There are plenty of dating apps for those looking for romantic relationships, but platonic apps aren’t as common. If you’re looking for new friends or you’re moving to a new town, try one of these seven apps to help you make new friends.
BumbleBFF
While many people already use Bumble to find dates online, it has now morphed into another part of meeting new people. BumbleBFF operates mostly like the Bumble app does, but instead of helping those who are looking for romance, the app is for people exclusively looking for new friends. Just as with any app, some users of BumbleBFF are looking for things other than friendship, but the majority of people are on the app for legitimate reasons. Users of BumbleBFF offer pictures and a short profile that mentions their interests. Just swipe if you’re interested in pursuing a platonic relationship.
NextDoor
While many of these apps are focused on young professionals in a new city, NextDoor mostly markets to adults and parents. With NextDoor you can find out who your neighbors are without taking over baked goods or borrowing a cup of sugar. The app lets you find people in your neighborhood who also subscribe to the app so that you can evaluate them as potential friends. At the very least, you can become friendly with your neighbors instead of being complete strangers, even if you don’t ever become real friends.
Patook
Shared interests are important when cultivating a new friendship, but values are also a major component that many apps leave out. Patook is a friendship app that scores potential associations based on both interests and values. Download the app to an Android smartphone, fill out your profile including your interests and your values, and the app will score other people in the area, showing you people who match your interests and values.
HelloTalk
This app is significantly different from many of the other friend apps, because it matches individuals who speak a particular language or who want to learn a specific language. If you speak a language and want to hone your skills, or if you’re interested in learning a new language, HelloTalk matches you with others who might want to learn your language or to practice another language with you. If you’re in a new and diverse area, HelloTalk can help you meet friends based more on language than other interests.
Hey! Vina
With some apps, proximity is all the app considers before providing potential friend matches. Hey! Vina takes things a few steps farther by factoring quizzes and mutual friends into its algorithm as it helps you find potential friends. The creators of the app suggest that friends meet relatively quickly based on shared interests and proximity, and they push people to meet in person as soon as possible. It’s all a part of cultivating friendships offline, not dragging out the process online. The app even suggests potential friend dates based on nearby activities and mutual interests.
Wiith
Wiith is a little different from many friend-finding apps. Using Wiith, you set up a small event, and people nearby can ask to join your event. As the creator of the event, you can accept or reject requests to attend your event. This app takes the pressure from meeting a potential new friend one on one and allows a less stressful environment that includes several people. You can also ask to attend other users’ events if they interest you or if the people who will be attending seem to have similar interests.
HeyLets
While many apps focus on finding new friends, HeyLets focuses on activities to do with your new friends instead. HeyLets offers activities in the area and encourages people who are new to town to meet up for specific activities in the neighborhood for the chance to make new friends and discover things to do. HeyLets is for everyone, but it’s especially beneficial for those who are new to town and who want to meet new friends and try new things.
Making new friends is challenging, but fortunately there are plenty of apps that can help make the process a little easier.
