Making Friends On Dating Apps

Many of these apps revolve around dating, but new developers have taken the concept of 'swiping right' for romantic matches and applied it to making friends. These Apps designed for 'friend making. Just as dating apps have helped to solve the dilemma of finding love in the digital age, apps to make friends are working to fill another void. For those looking for a new workout buddy or kindly neighbor to get coffee with on the weekends, try Bumble BFF.

• Non Dating Site Just Friends
• Making Friends On Dating Apps Free
• Is There A Dating Site For Making Friends

OkCupid is among the very few apps you can use that do not require a Facebook profile. Other than sharing photos, you can also impress potential matches with your stories. With a highly praised matching algorithm, OkCupid could be the perfect app if you’re seeking that special someone, and it is a widely used French dating app. May 13, 2021 Best friendship apps Bumble BFF. Naturally, the app that changed the world of online dating by having women take the lead would also take the. Vina is the women’s friendship app that helps you find new female friends. Simply swipe right to find your. What if you could make new.

When you move to a new city, especially as an adult, making friends may not be as easy as it once was. But, the good news? There are apps to help you make friends in a new city. After all, you're no longer getting assigned to a dorm room and to a roommate who will become your BFF for life; you're no longer in classes with people who will become your friends through a group project; and you're no longer in the city you grew up in, where you know everyone, everywhere. And if you work from home and/or freelance, you may not meet people as often as someone who works in a social office setting. So apps make the perfect making-new-friends companion, and all at the tap of a phone icon or few. Plus, if you and a potential friend end up not clicking, just like with dating apps, there will be other friend options available, so all is not lost.

While some social networking friend apps are geared toward group activities, others are focused on getting to know someone, aka your future friend(s), through one-on-one chats while still others match you in groups of three. Whatever the case may be, there probably is the right friend app out there for you, as long as you take the time to download some and give them a legit try. The best news is, the users seem vetted, so unlike taking your chances with a person who 'looks nice' that you meet out and about, the friend-focused apps promote a certain level of safety within them. Plus, they can save you time, as well as help you out if you're not the type of person to strike up conversations with random people IRL.

Here are seven apps to help you make friends in a new city, because the more outlets, the better.

Whether you're a workaholic and don't have much free time outside of the office to go to events to befriend people or you just want a new way of meeting people, PlusOne Social may be the app for you. Just like it sounds, you can find a 'plus one' so you don't have to have dinner alone — again — or someone to go on that hike you've been meaning to try. The app also sends you 20 friend suggestions every day, like having your very own friend curator.

And, yes, some apps that aren't dating apps subtly fall into that category, but with this app, you can specify that you're just looking for friends, so no need to have an awkward convo down the line if someone misunderstands your intentions on the app. In addition, you decide who can contact you on the app, so it's not a messaging free-for-all. You can also suggest an activity for people to join, which will help ensure that you're doing activities you love.

The app is currently available in the Bay Area in California, and will launch in Los Angeles and New York in the next few weeks.

PlusOne Social is free on iOS and Android.

When you are new to a city, or traveling to a new one for a week or two, Skout enables you to meet people all over the world. Safety first: You get to decide if, and when, you want to connect with someone. Whether you want a gym buddy or someone to meet for coffee this weekend, you can do as much 'Skouting' as you'd like to find the ideal people, i.e., your soon-to-be friends. Even if you want someone to meet up with in an hour, or a few minutes, the app lets you know who's nearby, which is another bonus. You can also see who viewed your profile and then connect with them... or not.

Skout is free and subscription-based, starting at $9.99, on iOS and Android.

There's a 'Tinder for moms' out there called Peanut. The prerequisite? Yep, being a mom! What a great idea, though, right? Moms can see what fellow moms they think they'll click with and start swiping —up to wave, i.e., like, and down if maybe later. Mutual waves then result in a match. Photos are pulled from Facebook so you can see how close, proximity-wise, your new mom friend is located. Moms do not have to share info about their kids on the app, since not everyone's into doing so, and can wait till they meet moms IRL first.

Moms using the app can also choose descriptors to describe themselves, such as 'Geek chic' or 'Fitness fiend.' Clever! Once moms start to match, they can message with another mom one-on-one or do a group chat to make plans, complete with the capability to suggest meetup times and create invites right through the app. Plus, fun fact: Peanut's Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Michelle Kennedy, is not only a mom herself, but also the former deputy CEO of the dating app Badoo and was on the board of Bumble — the latter of which she named, according to the Los Angeles Times.

