How pen pal matching works on Roost
Turn on Pen Pals, fill in a short pen pal profile, and Roost suggests people to write to. You both have to accept before the first letter goes out.
Your pen pal profile is a postcard prompt, a few interests and your city. You also verify your phone number. Pen pals stay separate from your friends list unless one of you sends a friend request later.
Pen pals are anonymous and one to one. Your pen pal sees your city area, never your precise location. Roost Supporters can also choose which countries their pen pals come from.
Staying safe with a pen pal
Roost’s pen pal letters are designed to be slow, low-stakes and safe. Here’s how:
- Matched by age group. Pen pals are matched within three groups: 13 to 15, 16 to 17, and adults. Minors are never matched with adults.
- Moderated before delivery. Every letter is checked before it’s delivered.
- No photos or contact info. Letters can’t include links, social handles, phone numbers, emails or exact locations.
- You’re in control. Block, report or unmatch anytime. The other person isn’t told when you block or report them.
There’s more about how Roost protects younger users on our Child Safety Standards page.
Why letters take time
On Roost, every letter is carried by a virtual bird, snail or turtle, so it takes as long as the trip. A letter across town can arrive in minutes. A letter to a pen pal on another continent can take days. You see the trip time before you send.
That wait is part of the point. With nobody expecting an instant reply, you can take your time and write something worth reading. The first time a bird reaches a new country, it can earn a Passport stamp, so your letters leave a record of where they’ve been.
This is slow messaging, and it’s what makes Roost different from a chat app.
What to write in your first letter
A first letter doesn’t need to be long. It needs to give your pen pal something to answer. Say who you are, share one detail from your day, and ask one or two questions they’ll enjoy replying to.
Introduce yourself
- What’s the view from where you’re writing right now?
- What’s something about your city that visitors always get wrong?
- What are you into lately: a show, a song, a hobby you picked up?
- Why did you decide to get a pen pal?
Ask about their day
- What did you eat today that you’d recommend to a stranger?
- What’s the weather doing where you are?
- What’s a small thing that made your week better?
- What does a normal weekend look like for you?
Go a little deeper
- What’s a tradition from your family or your country that you love?
- Where would you go if you could send yourself anywhere by bird?
- What’s something you’re looking forward to this year?
- What’s a word in your language that doesn’t translate well?
A few good habits
- Keep personal details to yourself: no address, phone number, school or workplace.
- Stay on Roost rather than moving to another app, especially early on.
- Answer their questions, then add one of your own. That’s how letters keep going.
- If something feels off, block or report. You don’t owe anyone a reply.