The 8 Best Apps To Find Friends When Expanding Your Social Circle

Whether you're interested in hiking, live music, crafting, or just want to make new friends, Meetup has something for everyone. Somatic psychologist Holly Richmond, Ph.D., even previously told mbg that this website is one of her favorite ways to make friends as an adult—and for good reason. Virtually all you have to do to start connecting with other people on Meetup is sign up and find an event or group that interests you, with both in-person and online options to choose from. And if you still need convincing, take the website's 20 years of success as a sign that people keep coming back to find things to do, and of course, people to meet.

Price: Free (individual event costs may vary)

Created specifically for women who are in similar stages in their lives—most prominently, those who are mothers or thinking about starting a family—Peanut is essentially an app that allows women to have each others' backs, plus make new connections. You'll find a lot of moms and pregnant women on the app, as the idea is to share advice, ask questions, and even get expert insight into anything you're wondering about—but you certainly don't have to be a mom to jump in. Peanut features different groups, live audio calls, and chances to meet other women in your area IRL. And with over 6,000 reviews giving it an average of 4.4/5 stars, people clearly love the chance to connect with other women and make new friends. One word to the wise, however, is that if you live in a more rural location, there may not be too many people using the app near you. (But it can't hurt to check!)

Price: Free

Perfect for city slickers, Nextdoor was designed with apartment dwellers in mind. With this app, it's never been easier to link with people right in your building, whether for a hangout, an outing, or a group activity. There are options for one-on-one chats, as well as group chats (such as a Buy/Sell group or a workout group), with the whole idea being to foster a real sense of community in the building among neighbors. As one happy reviewer writes, "This app is exactly what I needed to be able to connect with my neighbors, living in an NYC building. It allows me to find pet sitters for my fur baby, sell/buy things, exchange info—all with people in my building." You may have to get the ball rolling if your building isn't on the app yet, but once you do, you can say goodbye to awkward hallway interactions and hello to new friends. (One con? You'll sometimes see neighbors getting into arguments on your feed about everything from pet noises to politics. You've been warned!)

Price: Free

Whether you're traveling or looking for new friends in your own city, Skout can help you find them. You don't actually have to be in a specific location to chat with someone who is, so if you've got an upcoming trip to Spain and you want travel tips, it's super easy to find someone who can give you the information you're looking for. After all, the app has over a million users, and not to mention, over 150,000 ratings with an average of 4.3/5 stars. Just beware—some users have reported glitches as well as fake profiles, so use your discretion and keep safety in mind.

Price: Free, with optional premium services billed on a monthly ($20), quarterly ($25), or yearly ($70) basis, which will remove ads, boost your visibility on the app, and more.

You've probably heard of the dating app Bumble, but how about Bumble BFF? This friend-finding app takes all the best parts of Bumble and makes it about finding new friends rather than a romantic interest. Though, we will add, if you're interested in both, one benefit of Bumble BFF is that you can use the dating settings, friendship settings, and even business settings all under one account. Simply sign up, create a profile, and start swiping on the potential new friends near you!

Price: Free with many options for in-app purchases and subscription plans, ranging from one day of Bumble Premium for $3.49, to a lifetime membership for $150

With a similar setup as Bumble BFF and other familiar "swiping" apps, Hey! VINA lets you connect with other women near you—and only other women. Unlike Bumble BFF, which includes gender settings for finding people of all genders, Hey! VINA is only for women. And to help you find other ladies with mutual interests, you can take personality quizzes so the app will point you in the right direction. As you match with new friends, you can then use the planning function to set a date and time for a hangout, whether it's one-on-one or a group invite. It is worth noting that like a lot of these friendship apps, location matters. One reviewer writes, "In my area there just are not a lot of people using it, but I have gotten a few matches and have met up with one new friend in real life." The app also hasn't been updated in a while, so complaints of glitches aren't uncommon.

Price: Free with in-app premium purchases ranging from $4 for a one-day boost, to $100 for a 100-year-long premium membership.

If you're less into outings and more into connecting with new people from the comfort of your own home, Yubo is a great option to try. Streaming is the name of the game for this app, allowing you to host or join a livestream about whatever it is you're interested in—gaming, travel, simply talking about your day—you name it. Up to 10 people can join these lives as well, so conversations are sure to be interesting. Plus, you're not limited to your local area, and can actually connect with people all around the world. The app even features multiplayer games, live chats, and a swiping function to match with new friends. Yubo also takes safety very seriously, which is ultimately a good thing—though some reviews suggest they might even be too strict, so you'll definitely want to be on your best behavior and read their community guidelines first.

Price: Free with in-app purchases ranging from $1 to $70

You may not have expected to find Facebook on this list, but if you've yet to lean into the world's largest social media platform in order to find friends, it's actually a great place to start. For one thing, you probably already have a Facebook profile, even if you don't check it very often. Get familiar with the Facebook events page, which allows you to find activities and events you're interested in, right in your area. On top of that, you can find groups for mutual interests, from groups for local women who like to hike to groups for folks to discuss environmental issues. These groups can be limited to people in your neighborhood or can include people from all around the world—so not only can you make new friends near you, but you can connect with people abroad, too. And while Facebook may not have the "swiping" features some of the other friendship apps have, it's easy enough to find an event that grabs your attention, show up, and strike up a conversation.

Price: Free