You moved for a job, your college friends have kids, and the group chat only wakes up for birthdays. Or you tried one meetup, nobody talked, and you went home. Making friends as an adult is harder than it should be, and many of the top "friendship apps" lists are from 2022 or 2023. We checked them: some of those apps are gone.
Eight apps worth trying to make friends in 2026, in this order: 1) GRASS, 2) Meetup, 3) Bumble BFF, 4) Timeleft, 5) 222, 6) Pie, 7) Peanut, and 8) Nextdoor. We make GRASS, a dating app for meeting new people through sports, so we list it first for transparency, not as a quality score. Some of these apps are built for friendship; others simply put you in a room with new people. If you want friends only and no dating at all, start with Meetup, Bumble BFF or Timeleft.
- Meet people through a sport or group plan: GRASS
- Most hobby groups to choose from: Meetup
- Free friend matching and groups: Bumble BFF
- Dinner with strangers, planned for you: Timeleft
- New moms: Peanut
Quotes below come from each app's own US App Store page or website, checked November 4, 2026. We only checked the Apple listings.
Why Making Friends as an Adult Feels Harder
You're not imagining it. The US Surgeon General's 2023 advisory, "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation", says approximately half of US adults report experiencing loneliness. In the Survey Center on American Life's 2021 friendship survey, 12% of Americans said they had no close friends, up from 3% when the same question was asked in 1990.
Time is the other problem. In a 2018 study, University of Kansas researcher Jeffrey Hall estimated it takes roughly 50 hours together to go from acquaintance to casual friend, about 90 hours to become a friend, and more than 200 hours to become a close friend (we break that down in the 50-hour friendship rule). Treat the numbers as a rough guide, but the point holds: apps that put you in the same room with the same people, again and again, make more sense than ones that stop at a chat.
What Happened to the Friendship Apps on Older Lists
We checked the picks that keep showing up on older friend making apps lists against the US App Store on November 4, 2026:
App | Status on Nov 4, 2026 |
|---|---|
Hey! VINA | Shut down. Its site now reads "BYE! VINA it's been a wonderful 9 years." |
Friender | Didn't turn up in a US App Store search |
Patook | Didn't turn up in a US App Store search |
Bumble BFF | Still here, as a separate app called "BFF: Make friends & meet up," listed under Geneva Technologies, Inc. |
Sources: Hey! VINA site, BFF App Store listing. Not finding an app in a search doesn't prove it's gone for good, but if a list sends you to one of these, that's why you can't find it.
Which Friendship App Fits You
If you want to… | Try | How you meet | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Do a sport or outdoor activity with a group | Join a group plan or post your own | Free to download; optional paid tiers | |
Join a recurring group around a hobby | Meetup | Group events | Free to download |
Match with possible friends or join groups | Bumble BFF | Chat, Groups, then meet | Says every feature is free |
Have plans made for you | Timeleft or 222 | Organized dinners, drinks, runs or experiences | Paid experiences; check the app |
Find free local events (select cities) | Pie | Events in Chicago, Austin, the Bay Area, Columbus | Lists free events |
Meet other moms | Peanut | Swipe and chat with local moms | Free to download |
Meet people on your street | Nextdoor | Neighborhood groups and events | Free to download |
If you already run, hike or play a sport, GRASS is built for that. Asking a stranger to be your friend can feel more awkward than asking them out; a run or a hike gives you a reason to show up and something to talk about, which can take the pressure off a first meeting. Download GRASS to see group plans or post your own.
2026 Ranking: 8 Apps to Make Friends
GRASS is first for the reason above. After it, the order runs from broad, general-purpose apps to narrower ones: select cities, one audience, or just your neighbors. It is a fit-based order, not a quality score.
1. GRASS: Meet People Through a Sport
GRASS is a dating app for meeting new people through sports. Its US App Store description says you can "meet people through hiking, running, or group events," and for event invites: "No match needed. See event invites, reply, and go." You can also post your own plan and see who joins.
Why it's on a friendship list: a group plan gives you something to do besides talk, and you can reply to an invite without matching first. You might come away with a running partner or a hiking group rather than a date, and that works too.
- Best for: people who'd rather meet over a run, hike or game than over coffee.
- Not for: anyone who wants a friends-only app with no dating at all.
- Cost: free to download; optional Premium and Ultimate tiers.
- Watch out for: GRASS is still small in the US, so how many plans you see depends on where you live. You can just reply to plans; posting one is optional and can be as small as "anyone want to walk Saturday morning?"
- Say what you're after: some people on GRASS are there to date, so a line like "looking for a running buddy, not a date" saves everyone an awkward moment.
2. Meetup: Most Hobby Groups to Choose From
Meetup says it has "over 60 million members" and helps you "meet friends who share similar interests." You join local groups built around a hobby and go to their events. It has about 273,000 ratings on the US App Store, averaging 4.7 stars.
- Best for: trying several hobbies and finding a group that meets regularly.
- Tip: pick a group that meets every week or two, and check when its last event actually ran. Seeing the same faces is how acquaintances turn into friends.
3. Bumble BFF: Friend Matching and Groups, Free
Bumble BFF is still the BFF people mean, but it now runs as its own app, "BFF: Make friends & meet up", listed under Geneva Technologies. TechCrunch reported in September 2025 that Bumble relaunched BFF on Geneva, a community platform Bumble had acquired, with a focus on friend groups. The listing says "every feature on Bumble BFF is completely free" and "every match has passed selfie verification." You can start in a one-on-one chat or join Groups to plan hangouts.