To date, Peanut has launched in London, NYC, Dallas, Chicago, LA, and San Francisco, but I'm guessing more cities will be added.

Peanut is free on iOS and Android.

By using MeetMe, you can find people nearby to meet up with, so you could be checking out a new record store alone one minute, and with a new MeetMe friend the next. Of course, you can also plan an outing more in advance with others who share your interests, from going to see a new band to attending a yoga class together.

MeetMe is free on iOS, Android, and Windows 10.

However, MeetMe+ is their premium subscription service, which starts at $9.99 per month (and less per month if you sign up for 3 or 6 months).

You probably know all about Bumble as a dating app, wherein women make the first move in heterosexual pairings, but did you know you can use it to find friends, too? Yep, with Bumble BFF, you can... and will! The great thing about Bumble is that the app gets right to the point — once you match with someone, you have 24 hours to contact them, or else (hint: you can pay for features to extend this time frame). In turn, the person has 24 hours to respond. Nothing like a deadline to get you motivated to message, then meet, right? I met my last boyfriend on Bumble and we dated for a year, so I have a lot of faith in Bumble BFF, too. When you're in your Bumble's settings, you can decide if you want to look for potential dates, just BFFs, Bumble Bizz (their new networking feature), or 'everyone.' Genius!

Bumble is free on iOS and Android, but subscription packages are available if you'd like additional features.

If you want to use a friend-making app that doesn't match you up with one person, but with two others, We3 (formerly Me3) may be the one. The app stresses that it's not for dating, which I personally find very refreshing, because, let's face it, we don't need any awkwardness or weird tension when downloading a 'friend' app. How does it work? We3 promotes meeting friends of the same gender, and in groups of three, your 'tribe.' As for profiles, they're private unless you've matched with somebody, and the app's algorithm helps with that — they say that more than 150 factors help determine who you get matched with. Once you start matching with potential friends, you'll see what interests and beliefs you have in common, and you can go from there. To help get to know those interests, before the app matches you to people, you answer short quizzes about yourself (is anyone else thinking of OKC's questions right now, or is it just me?). But We3's quizzes also have another purpose — to help you learn more about yourself, so it's a win-win.

We3 is free on iOS and Android.

If you live in New York and are seeking new friends, GoFindFriends may be the app for you. When users register, they set up profiles (i.e., with photos and activities they'd like to do). Then, the platform uses an algorithm to match users with potential friends, based on people's personalities and interests and voilà — a new friend is made… or several! People can browse others' profiles, as well, and you can chat one-on-one or in groups. GoFindFriends also has a calendar of events online, from seeing Star Wars in Concert at Lincoln Center to meeting up to watch the Columbus Day Parade. Fun! The only caveat? The app is limited to people in their 20s and 30s.

GoFindFriends is free on iOS.

OK, the next time you say you have no one to go to 'x' or 'y' event with, think again and download one of the above apps. You never know!

These days, there seem to be apps for everything — dating, adventure-seekers, and book-lovers. There are apps to make friends, too. Perhaps you’ve tried Meetup groups, but they’re too intimidating or have too many members — you just want something more low-key. And, yes, you can “befriend” people on dating apps, but if the initial intent was to date, a “friend” from there may have ulterior motives. So, to cut to the chase and make some bona fide friends, the apps below can help.

ICYMI, the older you get, the more some of your lifelong friends get busy with other life things, like getting married, having kids, or moving across the country. Yep, they’re adulting. You are, too, though you may lose touch with them or see them less as your lives go different directions — even though you don’t want to replace them, per se, you also don’t want to stay inside alone… again.

Luckily, with a lot of the apps below, you can tailor them to your needs, whether you want to find a group of friends to go out with last-minute (via Tinder Social), fellow athletes to organize a beach volleyball game (via ATLETO), or find a new best friend (via Bumble BFF). You can even join an app for your dog to meet up with other dogs (via Meet My Dog). (Riiiight?) Whatever your friend needs may be, there’s probably an app for you, waiting for you to download it. Here are seven apps for meeting new friends.

Check out Bustle's 'Save The Date' and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

1. Tinder Social

Yep, now you can make friends on Tinder. The app launched Tinder Social, which allows users to form groups of friends (same-sex or co-ed, whichever you prefer) to match and meet up with other people’s groups of friends. But, it’s not just for daters. If you’re no longer on Tinder — i.e., you met someone — you can rejoin just for the new “social” aspect.

