going great.Best on a slow afternoon.
LIVE: I'm standing in front of the fridge. No decisions yet.Ask them to decide for you.
LOCAL NEWS: Person makes sandwich, calls it "my best work yet".Attach the sandwich if it deserves it.
MISSING: One pen. Last seen exactly where I left it.Report back when it is found.
OPINION: Mondays are fine, and I will not be taking questions.Take one question anyway.
PUBLIC NOTICE: The plant has a new leaf. A ceremony will follow.Attach a photo of the leaf.
REVIEW: My nap. Four stars. Would nap again.Send it as soon as you wake up.
SCIENCE DESK: Study finds it is somehow Thursday already.Change the day to fit. It works on any of them.
SPORTS: I caught my phone before it hit the floor. The crowd goes wild.Send it within a minute of the catch.
TECH NEWS: I closed forty tabs today. My thoughts are with the tabs.Change the number to your own.
THIS JUST IN: I remembered why I walked into the room.Say what it was. They will want to know.
TRAFFIC UPDATE: The cat is in the doorway again. Expect delays.Works for a dog, a sibling or a laundry basket too.
TRAVEL: I went to the kitchen and back. A journey in three snacks.List the three snacks if asked.
WEATHER ALERT: A strong chance of me staying in tonight.Send it instead of "I'm tired".
A tiny dare 25
Dare: answer my next three texts in rhyme.Make the three texts hard to rhyme with.
Dare: describe a film badly, and I'll guess which one.One line only. Swap turns after each right guess.
Dare: describe your day so far in exactly four words.Count their words. Five is a forfeit.
Dare: draw me with your finger in under a minute and send it.Draw them back and compare the two.
Dare: invent a word, define it, and use it in a sentence.Use their word at least once this week.
Dare: let your keyboard finish this sentence for you: "My secret talent is".Tap the middle suggestion until it makes a sentence.
Dare: name five green things without looking up from your phone.Start counting the seconds the moment you send it.
Dare: no letter E in your next three messages.Ask questions that are hard to answer without one.
Dare: open the nearest book at page 20 and send me the first full sentence.Reply with a sentence from a book of your own.
Dare: reply as a very polite pirate.Keep it going for as long as they can stay in character.
Dare: reply using only words that start with the first letter of your name.Answer in the same style, with your own letter.
Dare: reply with only emoji, and I'll guess what your day was like.Type your guess as one full sentence.
Dare: say something nice about the nearest object.Ask what the object is only after the compliment.
Dare: send a photo of your shoes, with a title, as if it hung in a gallery.Reply with a review from an art critic.
Dare: send a voice note of you humming, and I'll guess the song.Take three guesses, then hum one back.
Dare: send me a photo of the sky where you are.Send yours back, so you have both skies side by side.
Dare: spell out the sound of your day in letters only.Reply with the sound of yours.
Dare: sum up the last thing you watched in five words.Guess what it was before you ask.
Dare: tell me a story in three texts. I'll write the ending.Write an ending that changes everything.
Dare: text me in capital letters for the next five minutes, calmly.Ask calm questions, such as what they had for breakfast.
Dare: text me one compliment for yourself. I'll add a second.Have the second one ready before you send the dare.
Dare: type your next message with your eyes closed and send it as it comes.Then try to read theirs out loud.
Dare: write a two-line poem about your lunch.Reply with a review of the poem, not of the lunch.
Dare: write your next message backwards.Answer backwards too.
Dare: write your order at a restaurant that doesn't exist.Reply as the waiter.
This or that 25
A big spoon or a small spoon for cereal?Be ready to be surprised by someone you thought you knew.
A book in your bag, or a phone in your hand while you wait?Send it from a waiting room or a slow line.
A hundred tabs open, or none?Ask how many they have open at this moment.
A period at the end of a text: always or never?Check how they punctuate the answer.
A thumbs up, or an actual reply?If they answer with a thumbs up, you have your answer.
all lowercase, or Proper Capital Letters?Look back at their last ten messages to check.
An umbrella, or just walk faster?Send it when the rain starts.
Call without warning, or text first?Then do whichever one they chose.
Crunchy leaves or fresh snow underfoot?A good one for the first cold morning.
Fold the pizza slice or leave it flat?Settle it over a pizza.
Group photo: front row, or hiding at the back?Remember the answer the next time someone lifts a camera.
Headphones in, or the sound of the street?Ask what is playing, or what the street sounds like.
One alarm, or seven in a row?Best sent in the morning, to someone who may still be asleep.
Pick the movie, or pick the snacks?Then make a date of it, with the jobs already handed out.
Read the last page first, or never?If they say "first", ask what else they have been hiding.
Reply in one second, or in three business days?See how long the answer takes to come.
The same seat every time, or wherever is free?Ask which seat, and why that one.
Send the photo now, or wait and show it in person?Then ask which photo they are sitting on.
Soup that's too hot, or ice cream that's too cold?There is no good answer, which is why it works.
Stairs two at a time, or one at a time like a sensible person?Whatever they pick, ask to see it next time.
Toast: barely warm or nearly burnt?Their answer goes on file for the next breakfast.
The top bunk or the bottom bunk?Ask for the reason. There is always a reason.
Voice note or a wall of text?Reply in the form they did not choose.
Wave at the bus driver, or pretend you can't see each other?Works for a neighbor across the street too.