- Best for: people who want a couple of close friends nearby, especially after a move.
- Watch out for: one-on-one chats can stall, which is common on chat-first apps. Suggest a specific plan early.
4. Timeleft: Dinner With Strangers
Timeleft calls itself "the friendship app" and matches you with a small group: "Dinners. Every Wednesday with groups of 4-6." It also lists drinks, coffee and "Timeleft Run. Group runs followed by coffee." Its site says it's for "Anyone 18+ who's looking to form new friendships." Its listing calls its drinks "low-cost," so expect to pay for experiences; check the price and your city in the app.
- Best for: people who hate planning and want to just show up.
- Watch out for: each dinner is a new group, and one quiet table can sour a night. Go twice before deciding, and swap contacts with the one or two people you liked.
5. 222: Surprise Group Experiences
222 describes itself bluntly: "this is not a dating app. this is not a friend-making service." It sends you invites to experiences nearby and matches you with the people there it thinks you'll get along with. The listing says "experiences are always in public & in a group setting," and if you're not selected for one, "you'll be refunded." We include it because it puts you in a room with new people, which is the hard part.
- Best for: people who like being surprised and meeting a new mix of people.
- Cost: paid experiences; check the price in the app.
6. Pie: Free Local Events (Select Cities)
Pie lists "free local, IRL, actually-fun events" and says it's "NOW HANGING IN CHICAGO, AUSTIN, BAY AREA AND COLUMBUS." Its pitch is meeting people "you run into so many times that you accidentally become best friends."
- Best for: people in those four areas who want free things to do.
7. Peanut: For Moms
Peanut says you can "join over 5 million women on Peanut to find mom friends." You swipe to meet local moms, chat, and ask questions in its community.
- Best for: new and expecting moms looking for people at the same stage.
8. Nextdoor: Your Actual Neighbors
Nextdoor isn't built for friendship, but its listing covers local events and groups, and its description gives the example of finding a pickleball partner. It's useful for meeting people who live close enough to see often.
- Best for: finding a walking group, a local club or neighbors with the same hobby.
Apps Like Bumble BFF Where the Plan Comes First
If BFF chats keep fizzling, switch to an app where the plan comes first. Meetup gives you a recurring group, Timeleft and 222 set up the table or the outing for you, and Pie lists free events in four areas. Outside these apps, Facebook Groups and local run clubs work the same way: a regular time and place where the same people keep showing up. Our guide to finding a run club near you covers that route.
How to Actually Make Friends on These Apps
- Pick something that repeats. A weekly run, a monthly book club. Friendship needs hours together, and one-off events rarely add up.
- Suggest a specific plan early. "Want to do the Saturday 8am trail walk?" works better than "we should hang out sometime."
- Go back a second and third time. Many people at a first event are new too. By the third time, someone often says hi first.
- Host once. Posting your own plan, even a small one, is often the quickest way to become the person others know.
- Keep the first meetup public. A group run or a coffee in a busy place, and tell a friend where you are going. This goes for every app on this list.
For places to meet people beyond apps, see how to make friends as an adult.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best app to make friends?
It depends on how you like to meet people. Meetup is built around hobby groups, Bumble BFF offers friend matching and groups and says it is free, and Timeleft plans group dinners for you. If you like sports and don't mind that it's a dating app, GRASS lets you reply to a group run or hike invite without matching first.
Is Bumble BFF still a thing?
Yes. It was relaunched and now runs as a separate app called "BFF: Make friends & meet up," listed under Geneva Technologies on the US App Store. The listing says every feature is free.
What are the best apps like Bumble BFF?
Meetup for recurring hobby groups, Timeleft for planned group dinners, 222 for surprise group outings, and Pie for free events in Chicago, Austin, the Bay Area and Columbus.
Are there free apps to make friends?
Bumble BFF says all its features are free, and Pie lists free events in its cities. Meetup, Peanut and Nextdoor are free to download, though some events may cost money. Timeleft (its listing calls its drinks "low-cost") and 222 (which refunds you if you're not selected) charge for experiences, so check the price before you book.
Is there an app just for making friends, not dating?
Yes. Bumble BFF, Timeleft, Meetup and Peanut are built for friendship or community, not dating. 222 says it is neither a dating app nor a friend-making service; it sends you to group experiences.
Do friendship apps actually work?
They work best when they lead to something that repeats. Jeffrey Hall's research estimated roughly 50 hours together to become casual friends, so one dinner or one chat is rarely enough. Pick a group or plan you can go back to.
What happened to Hey! VINA, Friender and Patook?
Hey! VINA's website says it has shut down. We couldn't find Friender or Patook in a US App Store search on November 4, 2026; they may have been removed or renamed.
Start With One Plan This Week
Download two apps, find one thing that repeats in the next ten days, and put it in your calendar. If you'd rather meet people on a trail or a run than over small talk, GRASS is built for that: open GRASS and reply to a run or hike plan, or post one.
Keep reading:
- How to Make Friends as an Adult: 12 places, scored by how fast they work
- The 50-Hour Friendship Rule: what the research says about time and friendship
- How to Find a Run Club Near You: the easiest recurring plan to start with