Wizz is built for young people
Wizz calls itself a place where young people can express themselves, and its terms say no one under 16 may use it. Wizz separates users by age. Under-18s only talk with people a year younger or older, and adults are placed in a separate adult community. An adult account can't find, view or contact anyone under 18. Wizz checks ages with a face scan and asks for ID when the estimate doesn't match.
Adults can use Wizz. But a large part of its audience is 16 and 17, and the product is designed around them. This page is for adults 18+ who like what Wizz does, swiping to find someone who's online now and chatting straight away, and want an app designed for adults. If you're under 18, this page and HMU are not for you.
What you're actually looking for
Wizz's App Store subtitle sums up its appeal: ‘Swipe, Meet & Chat Real People’. Before you pick a replacement, decide which part you'd miss. Each adult app below covers a different part, and none of them copies Wizz exactly.
If speed matters most, look for an app where people are online now. If you hate writing openers, look for one that hands you a prompt. If you only want friends, choose an app that says so outright.
- Someone online right now, not a reply three days later
- A low-effort start, without writing the perfect opener
- Friendship first, without the pressure of a dating app
- People outside your usual circle
Yubo: the closest in feel, now adults only
Yubo was once a teen app too. It raised its minimum age to 18 on 1 November 2025, checks age with facial estimation at sign-up, and adds manual ID checks when needed. It still feels a lot like Wizz. You swipe to find people who are online and share your interests, browse interest tags, and join group livestreams.
It is free to use, and optional packs start at $13.99 a week for the Power Pack in the US. Choose Yubo if you like a busy, social space and don't mind being on camera in a group.
HMU: a real conversation, one person at a time
HMU is for adults 18+ and is built around talking, not swiping. Meet Now pairs you with one person for a five-minute chat. You both start with the same opening prompt, so nobody has to think of a first line. When the time is up, each of you privately chooses Keep or Pass, and the chat continues only if you both choose Keep.
Outside Meet Now, Discover has For You, Nearby and Recent tabs, along with posts called Moments and stories. Every request starts with a real first message, every profile has a question to answer, and there's a new question every day, so you always have something to reply to. HMU is free on iPhone and Android, and the free tier includes 3 Meet Now introductions a day.
BFF by Bumble: when you only want friends
If you used Wizz for friends and nothing else, BFF is the clearest adult option. It is a friendship app rated 18+ on the App Store. You match on hobbies, lifestyle and goals, then chat one-on-one or join interest Groups. Bumble says every match is selfie-verified and every feature is free. It is slower than Wizz, though. Matches don't always reply, and nobody is guaranteed to be online when you are.
Where HMU falls short
HMU has no livestreams or group rooms. If you liked hanging out in a crowd on Wizz or Yubo, HMU won't replace that. Meet Now is one person at a time, and it works best when you have five spare minutes to give it your attention. The free tier caps you at three Meet Now introductions a day, and HMU Premium is optional. HMU also isn't friendship-only. People use it for friendship, dating or both. If you want to keep things platonic, say so early. BFF keeps that line clearer.
Who should pick which
Pick Yubo if you want the closest thing to Wizz's swipe-and-chat energy, plus group livestreams, with only adults. Pick HMU if you want one real conversation with a built-in opener and a clear yes or no at the end. Pick BFF if friendship is the only goal and you're happy to wait for replies. If you're 18 or older and happy where you are, Wizz's adult community is still an option. Just know the app is designed mainly for a younger crowd.
Talking to strangers online, sensibly
Instant-chat apps make it easy to share too much too fast. Keep your surname, workplace and address to yourself until you've met in public. Be wary of anyone who pushes you to switch apps in the first few minutes. ‘Let's keep chatting here for now’ is a complete answer. If someone asks for money, photos or personal details, end the chat. On HMU, you can report or block anyone.
Related articles
- Apps to Make Friends as an Adult: An Honest Comparison — BFF, Meetup, Timeleft, 222, Yubo, and HMU compared by how you actually meet people, what it costs, and who each one suits.
- How to Make Friends in Your 30s: Find the Hours First — Friendship takes about 50 hours to get started. A practical plan for finding those hours in your 30s, with scripts for the invite most people never send.
- How to Make Friends After College, Without a Campus — College made friendship automatic with proximity, repetition, and free time. Here’s how to rebuild each one after graduation, with scripts to use.
- How to Make Friends as an Introvert Without Faking It — Research says acting outgoing helps introverts, but for less time than you’d think. How to make friends one person at a time, with set exits and scripts.