Ideas
Ideas for couples
220 small things to draw, write, send and do, sorted so you can find one that fits the next five minutes. None of them needs talent or money, and most take less time than deciding what to watch.
Cute things to draw for your boyfriend or girlfriend
Sixty easy drawings, from thirty-second doodles to inside jokes, that still read at widget size.
60 ideas →
Short love notes for your boyfriend or girlfriend
Sixty one-line notes sorted by moment: mornings, bad days, thank yous and time apart.
60 notes →
Couple widget ideas: what to send to your partner’s home screen
Fifty things to post, sorted by effort, for when the widget has gone quiet.
50 ideas →
Long distance date ideas
Fifty things to do together from different places, including relays for awkward time zones.
50 ideas →
Why small things, and why often
Relationships are kept up on the ordinary Tuesday, by whether anything happened on it to show that one of you was thinking about the other. A doodle does that. So does a two-line note, or a photo of a dog you passed.
The lists here are built around that scale. Each idea is something you can do now, with what you have, in the time it takes to make a cup of tea. Doing one a day matters more than doing a grand one in June.
If conversation is what has gone quiet, the questions for couples are the companion to these, and the question generator will pick one for you.
Frequently asked questions
How are these lists written?
By hand, for this site, and sorted by the situation each idea suits. Every list is meant to be used, so the ideas are short, specific and cheap to do. Anything that needs talent, money or an afternoon of planning has mostly been left out.
Do I need the HeartTap app to use them?
No. A drawing works on paper, a note works in a lunch bag, and a date idea works over any video call. The app makes some of them easier to send, since it puts a drawing, a note or a photo on your partner’s home screen, but nothing here depends on it.
Which list should we start with?
Whichever matches what has gone quiet. If your widget is showing an old photo, start with the widget ideas. If you are apart, the long distance dates. If you just want to make each other smile today, a drawing or a one-line note takes under a minute.
Put them on your home screen tonight
Free to download on iPhone and Android. Link with your partner in under a minute, then send your first photo, drawing or check-in.