7 Apps That Will Help You Meet Friends in Your Area
As we grow older, creating quality friendships can become difficult. Say goodbye to friendships predetermined by the classes we take, or the kids that live on our block. For some of us, this is good news (was anyone else here that weirdo in high school?), but for others, it can mean slim pickings.
Some of you may be lucky enough to have coworkers that you like. But what if you don’t like your coworkers? Or, maybe you do, but you still want some interaction with people outside your professional circle? What if you’re a freelancer who works from home?
If you’re wary of going out to a bar to meet people, don’t have the time to join a book club, or are just a little on the shy side, you’ve come to the right place. We live in a world connected by technology , and news flash: apps aren’t just for dating anymore.
In recent years, new applications for developing friendships have emerged. They work pretty much the same way as dating apps do: you “match” with someone, chat via the app’s messaging service, and then hopefully meet in-person to create a real friendship.
Maybe you’re still a little bit hesitant, and we get that! Finding friends on an app can feel weird at best or antisocial at worst. But, the best part about these apps is that they actually encourage in-person interaction, once you get to know one another a little bit better online first.
If you’re in the market for some new friends, your first thought may not be to head to the app store. But, there are new apps out there with just that goal in mind: to help you meet friends in your area.
1. Bumble BFF
Bumble is a dating app very similar to the most famous dating app of all, Tinder. You download the app, make a profile, add some pictures, and start “swiping” through other users. Swipe right on your screen if you’re interested, swipe left if you aren’t. Bumble’s friendship version of their application works along the same premise, but for finding friendships instead of romantic relationships.
The major difference between Bumble and Tinder is that the woman is required to send the first message. Oddly, this is the case for Bumble Bizz as well, the application’s solution to creating business relationships. But, that’s another subject for another blog.
The requirement for starting the conversation on Bumble BFF isn’t gendered, so male and female users can both make the first move.
A close friend of mine recently moved to Washington D.C., and struggled to find friends at first. This is a story that you hear time and time again: how is it possible to feel lonely in a city filled with millions of other people ? Well, it is possible, and my friend decided to try out Bumble BFF. She confided that it was a little strange at first, but she was able to form some really authentic relationships thanks to the app.
2. Meetup
Meetup isn’t really an app, in the sense that it is a website first and foremost. But, there is also an application that you can use on your smartphone for finding “meetups” in your area. I wanted to include it because it is one of our favorite ways to meet new people here at Expeeriences .
I personally used Meetup a lot when I moved to a new city a few years ago. It’s nothing like a dating app, as the site is more focused on bringing together like-minded people around an activity.
You’ll find meetups centered around sports, food, books or art, to name a few. To give you an idea of how diverse their selection is, my first meetup was for a free walking tour of street art in Paris. There is certainly something for everyone, and if you’re lucky, you’ll meet some new friends along the way.
3. Nextdoor
I’ve already mentioned that as a kid it was easy to make friends who lived in your neighborhood. I remember going around and knocking on doors to ask if children could come and play with my brother and me.
These days, as an adult, you’ll probably encounter some really strange looks if you knock on doors and ask to play. You’ll probably get the door slammed in your face, and be labeled as the neighborhood creep. To avoid all of that, download the Nextdoor app!
Nextdoor will help you meet your neighbors — great news for shy people in a new neighborhood who don’t feel comfortable knocking on doors. Simply type in your location, and you’ll be able to see what’s going on in your area. You’ll find garage sales, block parties, and even pick-up sports games. It’s not deliberately a friendship app, but it can help you better integrate into your community which will open up the opportunity to make friends.
4. Hey! VINA
This friendship app is ladies only. Hailed as the Tinder for girlfriendship, Hey! VINA is centered around curating friendships between women.
Once you sign up, you’ll be prompted to fill in your profile with your interests, activities, and your “life stage.” This last part is meant to bring together women who are going through similar life events such as marriage, divorce, a new baby or the like.
The app works like any other dating application, you swipe right for people you’d like to meet, and left for those you don’t. One cool aspect of Hey! VINA is that once you match with someone, the app will suggest an activity for you to do together based on your interests. This could include a hike, a wine bar or a trip to a coffee shop. This feature takes a lot of the heavy lifting out of deciding what to do with your potential new friend.
5. Friender
Friender is focused on forming friendships around common interests. When you create your profile, you’ll have to fill in your favorite activities and pastimes. Then, you can start swiping.
The difference with Friender is that all of the profiles that you see share at least one interest with you. This added level of filtered matching in their algorithm means that you’ll be seeing more people that you would actually want to meet, instead of just everyone using the app in your area.
6. REALU
Some of you may be thinking that it’s ironic to use an application in order to get out into the real world to meet people. In some sense of the word, it is ironic, especially if you come across people who seem to just want to chat and never meet up.
REALU’s mission is to encourage people to actually put down their phones and interact in-real-life . The app will match you with people with shared interests in activities in your area. Think of this as Foursquare meets friendship app.
Have you ever noticed that people tend to be glued to their phones if they’re alone in a new place like a coffee shop or a bookstore? The creators of REALU noticed this phenomenon too, and are fighting against it.
Next time you find yourself alone in a public place, get on the app. You may find that your solo neighbor wants to put down their phone too and have a real conversation. This is another great solution for really shy people!
7. ATLETO
This app is great if you’re looking for a workout partner. Studies show that having a workout buddy is a great motivator, and ATLETO is here to help make those relationships happen.
Once you download the app, you’ll have to make a profile. Here, you can fill in your location, your preferred activities, and your fitness level. The latter helps to make sure that you are matched with users that are on the same, well, fitness level as you are. This can help to make sure you’re not paired with someone just starting out if you’re a veteran sports enthusiast, and vice versa.
You can also join preexisting work out groups and teams, or you can create your own. While this app isn’t specific to forming friendships, there’s a big chance that you’ll meet other like-minded people that you’ll hopefully want to hang out with once you’re done getting your work out on.
If you’re anything like us, using digital solutions can seem counter to our goal of having better connections, especially in person. But, we live in a digital world and the tools we’ve recommended share a common theme: encouraging you to move digital connections into the real world.
Whether you just moved to a new city, are looking to expand your social circle, or are just in the market for new friends in general, these apps are a good place to start.
Originally published at https://expeeriences.com on April 1, 2020.
