There are many apps and websites for making new friends, but which are the best? In this list, we’re going through them and their pros and cons. We only cover apps for making platonic friends.
If you’re more into computers than smartphones, you might like to check this list with the best websites to make friends.
Best apps overall
Best apps for finding friends nearby
Best apps to find friends worldwide
Best apps based on interest
Best apps for teens
Best general apps that can also be used to find friends
These apps are all free, simple to use, and have positive reviews. For greater success, try several apps rather than just one or two. Don’t be too disheartened if you don’t have many good conversations. It may take a while to find someone you connect with.
Here are the best apps for making friends:
Best overall
Bumble BFF works like Tinder or the Bumble dating app, but it’s for finding friends rather than people to date. The app has a large user base, which gives you a good chance of finding like-minded people. You can also filter other users by interests.
When you join an app like BumbleBFF, write a profile that gives other users a sense of your personality and hobbies. It can also help to mention the type of person you want to meet.
For example, you might write, “Looking for local rock climbing and running buddies” or “I’d love to meet people who want to talk about politics and philosophy.” By giving other users a brief overview of what you’re looking for, you’ll make it easier for them to start a conversation with you.
Total users estimate: Bumble doesn’t report how many people use Bumble BFF specifically. The Bumble app (Including dating) has 45M users. If we were to estimate, BFF likely has the most users on the list.
Best for finding groups of like-minded people
Meetup isn’t a typical friendship app. However, it’s on this list because it’s one of the most popular apps and websites for making new friends and professional connections. The app doesn’t match you with other users directly or allow you to filter other members’ profiles.
Instead, the app helps you find groups (both in person and online) that match your interests. If you can’t find any groups that appeal to you, you can set up your own.
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Total users estimate: 20 million
Best for teens
Like Yobu, this app is for teens. However, more like Bumble, Wink allows you to filter potential friends by swiping left or right on their profiles. You can then message your matches, and if you’re willing to verify your identity on your profile, you can also make audio and video calls. If you’re stuck for something to say, try the in-app icebreaker games to start fun conversations.
Total users estimate: 8 million
Best for finding a friendship-group
If you find one-on-one conversations intimidating, you might prefer We3’s approach. When you sign up, the app will ask you to fill out in-depth personality questionnaires. Based on your answers, it will then match you with 2 potential friends, and your group can then begin talking to each other.
Total users estimate: 800 000
Best for finding an online penpal
If you like the idea of getting to know someone through letters, try Slowly. When you join, the app matches you with penpals from around the world. You and your matches can get to know each other by sending virtual “letters.”
Unlike instant messages or texts, letters don’t arrive immediately; the further apart you live, the longer the letters will take to be “delivered.” If you prefer to take your time when making online friends, the Slowly app could be a great choice.
Total users estimate: 1.5 million
Best to find someone to chat with
Friended. Everyone’s on the app for the same reason— they want someone to talk to. It differs from traditional friend-making apps such as Bumble BFF in that it’s more about talking to like-minded people than meeting up in real life. OBS: This app is iPhone only.
Total users estimate: 200 000
Best to find friends in your neighborhood
Nextdoor connects you with people in your neighborhood. You can also use the app to buy and sell items. If you’ve recently moved to a new area, Nextdoor could help you get to know people nearby that can eventually become friends.
Total users estimate: 15 million
Best to find drinking buddies
Untappd lets you browse different kinds of beers, nearby bars, and breweries that you could visit. While it has a smaller user base than for example Bumble BFF, there’s an advantage to connecting through a mutual interest.
Total users estimate: 1.5 million
For mothers and to-be mothers
Peanut was originally designed to connect moms and moms-to-be. The app has since expanded its audience to include women who are trying to start a family and those going through menopause. Peanut has a Tinder-like interface, where you swipe left or right on other members. The app has decent reviews. To keep the app a safe space, all members have to provide ID when signing up.
Total users estimate: 1.5 million
Best for teens
Yubo has two communities: one for teens aged 13-17, and one for adults aged 18 and over. The app allows you to interact with other users via group chats, live streams, games, and video calls. You can also join communities based on shared interests.
There are reports of many users looking for sex. If you run into issues with this, it can be better to use Wink or Bumble BFF where you have to match for someone to be able to contact you.
Total users estimate: 15 million users
Best if you use Snapchat
Swipr is for teens who use Snapchat. It has a great rating and has therefore replaced our previous snapchat recommendation “LMK”.
Total users estimate: 1.2 million users
Best for widest reach
Instagram to this list since it’s a great app for finding like-minded people. You can look for tags related to your interests (e.g., #pottery) and search for people in your area to follow. It’s natural and ‘socially acceptable’ to comment under someone’s pictures and develop a friendship that way. Yes, it’s not a dedicated friendship app, but no other app except for TikTok will give you the same reach.
Users: 1.5 billion
If you’re comfortable being on camera
TikTok isn’t primarily a friend-making app, but don’t discount developing friendships through commenting on posts of people you like.
Users: 1.5 billion
Best for finding communities
Discord is home to millions of servers where members can gather and form communities. Although the app was originally a favorite among gamers, it now has a more diverse user base. Many of these communities are public, so you’ll probably be able to join at least a few that match your interests. When you find people you click with, you can get to know them over text, audio, or video chat. You can find servers related to your interest here.
Users: 300 million
Best for gamers:
Twitch is a video streaming app that’s particularly popular with gamers, but some channels cover different interests, including art, design, and music. You can chat with other users in public chats or via direct messages while you watch. If you find it difficult to keep an online conversation going, Twitch might be a great choice because you can always talk about what you’re watching.
Users: 140 million
An alternative to Yubo
Hoop is another app for teens, similar to Yubo. It has decent reviews, but like Yubo seems plagued with users looking for sex.
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Estimated users: 10 million
You can also make friends online by joining online communities, such as forums. These places aren’t designed specifically for making friends, but they can be just as effective for getting to know new people. For example, you could look for friends on subreddits and Facebook interest groups.
These apps are sometimes mentioned in other articles on how to make friends online. However, we don’t recommend them because they either have too few users, are frequently misused, have lots of bad reviews, or were originally designed for purposes other than making friends, such as professional networking.
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David Morin is the founder of SocialSelf. He's been writing about social skills since 2012. Follow on Twitter or read more.