The 5 Best Apps To Meet People And Make Friends in 2024

Making friends can be hard, but these apps make it easy

By
Kayla Dube
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Kayla Dube
Writer and Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
  • J. Everette Light Career Center
Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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Updated on January 4, 2024
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
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Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

It's easier than ever to find local people online to hang out with in real life. The apps below are some of the best for finding potential friends, and hopefully you can make some meaningful connections along the way.

01
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Best For Finding Group Events: Meetup

Screenshots from the Meetup app.
What We Like

  • Easy to find meetups nearby.

  • Can start your own group meetup.

  • Lots of different categories for interests.

What We Don't Like

  • Not great if you dislike group settings.

Want to meet people who share similar interests? Meetup is a great app to do that. It allows you to look at groups others have created near you centered around an activity. You can join a meetup and you have the ability to chat with others who have joined.

If you prefer meeting people in groups rather than one-on-one, this is a perfect app. You can also create your own group if you have an idea for a meetup.

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02
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If You're New In The Neighborhood: Nextdoor

Nextdoor app on iOS.
What We Like

  • Can join groups with others around your neighborhood.

  • Has an events page with local events.

  • Lists local businesses.

What We Don't Like

  • Can't see content from outside your designated neighborhood.

If you've recently moved somewhere new, Nextdoor can help you meet your neighbors and form bonds with the people you live by. This app has a lot of features that can help you find others with common interests, ask questions about the neighborhood, and find events near you.

When you make a post, people in your surrounding area will see it, making it easy to connect and stay updated on local happenings.

Nextdoor also has a group section where you can find or create groups based on a common interest. Many places have friendship groups you can seek out to start meeting new people.

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03
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Friends Before Lovers: Bumble BFF

Bumble BFF
What We Like

  • Works the same as Bumble.

  • You can only talk to someone if both of you are matches with each other.

What We Don't Like

  • You only have 24 hours to start up a conversation with one another.

You may know of Bumble as the dating app where women make the first move, but it actually has a whole separate section as well for making new friends, called Bumble BFF.

You can find this within the Bumble app, and it works similarly by swiping left or right to match with another person. If both of you match, you can then begin talking.

Unlike the dating app, there are no restrictions for who can start a conversation first, but you have to message the other person within 24 hours, or else you'll lose the match. It's a great app if you want a quick and easy way to make some new friends.

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04
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For More Of A Social Media Experience: MeetMe

Screenshots of the MeetMe app.
What We Like

  • You can make posts for others to comment one.

  • You can change your location whenever you want to see who's near you.

  • Can live stream through the app.

What We Don't Like

  • May have a lot of fake accounts.

MeetMe is an app where you can find people near you, chat one-on-one, and find some new friends. This app is unique in that it has more of a typical social media feel, where you can make posts as well as like and comment on others' posts.

There is also a live stream feature where you can go live and people in your area on the app can watch if they choose to.

Download For:

05
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To Find People With Common Interests: Hey! VINA

Hey! Vina app
What We Like

  • You can create a profile and look through other's profiles.

  • Lets you create plans to meet up.

  • Clean interface.

What We Don't Like

  • It can be difficult to verify your profile.

This app was originally created for women to find other women to make friends with nearby, but anybody can use this app to look for friends in your area. It has you create your own profile, and is similar to dating apps where you swipe left or right to match with someone else.

If you match, you can direct message one another through the app. If you want to create a group to hang out with, you can also create what are called "plans" in the app to make a meet up group.

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