Couple activities
Long-Distance Couple Activities You Can Actually Do Together
A video call is communication; a shared activity is doing something together. The activities below are things you can both do at the same moment, from sketching each other to taking a four-photo strip in an online photo booth.
Why shared activities matter
Long-distance couples usually have plenty of conversation and very little shared experience. When you only talk, every call feels like the one before it. When you do something together, you get a story you can refer to later: that night we tried to cook paella, the time we drew each other.
Shared activities also take pressure off. You do not have to find something to say if you are both busy doing something. If you want more structured plans, see our long-distance date ideas.
Creative activities
01
Draw each other
Spend ten minutes drawing your partner from the call, then show the results at the same time. The worse the drawings, the better the story.
02
Build a shared scrapbook
Start one shared folder or note and add a photo, ticket or screenshot each week. By the end of the year you have a record of the relationship that happened online.
03
Write a story one line at a time
Take turns adding a line to a story, with no planning and no editing, then read it back out loud.
Romantic activities
01
A candlelit dinner on both sides
Cook, dress up a little, and eat on the call as if you had booked a table.
02
Stargazing together
Go outside at the same time, if the weather agrees, and describe what you can each see. A sky map app helps if you want to name things.
03
Read one chapter to each other
Pick a book and read a chapter aloud on each call. It feels like being read to, and it gives you something to look forward to.
Competitive and playful activities
01
A quiz with a forfeit
Write ten questions about each other, score the answers and agree on a silly forfeit for the loser.
02
Online co-op or board games
Pick something simple that fits on a phone or browser. Co-op games work well because you are on the same side.
03
Scavenger hunt at home
Call out an object, such as something blue or something older than you, and race to bring it to the camera first.
Memory-making activities
01
Take a photo strip together
The result is a small keepsake of the moment you both did it. See the next section for how that works.
02
Make a time capsule
Each of you writes a letter to open on the day you are next together, and you swap photos for the folder.
03
Keep a ‘first time’ list
Write down things you want to do together for the first time: first trip, first meal, first morning. Tick them off.
One small thing to repeat
A shared photo booth as a ritual
Next To You is an online photo booth for long-distance couples. Two people in different locations join the same booth, share a countdown, take four photos together and keep the same photo strip. It is short enough to repeat on birthdays, anniversaries or just a Friday, and each time you add one more strip to the collection.
| Video call | Shared photo booth | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Communication. | A shared activity. |
| Structure | Open-ended. | A countdown and four photos. |
| Afterwards | Nothing to keep. | The same photo strip for both of you. |
Read how it works on the long-distance photo booth page. If the strip is for someone, it also fits in our long-distance gift ideas.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Is Next To You a replacement for a video call?
- No. A video call is for talking. Next To You is a shared activity: you do one specific thing together, take four photos, and leave with something to keep. Many couples will use it alongside a call, not instead of one.
- How does the shared photo booth work?
- One person opens a booth and sends the invite link. The partner joins from their own device. The person who opened the booth picks a frame, both people see a 3-2-1 countdown, and four photos are taken with a short pause between shots to change pose. Both of you then get the finished strip.
- Can couples use Next To You from different countries?
- Yes. Next To You does not limit which countries the two people are in. You need a camera, a modern browser and an internet connection on both sides. Because the booth is live, you do need to be online at the same time, so pick a time that works across your time zones.
- How many photos are taken in one booth session?
- Four. Each photo starts with a 3-2-1 countdown that both people see at the same time, and there is a short pause between photos so you can change pose.
Keep exploring
Be first to enter the booth
Take a photo strip together, even when you’re miles apart. Join early access and we’ll invite you when the first booths open.