25 Voice Note Prompts for Your First Message

You matched. Now what? "Hi" gets ignored and "How are you?" leads nowhere. A voice note with a good question gets a real answer, and it lets your personality come through from the first message. Here are 25 voice note prompts to start a conversation, grouped by mood.

Why start with a voice note?

Text is easy to misread and easy to ignore. A voice note shows effort, warmth and personality. It tells your match you're a real person who took a moment for them. And it invites them to reply in kind — which often leads to much better conversations. Read more about voice notes vs texting.

The best prompts are easy to answer, a bit specific, and open enough to lead somewhere.

Playful prompts

Light, fun and good for breaking the ice.

1. "Settle a debate for me: jollof rice — party jollof or home jollof? Defend your answer."
2. "What's the most Nigerian thing you've done this week?"
3. "If you could only eat one swallow for the rest of your life, which one — and why is it amala?"
4. "Describe your perfect lazy Sunday in fifteen seconds. Go."
5. "What song would play when you walk into a room?"
6. "Which Nollywood character are you most like? Be honest."
7. "Tell me your most useless talent. I'll tell you mine."

Curious prompts

For getting to know someone a little better.

1. "What's something you're really excited about right now?"
2. "What does a great weekend look like for you?"
3. "If you had a free day tomorrow with no responsibilities, what would you do?"
4. "What's a place in Nigeria you think everyone should visit?"
5. "What's the best thing you've learned in the last year?"
6. "Who's the person who makes you laugh the most, and why?"
7. "What's something people are always surprised to find out about you?"

Based on their profile

The best prompts are personal. Use their voice note, photos or bio as a starting point.

1. "Your voice note made me laugh — what's the story behind [thing they mentioned]?"
2. "I see you're into [interest]. How did you get into it?"
3. "You said you're looking for something serious — what does that mean to you?"
4. "Is that [place] in your photo? I've always wanted to go — worth it?"
5. "You mentioned [food/music/hobby]. What's your top recommendation?"

Deeper prompts

Save these for once you've exchanged a few messages.

1. "What does a good relationship look like to you?"
2. "What's something you've changed your mind about as you've grown older?"
3. "What do your friends come to you for?"
4. "What are you most proud of that isn't on a CV?"
5. "What's one thing you'd love to do in the next five years?"
6. "What made you decide to try Baejá?"

Tips for recording your prompt

• Keep it short. Aim for 15 to 30 seconds. Long monologues can overwhelm a first message.
• Answer your own question. "Mine is party jollof, obviously — what's yours?" It makes it easier for them to reply.
• Smile while you speak. People can hear it.
• Record in a quiet place so your voice comes through clearly.
• Be yourself. A bit of humour, a bit of Pidgin, a laugh — all of it helps.

For more on recording a great voice note, read our guide on how to record a dating voice note.

What if they reply with text?

That's fine. Not everyone is comfortable with voice notes straight away. Reply in whatever format keeps the conversation flowing, and try another voice note later. Some people warm up to it once they hear you're relaxed about it.

Keeping the conversation going

A great first message is only the start. To keep things interesting, ask follow-up questions, share a little about yourself, and suggest doing something together — a game, a call or, eventually, a date. Our guides on how to keep a conversation going and conversation starters that aren't "hi" have more ideas.

On Baejá, matched members can also play games together in chat — Vibe Check, Two Truths & a Lie and more — which is another easy way to break the ice.

Ready to start talking?

On Baejá, every profile leads with a voice, so starting a conversation with one feels natural. Join Baejá and send your first voice note today.