Meeting new people can be hard. Making new friends can be even harder. Especially, if you’ve just moved to a city, or have limited free time to go out and socialize.

In today’s digital age, however, there are easy and efficient ways of making new friends. In this article, we’ll be highlighting the best apps to meet people, so you can stop feeling lonely and start socializing with new (and potentially lifelong) friends!

Best Apps to Meet Friends

When you think of social apps, the first thing that comes to mind is most likely Tinder, Hinge, or one of those other dating apps. But there are actually many apps designed for friend-making and connecting people with similar interests and hobbies.

Here are some of the best friend-making apps for smartphones that you should try out:

MeetUp

If you’ve just moved to a new city or are in need of a different batch of friends, MeetUp is a great starting place. What separates this app from other friend apps is that it’s centered on making group friendship connections rather than individual ones.

MeetUp makes it easy for you to regularly connect with a group of people who have similar interests, such as writer’s clubs or running clubs.

What’s better is that meetup is free and easy to use! All you need to do is download the app, create an account, pick your city, and identify your interests to quickly find relevant meetups in your area.

Atleto

Are you an athlete or someone who enjoys sporting activities? If so, you may want to try out Atleto, an app centered on connecting people with athletic interests. With Atleto, you simply select the sports you’re interested in, and then request to join any scheduled games or sporting events happening in your area.

In no time, you’ll be able to go on long runs with new friends, participate in organized sports games, and have athletic friends to regularly spend time with.

Squad

Looking for a new squad or to become better friends with friends of friends or mutual acquaintances? Then download Squad! This app works by allowing users to create friend groups that they can add people to for socializing.

With Squad, you can quickly see what your friend group is up to, and easily send group messages to members at any time. This is a great way to get quickly introduced to a big pool of potential friends and to leverage existing friendships to build new ones.

Bumble BFF

Bumble no longer only entertains romantic relationships–it’s now a great place to build new friendships. The concept of Bumble BFF isn’t too different from typical Bumble. You swipe right on people you’d like to go on a friend date with and then chat and schedule friend dates from there.

And who knows, maybe that friend connection will turn into a romantic one!

Chatlines

Not exactly sure what you’re looking for, whether that be a new friend, casual date, or lifelong partner? Chatlines may be a great place to start! This website provides users with a fun, safe, and convenient way to connect with people over chatlines. It’s great for people who may not be looking to meet in person just yet, or who don’t have the time to do that because of their busy schedule.

Tinder Social

Like Bumble, Tinder has introduced a new experience designed to create friendships. You swipe right on the people you think you’d be good friends with, and left on those you don’t, just like standard Tinder. What’s great about Tinder social is you can connect with people of either gender, so you can have a more diverse friend pool.

With this app, you can easily meet new people and quickly plan social outings together. You can also meet other new and interesting people who are moving to town and looking for friends just like you.

Vina

If you’re a lady looking to make female friends, Vina is a great app to go (sorry guys, this app is strictly for women). Vina’s mission is to build a community of women who can support and inspire one another and empower strong female friendships. Vina matches you with women who have the same job, hobbies, or interests as you so that you can meet people you’re more likely to connect with.

Real

One of the biggest criticisms of dating and social apps is that they prioritize physical appearance over everything else. Real is the exception. This app has users swipe on personality and interests, not appearance, so users don’t actually know what the other person looks like until they’ve matched.

This app also doesn’t allow you to set gender or sexuality preference options, as it defeats the purpose of the app, which is to create a community of more openminded individuals. Real is a great app for people who are over superficial connections and who care more about what the person is like than what they look like.

Meet My Dog

Have a dog? Well, that just may be your ticket to making new friends! Meet My Dog is an app designed to help people meet other dog-owners. On your profile, you share details about and photos of you and your dog and check in whenever you’re visiting a local dog park.

This app makes it easy to schedule group doggy dates and send private messages to people you’d like to know better. It’s also a great way to get insights from other dog owners on things like vet or park advice. And even if you don’t make friends, you’ll have access to cute dog pics, and who doesn’t love cute dog pics?

CLIQ

Did you just move to a new city with a significant other, or do you have another friend who is also looking to make more meaningful connections? If so, check out Cliq! This app asks you to select some topics you’re interested in and then suggests friend activities and events to check out based on your selection.

This app also has a “Huddle” feature, which lets you privately chat with members of your click. You can also share group photos, videos, and updates, so you can all stay connected.

Final Thoughts on Friend Apps

Making friends can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be! With these apps to meet people, you can and should feel empowered to get out there and meet people with similar interests as you! If you try out these apps, you’ll have new friends in no time.

Have you tried out any of these friend apps? Know of any we didn’t include? Contact us and let us know what you think