How it works, start to finish

1. 00:00

   You open the page

   There is no form in front of you. You are not asked for an email, a photo or a description of yourself, and you are not asked to wait for anyone to accept you.

2. 00:02

   You pick a mode

   Video, voice or text. This is the one decision you make, and you make it now — before matching, not during. Text and voice do not need a camera at all; video needs camera access before it can start.

3. 00:05

   You get put in the queue

   Nothing to do here. You are not browsing profiles and you are not being ranked against anyone. The system pairs two people who both pressed start.

4. 00:20

   Someone is on the other side

   Typical wait is somewhere between 5 and 20 seconds. Whoever it is, they went through exactly the same three steps you just did.

5. —

   You talk, or you skip

   If it is going nowhere, skip. That is the normal move here, not a rude one, and it works in both directions. The next person is a couple of seconds away.

Skipping is the main control

Most sites bury the exit. Here it is the button you will use most, and using it does not require a reason or a goodbye. It works the same for the person opposite you, which is worth remembering the first time someone skips you eight seconds in — it is not personal, it is just how the format moves.

Skipping is not the same as blocking. Skip moves you on; block is permanent and lives on the other person's profile page. Once you block someone, they will not be matched to you again. How that works.