Find a Friendship: 16+ Best Apps to Find Friends [2023]
Wellness
The fast pace of today’s world can make it quite challenging to find a friendship. Fortunately, the modern age has produced accessible technology designed to help us meet kindred spirits and create lasting connections at any age.
This article will review some of the best apps to find friends and build meaningful connections that support our social, mental, and physical health.
Why is it so important to find friendships as we age?
As we age, cultivating friendships becomes increasingly integral to social health and overall well-being. Friendships can eb and flow and social circles can change, but strong connections with others offer a sense of belonging, combat isolation and loneliness, and provide emotional support.
Whether an individual is experiencing life changes or just going about daily life, friendships contribute to better mental, emotional, and physical health. Regular engagement with friends can inspire growth and exploration, and bring an added richness to life.
Best Apps to Find Friends
Social platforms and apps can be a great way to build connections. We’ve compiled a list of top-notch apps that can alleviate some of the difficulty that comes with searching for like-minded individuals and creating lasting friendships.
1. Televeda
Televeda is an award-winning platform that’s created a friendly, safe, and welcoming community for lifelong learners. We make it simple and easy to find expert workshops and events hosted by local and national community centers. Sign up in less than two minutes and join a range of virtual classes from online bingo to creative writing to chair yoga.
Televeda is where older adults go when they want more perspectives, more exploration, and more connections in a like-minded community. Join the easiest, safest, and most welcoming community to learn new things!
Pricing: Free!
Televeda virtual lobby
Best For: Televeda is best for older adults looking to connect online.
Meetup is a social networking platform that focuses on using shared interests as a basis for facilitating in-person gatherings and events. The app has millions of members across the globe, allowing users with similar interests to meet up at local events, gatherings, and social activities. It is up to users to then build a friendship off of these connections.
Whether your hobbies are photography, hiking, tech, book clubs, or another interest, Meetup most likely has upcoming opportunities to offer. With its user-friendly interface and extensive search options, Meetup provides a convenient and accessible way to connect with people who share your interests.
Pricing: Free to join, with an optional premium subscription. Events may have fees.
Best For: Meeting new people in person.
3. Bumble BFF
A branch of Bumble, a popular dating app, Bumble BFF is an app designed for individuals seeking friendships. Users build a profile that exhibits their interests and personality, which other users then get to observe. Similar to Bumble, on Bumble BFF, users then swipe left or right—no or yes—on the profiles that Bumble BFF sends their way.
When a user swipes right on another user and that other user swipes right on the original user’s profile, the two match and can get to chatting!
Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases
Best For: Younger people seeking new friends in a safe and supportive environment.
4. Nextdoor
While global networking apps provide some great opportunities to meet a wide range of people, meeting people within your local community is also a great way to make friends. Helping users do just that, Nextdoor is a private social platform designed to give neighbors a platform for discussion. People within the same neighborhood can chat, discuss local happenings, arrange meetups, and more.
Nextdoor fosters a sense of unity and community and serves as somewhat of a virtual community bulletin board. The app even has features such as neighborhood crime alerts, so users can truly feel an enhanced level of safety and engagement with their community.
Pricing: Free
Best For: Building friendships within your neighborhood.
5. Friender
Combining multiple features of other popular apps, Friender matches its users based on common interests and personality traits. Users create profiles highlighting their hobbies, preferences, and personality traits and then get to browse other profiles and strike up conversation with potential friends.
The app offers a range of filters and search options so users can have pretty specific friendship criteria. Friender aims to facilitate meaningful friendships by connecting users with common interests and encouraging genuine interactions.
Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases.
Best For: Finding people who are like-minded or share your interests.
6. Facebook Groups
Created by Facebook, Facebook Groups are online interest-based communities where users with common interests can connect and engage in discussions. Facebook Groups are not just limited to hobbies: users can explore a vast range of groups covering professional networking, parenting, relationships, and many other aspects of life in which users may want to find fellowships.
From an Instant Pot group to an I Hate Cucumbers group, there is almost certainly a Facebook Group for any niche. And if not, you can make a new group!
Best For: Joining niche groups to meet people with specific interests.
7. Hey! VINA
Hey! VINA is a social networking app designed exclusively for women to find new friends and expand their social circles in a woman-only setting. The app has fun quizzes and profile categories that cater to women, so users can enjoy creating a unique and in-depth profile of themselves. The app interface is swipe-based like many popular dating apps, so users can browse profiles and initiate conversation with other women.
Providing a safe and empowering space to forge new friendships and create lasting bonds, Hey! VINA fosters a sense of belonging by connecting women with similar lifestyles and aspirations.
Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases
Best For: Women seeking to build friendships in a space exclusively for women.
8. Nearify
Nearify alerts users to local events, concerts, and activities at which users can meet new people with shared interests. With its user-friendly interface and personalized recommendations, Nearify makes it easy to find exciting events related to a range of interests and hobbies.
Show up to the event, and you already have a mutual interest to talk about with other guests! Whether you are looking for a lively concert or a cultural gathering, Nearify can serve as your go-to app for finding events in your area.
Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases. Events may have fees.
Best For: Meeting people in person at local events.