Write the list or just remember? You won't remember.Good on the way to a shop.
For a group chat 20
Chat awards. Nominate someone here for "most likely to reply with one letter".Add a second award once the first is settled.
Chat census: where is everyone right now? Rooms only, no addresses."Kitchen", "bus" and "bed" all count.
Everybody name one good thing from today. Small things count double.Start it off with something very small.
Everyone send the last emoji you used. No context.Try to build one sentence out of all of them.
Everyone send the view from where you're sitting. No tidying first.Go first, so nobody feels shy about theirs.
Everyone type your own name with your elbow. Best spelling wins.Let the chat vote on the winner.
Good morning to everyone, and especially to whoever replies first.Greet the winner by name.
Group project: we write a story, one sentence each. I'll start. "The door was already open."Stop it after twenty sentences and read it back.
Hands up if you're also pretending to be busy right now.Count the hands and declare a break.
I'm declaring today a holiday in this chat. Suggest a name for it.Mark the winning name in your calendar for next year.
I'm starting a list of things this group could win a trophy for. One: being late.Ask each person to add one line.
Poll: which of us would last longest without a phone? Vote, then defend yourself.Count the votes after an hour.
Roll call. Reply with one word for how today is going.Give your own word last.
Speed round: one kind word each for the person who texted before you.Start with a word for the last person who wrote.
Tell us the last thing you ate without saying its name. The rest of us guess.The first right guess sets the next clue.
Testing, testing. Is this chat still switched on?For a chat that has been silent all day.
This chat needs a new name. Nominations are open for ten minutes.Count the votes and change the name on the spot.
Three true things about your week. Nobody has the energy for a lie.Reply to one thing from each person.
Vote: who brings the snacks next time? Not me.The last person to say "not me" brings them.
Whoever replies third chooses where we eat next time.Watch everyone wait to be third.
For your best friend 18
Don't reply to this. I only wanted your phone to buzz.For a day when you have nothing to say and want to say it.
Happy ordinary day. No reason. You crossed my mind and stayed there.Works on any day that is not a birthday.
I have news. It's not big news. It's barely news. Call me anyway.Have one small thing ready to tell them.
I'm writing the terms and conditions of this friendship. Clause one: you share your fries.Ask them to write clause two.
I've been saving a story for you. It gets better every hour I wait.Tell it out loud, not in a text.
I've decided we need a theme song. Submissions are open.Hum the winner the next time you meet.
If we had a secret handshake, what would the third move be?Build the whole handshake, one move per message.
Just so you know, you're still my first pick for every team.No reply needed. That is the point of it.
Rate my day from what you know about me. I'll tell you how close you got.Give them the real score and one detail.
Reminder: you're stuck with me. This has been your regular reminder.Send it again in a month, word for word.
Scheduling request: you, me, a sofa, no plans. When?Suggest two days so they can just pick one.
Tell me one thing about your day and I'll overreact to it.Keep the promise. Capital letters help.
Tell me the most boring thing that happened to you today. I want the full version.Ask a follow-up question as if it were thrilling.
Thank you for being the person I send things like this to.Send it right after something silly.
This is your sign to send me the silliest photo of the two of us.Reply with a sillier one.
Urgent in the smallest possible way: I need your opinion on two nearly identical shirts.Send both photos and take the advice.
What are we doing when we're ninety? I'm thinking of a porch.Add one detail to the porch each time it comes up.
You're in my top one friends. It's a short list and you're winning.Good after they have done you a favor.
For an email 12
Subject: A survey with one question. Are we overdue a catch-up? Yes / Also yes.Offer two dates under the survey.
Subject: Agenda for our next call. Item one: the dog. Item two: everything else.Leave item three blank for them.
Subject: Complaint. You've been too far away for too long. Please advise.Sign it "Yours, with some impatience".
Subject: Formal invitation to do nothing this weekend. Dress code: comfortable.Ask them to reply by Friday, formally.
Subject: Lost and found. Found: one free evening. Is it yours?Name the evening in the first line.
Subject: Minutes of a meeting that never happened. Present: me. Decisions: none.Add an agenda of three made-up items under it.
Subject: Newsletter, issue one. Top story: I finally bought stamps.Promise an issue two and see if they ask for it.
Subject: Out of office. I'm in the next room, but I'm not coming out.Send it on a day off.
Subject: Per my last text. Please see the text.Send it after a text has gone unanswered for a day.
Subject: Quarterly report on our friendship. Summary: strong growth, not enough visits.Add one chart, drawn badly.
Subject: Receipt for one favor, paid in full. Thank you for your business.Send it after you have returned a favor.
Subject: Reference request. Would you describe me as "fun"? Please reply yes.Thank them for the reference in a second email.
How this list was compiled: Written for this page on 2026-10-09: all 150 messages and the note under each are our own wording, and no list, book, film, show, song or site was copied. The seven groups are our own sorting: A question out of nowhere, A made-up headline (your day reported as news), A tiny dare, This or that, For a group chat, For your best friend and For an email (each opens with a subject line). House rules applied to every message: it is not an insult or a prank; none is about romance, anyone's body or anyone's faith; none asks for a password or an address; and every dare is something to type, draw, hum or photograph where you are. The note under a message says what to do after you send it. Compared on 2026-10-09 with every other list on this site: no message repeats a line of another list, and none of the text lines on our funny random stuff to say page is used again. Licence: Own work.