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If you've recently moved or maybe entered a new phase of life, you know how personal connection can help ease transitions. As families and friend groups become more spread out, people are lonelier than ever, according to research by Jessica Carbino, sociologist and relationship expert for the social app Bumble. Sound familiar? Download a solution: Social apps like the ones here can help you drum up a date and/or make platonic friends. Many apps geared toward friendship target a specific demographic or lifestyle interest so users have easy texting topics and can forge bonds. "People try these apps when they move to a new area, to network and find friends when traveling," says Rachel Katz, a doctoral student at the University of Manchester, who studies dating apps.
So whether you're looking for a new social circle or you just want to expand the one you've got, downloading any of these 7 friendship apps is a great place to start.
Nextdoor
It's never been easier to be the new kid on the block. The GH Media & Tech lab tested Nextdoor, a private social network exclusively for your neighborhood, and found that it's an amazing way to tap your neighbors for recommendations, sell and score quality household items (think of it as a virtual yard sale), get local news, and form relationships with your fellow residents in an organic way. "Since Nextdoor is a location-based app, neighbors often meet up face to face to exchange goods, and meeting in the real world gives them an opportunity to learn about one another and discover commonalities," says Nextdoor's Jenny Mayfield.
Hey! Vina
Dubbed "Tinder for (Girl) Friends," Hey! Vina lets you swipe right to make new friends or join communities of people who have similar interests. You can also take quizzes and read articles. Founders Olivia June and Jen Aprahamian created the app to help empower women, who like to travel, have just moved to new cities, and so on.
Bumble BFF
Created by the popular dating app Bumble, their service BumbleBFF aims to help you make platonic friendships in pretty much exactly the same way. Set up a profile with photos and a blurb, and then browse other users' profiles. Swipe left if you want to pass, or right if you want to connect.
Peanut
Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs in the world, so Peanut's goal is help mamas who feel isolated connect with other. The app uses the swipe-left, swipe-right model and serves up matches based on your interests, values, and the ages of your children. There's also a forum where moms can pose questions and share knowledge.
Meetup
Meetup helps you make a bunch of new friends in one go. Discover organized groups of people with similar interests to you, from softball to knitting to Corgis, and join any of their scheduled get-togethers. You can also search for groups that are working towards the same goal, like running a marathon or learning to cook.
BarkHappy
Now you can find a new friend for both you and Fido. The location-based app BarkHappy helps you connect with nearby dogs and arrange hangouts with their owners. For future doggy date ideas, check out the app's map which lists dog-friendly businesses and local dog-friendly events.
Friender
If you already met the love of your life by swiping right, now you can swipe to discover the perfect rock-climbing buddy. When you create your profile on Friender, you'll choose your favorite activities from a list of 130 options and the app will send you suggested matches that have at least one favorite activity in common with you.
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