9. We3
We3 gets a sense of users’ personalities in order to match compatible users in groups of three so that users can chat and meet up. Users get started by setting up a profile consisting of their values, interests, life experiences, and more, so that the app’s intelligent algorithm can match users to similar profiles. The app is specifically designed to match users in groups of three, referred to as “Tribes.”
Providing icebreakers and guided questions, We3 encourages users to engage in thought-provoking discussion and to discover the deep compatibility that the app’s algorithm suspects exists.
Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases.
Best For: Meeting two friends at once with guided discussion.
10. Skout
Skout is a global social networking app that helps users meet new people and expand their social circle both in numbers and geographically. The app’s intuitive interface allows users to easily browse profiles, chat, and share photos with potential matches. Skout offers unique features such as Shake to Chat: users shake their devices and the app then connects users with another random user for spontaneous conversation.
Skout provides a platform to expand your social network and engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases.
Best For: Meeting foreign friends online and engaging with people of other cultures.
11. Wink
Another app on which users swipe left or right on profiles, Wink presents user profiles who share at least one common interest. With Wink, users can create profiles, browse other profiles, and initiate conversations with potential friends through text or voice chat.
Users can maintain all conversation in Wink or switch to Snapchat—a popular multimedia messaging app—to continue chatting. Whether you’re looking to expand your social circle, find travel buddies, or simply connect with interesting individuals, Wink can facilitate genuine connections.
Pricing: Free
Best For: Younger people looking to meet others with shared interests.
12. Slowly
In the digital age, Slowly is a unique pen pal app that brings back the joy of traditional letter writing. Users get set up by picking a nickname and an avatar to their in-app identities, and then Slowly introduces users who share similar interests. From there, users can write digital messages to each other. Although the messages are digital, Slowly mimics the experience of snail mail by sending the virtual letters at a very delayed rate.
Additionally, Slowly allows users to interact with each other without needing to reveal any personal information, so anyone can get to writing, regardless of whether the notion of sharing real identities is unappealing.
Pricing: Free
Best For: Finding a pen pal without needing to reveal your identity or picture.
13. AminoApps
Big fan of a certain artist, musician, TV show, or more? Amino apps most likely has a mobile community dedicated to your interest. Anyone can hop on this platform and join communities ranging from metal music to DIY crafting. Users are from around the world, all chatting, blogging, answering polls, and more to engage in discussion regarding the things they love.
Pricing: Free to join
Best For: Discussing your interests with like-minded people
14. LMK
Perhaps catering more towards extroverts, LMK is a social networking app that prompts users to text and join voice chats within the app so that users can engage in verbal discussion without sharing phone numbers. This app can be a great option for those who prefer phone calls to texting.
Whether you’re looking to have engaging conversations, connect with like-minded individuals, or simply enjoy a spontaneous voice chat, LMK offers a great platform to interact and build connections in real-time.
Pricing: Free
Best For: Making friends through text and voice chatting without needing to share identity or phone numbers.
15. Hoop
Hoop, also connected with Snapchat, helps users meet others with shared interests and activities. This social networking app, like many others, allows users to make new friends and connect with people worldwide through a swipe-based interface. The app also offers users the ability to chat and video call so users can expand their social circles.
Check out Hoop to discover networking opportunities, connect with new friends, or simply have some discussions with interesting people.
Pricing: Free with optional in-app purchases.
Best For: Connecting with others who have mutual interests.
16. MeetMe
MeetMe helps users discover new local people or people from around the world. Users can browse through profiles, engage in chat conversations, and share photos with others. Additionally, the app offers features such as live video streaming, virtual gifting, and games, so users have several ways to connect.
MeetMe offers a diverse and dynamic space to meet and interact with people from various backgrounds and locations, including your local community.
Pricing: Free with optional in-app premium subscription
Best For: Meeting people who live nearby.
Remember, each app offers unique features and focuses, so make sure to start out trying apps that align with your preferences and goals!
Other Ways to Find Friendships
The online approach to making friendships is a great option, but it is not the only choice we have in today’s age! The ability to form in-person friendships can still be alive today if you know how to find them. Though virtual connections are fantastic, here are some great ways for older adults to meet others without the help of a device.
1. Join community groups and clubs
Participate in local community groups, clubs, or organizations that align with your interests or hobbies. Whether it’s a book club, art class, or a dog-owner meetup, these gatherings provide an opportunity for people with mutual interests to form friendships.
2. Ask a friend to set you up on a platonic date
Even the closest of friends are often involved in different social circles or simply have different acquaintances. Ask a friend or two if they know someone with whom they think you could be compatible, and have them set you up to spend some time with that other person! Sometimes our own friends know who we’ll mesh well with better than we do.
3. Engage in community events and workshops
Whether you choose to volunteer or simply attend local events or workshops, being present in the community opens doors to meeting others and forming relationships with all sorts of people.
The Best Way to Find a Friendship
Building friendships takes time and effort, but by being open to new experiences and engaging with others in your community you can create meaningful connections that enrich your life.
Not sure where to start? Attend an online event through Televeda! Televeda is a safe space for individuals to share stories and experiences, enjoy life events, and learn new things in an inclusive atmosphere.
Members have been known to make lifelong friends here. Will you be next?
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