The interdisciplinary field of relatedness technologies explores the use of technologies to support interaction and communication among people physically separated. While previous literature has considered psychological strategies and design factors for relatedness technologies for a wide range of target groups, less attention has been brought to long-distance friendships and many developments are still not yet adopted into everyday use. In this paper, we present six themes addressed when designing relatedness technologies for long-distance friendships. The themes are based on a thematic analysis of concepts and prototypes created in university courses and design workshops. By mimicking behaviors enacted in co-located friendships, such as effortless communication alongside routines, determining the optimal time to reach out to distant friends or granting them space in one’s home, these themes reflect needs that the use of technologies can fulfill. Themes such as the request for joint activities and being aware of a friend’s state can confirm prior literature.