It reminds me a lot of Meetup groups, only way smaller ones that you hand-select. Once you form a group of 2-4 people, you assign a status to the group, like “Happy Hour, anyone?” or “Going to a concert tonight.” Then, just like with regular Tinder, let the matching begin. Once your group matches with another group, you can start messaging each other, which looks a lot like a group text. Then, just make plans to do something tonight — yep, tonight, since your group will expire at noon the next day.

2. ATLETO

Have you always wanted an app to meet fellow athletes and sports-lovers? Then ATLETO may have been made for you. Whether you want to find a running buddy — working out’s easier when you have a friend or person to hold you accountable, right? — or another person for a pick-up game of basketball, the options are endless. With over 40 sporting activities to choose from, like tennis, volleyball, and cycling, you'll find at least one you’ll like. You can either join an activity or host one.

Creating a profile’s simple, too, filling in info such as your workplace and sports club affiliations. Then, just start looking for like-minded sports aficionados based on their interest(s), location, and skill level. After meeting up with others, you rate them on a scale of one to five “knuckles,” an icon that looks like a fist, based on their athletic ability. (Yikes — I’d probably fail, unless personality counts!) This is to make sure you’re teaming up with people on a similar level as yourself, and the ratings are based on skill level, effort, and sportsmanship.

3. Bumble BFF

By now, you’ve probably heard of Bumble, the app where women make the first move in heterosexual matching and either person can make the first move with same-sex matching. The catch? It has to be done within 24 hours or else the match disappears. (I happen to be a big fan, as I met my boyfriend on it.) A few months ago, the app launched Bumble BFF, so those of us looking for a BFF, or maybe just some friends, can go on and find some. Just like when you’re in dating mode on the app, you “match” with potential friends based on their profiles.

Bumble itself has approximately three million users, and when the BFF app launched, there were one million swipes in the first week (!). That’s a lot of users looking for friends. Personally, I think this is a great idea. Last year, I relocated for family reasons, leaving most of my friends back in L.A. So what did I do? Joined Bumble BFF. The only caveat is that some people are on Bumble for dating and BFFs, so you may witness some sexy pictures meant for prospective dates, not friends.

Non Dating Site Just Friends

4. Meet My Dog

Have a dog and want to meet other dog-owners, and not just at the dog park or randomly on the street? Instead, why not randomly on an app? On your profile, you tell fellow users about yourself and your dog, posting pictures of you both. When you’re at a certain dog park, you can check in so all your new app friends now and you can have a play date, of sorts. Or, you can private message and have a one-on-one doggie date. Like other location-based apps, you can also see which dogs are nearby. You can also share info with other users, like vet or park advice, as well as post cute pics. And come on — who doesn’t like cute dog pics?!

5. Squad

Making Friends On Dating Apps Free

With Squad, you pick up to five Facebook friends to be part of your “squad,” which you can switch up anytime. Then, you create a group name and tagline, the latter meaning your goal — going to such-and-such bar tonight or a Mets game this weekend. Then, check out other squads and let the swiping left or right begin. Once you match with another squad, you have 24 hours to message and make plans. Oh, and instead of a bio, you describe yourself via three emojis (and you can still write a bio if you so choose) — which is awesome and so 2016.

6. CLIQ

Do you and a couple friends want to meet some new people IRL? Why not, huh? When you log onto CLIQ, you can then match with another group of friends. But first, you’ll pick out some topics you’re interested in. Then, the app takes over and sends you “Goodies” based on your interests — they’ll suggest things or places for you to check out. When you use the app’s “Huddle” feature, you can privately chat with members of your CLIQ, too. And, CLIQs can post status updates, photos, videos, and update where they are so their followers know.

7. Skout

With Skout, you can meet people near and far. Available in almost 200 countries, you can literally meet people all over the world. Teens and adults alike can use the app to make new friends or business contacts, then chat, exchange notes and photos, and send virtual gifts. Plus, you get to decide if, and when, you want to connect with someone. Whether you want a future gym partner or to meet up with a fellow writer for advice, Skout could be whatever you want it to be.

Is There A Dating Site For Making Friends

Images: Fotolia, Tinder ATLETO, Bumble, Meet My Dog, Squad, CLIQ, Skout