15 of the Best Friendship Apps, Because We All Know Making Friends as an Adult Is Hard

Thinking back to kindergarten, you might remember becoming fast friends with other kids often. But let's face it: making new friends has never been easy. And as an adult? It couldn’t seem any harder. And throughout our various careers and life transitions, many of us have also moved to new cities, meaning we have to also from from friendship ground zero. While we have best friends or great friends from high school or college, it's hard to feel like you have friends when they don't live in your city.

Just like online dating has changed how someone might meet their future spouse, friendship apps have become the new way to make friends in no time. If you’re looking to find new friends in a pinch, here are the 15 best friendship apps worth exploring.

Related: 101 Best Friend Quotes to Celebrate Your BFF's Friendship

15 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 lead on helping people form new friendships. Through the Bumble app, there's Bumble BFF mode which helps you "match" with people and make new friends when you move to a new city or expand your current friend circle at home. You can now even find your next career mentor by using Bumble Bizz to network with industry contacts, which might lead you to your next big career move. (iOs, Android, free with in-app purchases)

Hey! VINA

Hey! Vina is the women’s friendship app that helps you find new female friends. Simply swipe right to find your new BFF. Made for women, by women, this app lets ladies take lighthearted personality quizzes to find friends they’ll be compatible with or join communities of like-minded women, like yogis or working moms. (iOs, Android, free with in-app purchases).

Bottled

Have you ever thought of how mysterious and fun the concept of leaving a message in a bottle at sea is? What if someone finds your message and finds you someday? Well, with Bottled, you can use your phone as a modern-day version of this. Send your bottled message off to someone somewhere in the world and if they accept it, you can start chatting. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases starting at $0.99)

Weworld

What if you could make new friends virtually and travel the world at the same time? With the Weworld app, you can talk to people from other corners of the world and feel like you’re visiting France, Spain or Italy instantly. Do you want to practice a language or keep up your fluency? Or are you planning to study abroad and want to get a head start on making friends in your new city? Or do you just want to get to know people from a culture you're intrigued by? Whatever your international friend-making goal is, Wework is the app for you. (iOS, free with in-app purchases)

Friended

Friended was created so you always have someone to talk to. You can post about yourself or how you’re feeling for others to see, but all responses come in the form of direct messages so you can hold a private conversation and build one-on-one connections. From there, it’s easy to video chat with the friends you meet, and even play guessing games or take quizzes to learn more about your new friend. (iOS, free with in-app purchases)

Related: 80 Best Birthday Wishes To Send Your Friends and Besties!

Patook

Have you already tried one of these apps and found that the lines still get blurred between finding new friendships and forming romantic relationships? Patook is the platonic friendship app that takes its mission seriously by using flirt blockers to stop other users from hitting on you. Of course, knowing this, that means other users on the app should already go into the app with the same expectations as you. Patook uses a point system to calculate compatibility based on both mutual interests and dislikes, and you can even add traits you’re looking for to give users bonus points (like a friend who loves to cook or knows how to play a musical instrument). The app also has extra privacy settings so you can control who can see your profile or contact you. (iOS, Android, free).

Pawmates

Over meeting new people? How about dogs? Meet nearby dogs and their owners with the Pawmates app. You can make a profile for you and your pup, set up puppy play dates and see who’s around your location hang out at the dog park. Fido will thank you for finding him a new four-legged friend, and you might even meet a new two-legged friend and fellow dog lover while you’re at it. Plus, you can search nearby pet businesses like vets and pet supply stores to see what other pet parents had to say about it. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases)

Related: 97 Ways to Show Someone You Genuinely Appreciate Them

Peanut

Becoming a new parent is no small feat, but having other moms to mentor you can make it easier. With Peanut, you can meet other moms online and seek their guidance. The app lets you join groups and communities of women throughout all stages of motherhood—whether they’re new moms, women trying to conceive, or pregnant women expecting a child. You can listen as others share their tips, offer your own advice, and even dive into personal topics like IVF, adoption, or nursing. (iOS, Android, free).

Meetup

One of the original ways to connect with people online and meet in person (before the age of dating and friendship apps), Meetup lets you create online groups in order to organize in-person and virtual events. With over 3 million monthly active users, it’s easy for people with shared interests to come together online and organize events to enjoy together in real life. Ready to join a Meetup community? Search for groups and events in categories like health and wellness, food and drink, film, careers, or book clubs. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).

Atleto

With the Atleto app, you can find your next Doubles Tennis partner or pick an opponent for a one-on-one matchup. Use it to connect with athletes in your area and find new friends based on their go-to sport, current skill level, and location. It’s especially ideal for students on college campuses looking to host a game or form a recreational sports team. (iOS, Android, free).

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is the hyperlocal neighborhood app that lets people share local tips, buy or sell unwanted items and connect with local businesses, but it’s also a great way to get to know your own neighbors. The only way to get into your online neighborhood community is to show proof of where you live, so all neighbors’ addresses and identities are verified. Find a lost dog, local fix-it person—or your next neighborhood friend. (iOS, Android, free).

Related: 30 Habits Healthy People Swear By

Yubo

Yubo is the video live-streaming app geared toward teens and young adults ages 13-25. Young people can connect with each other from all over the world and meet new friends by joining live streams with up to 10 people at a time. Unlike other social media platforms, this one doesn’t involve having followers, so you can eliminate the pressure of racking up your follower count and just worry about being you. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).

Skout

Skout aims to bring back the magic of serendipitous meetings by letting you scout for new friends online—both near you and around the world. The app lets you search for people by preference and proximity and makes it easier for you to get to know each other before meeting in person. Chat, share photos, broadcast yourself live, and even send virtual gifts. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).

Related: 101 Best Friend Quotes

LMK

LMK is a social app that helps you make new friends in a number of ways. Instantly chat with people who share similar interests, drop in on Audio Rooms to talk to groups of like-minded individuals or participate in polls and fun Q&As on Snapchat to get to know each other. No matter which way you choose, the end goal is the same: meet new friends online. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).

Hoop

Do you love exchanging pictures and videos back and forth with friends on Snapchat? Now you can make new Snapchat friends around the world with the Hoop app. You can use the app to find new potential friends and request their username. If they accept the request, you’ll be sent their Snapchat username to continue your online friendship from there; otherwise, the person’s account info remains confidential. But hey, it never hurts to ask! (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).

Next up, now that you've made friends, here are 100 questions to ask your friends to deepen your bonds.