Pick the format before you pick the app
Every friendship app makes the same promise. What differs is the first step. Some match you with profiles. Some put you at a table with strangers. Some list groups that meet every week. Some open a live conversation. The format decides whether you will actually use the app, so start there.
Ask yourself one question: what is the smallest first step you would take this week? If it is a message, choose a matching app. If it is showing up somewhere with a group, choose an events app. If it is talking to one person right now without a week of back-and-forth, choose a live-conversation app. Most people who give up on friendship apps chose a format that didn’t fit how they like to meet people.
- Match and message: BFF by Bumble
- Recurring groups: Meetup, BFF Groups
- Hosted outings with strangers: Timeleft, 222
- Live and social: Yubo, HMU
BFF by Bumble: free friend matching, with groups
In September 2025, Bumble relaunched its friendship app in the US as BFF. You match with people in your city, start with a one-on-one chat, or join Groups around shared interests. BFF says every match has passed selfie verification and that every feature is free.
Good for: people who like to chat before meeting and want a friendship-only space. Watch for: the usual problem with matching apps. Many matches never become a conversation, and conversations stall before anyone makes a plan. Go in with a specific invitation, like coffee or a class on a named day, rather than open-ended chat.
Meetup: best when you want a weekly habit
Meetup lists groups organized around an interest: running clubs, language exchanges, board games, hiking, tech. Members can join groups and RSVP to events for free. Organizers pay a subscription to run groups, some groups charge their own dues or event fees, and Meetup+ is an optional paid upgrade for members.
Good for: anyone who makes friends by seeing the same faces repeatedly. That is how most adult friendships form, so Meetup is often the best long-term choice. Watch for: uneven quality. Some groups are lively, others barely meet, and smaller towns may have few options. Large events can feel hard to break into on your own. Pick a small group that meets often, and plan to go three times before you judge it.
Timeleft and 222: someone else plans the evening
Timeleft asks you to take a short quiz, then matches you with four to six people for dinner, drinks, coffee, or a walk. Its US subscription is $19.99 a month, prices vary by city, and you pay for your own food and drinks. 222 sends invites to group experiences in public places near you, based on your profile. Members are vetted, and you are refunded if you aren’t selected. 222 has no profiles, DMs, or swiping, and it is iPhone only. Check current pricing and whether it runs in your city in the app.
Good for: people who want a real-life evening without organizing it. Watch for: the cost adds up, availability depends on your city, and each group meets once. Whether you see anyone again is up to you. If you click with someone at the table, suggest a specific follow-up before you leave.
Yubo: swipes and livestreams, now adults only
Yubo became 18+ on 1 November 2025, and every user verifies their age with a selfie video. You find people by swiping and with interest tags, and you can join group livestream rooms called Lives, either as a participant or as a watcher with your mic and camera off. It is free to download, with optional paid packs.
Good for: younger adults who like a busy, social, on-camera space. Watch for: Yubo itself says people use it for dating as well as friendship, and Lives favor people who enjoy talking in a group. If you want one calm conversation, it may feel like a lot.
HMU: one person, one shared prompt, five minutes
HMU is a social discovery app for meeting nearby adults, for people 18 and over. Its main feature, Meet Now, works differently from swiping. You join only when you are free to talk. HMU finds one compatible person and gives you both the same opening prompt. You talk for five minutes. Then each of you privately chooses whether to keep the conversation going. It continues only if you both choose Keep, and your choice stays private.
The shared prompt means nobody has to come up with an opener, and the time limit means a bad match costs you five minutes, not a week of half-hearted messages. HMU is free on iPhone and Android, with an optional HMU Premium subscription for extra features.
Where HMU is not the right fit
HMU is a one-to-one app. It doesn’t organize group events, run clubs, or book tables. If you want a weekly group, Meetup or BFF Groups will serve you better. Meet Now is for when you are free to talk right now, so it suits a spare evening better than an afternoon of quick replies between meetings.
HMU is not friendship-only. People use it for friendship, dating, or just a good conversation, so say what you are looking for early in the chat.
Quick picks
If you want structure and repetition, start with Meetup. If you want someone else to plan a night out, try Timeleft or 222 if they run in your city. If you want a free, friendship-only matching app, use BFF. If you want to talk to a real person tonight without writing the first line yourself, try HMU.
Whatever you choose, an app only gets you the first conversation. Friendships form through repeated contact and clear invitations. Suggest a time and place, follow up after a good conversation, and give each app a few weeks before you decide it doesn’t work.
Stay safe on any friendship app
Meet in public places for the first few times, tell a friend where you are going, and keep your home address and financial details private until you trust someone. If someone pressures you to move to another platform, asks for money, or ignores a no, stop replying and use the app’s block and report tools.
Related articles
- Bumble BFF Alternatives: What to Use When Matches Go Nowhere — If BFF matches keep fizzling out, these alternatives change how you meet people, from weekly groups to hosted dinners to live five-minute chats.
- Yubo Alternatives for Adults Who Want a Real Conversation — Yubo is now 18+, but swiping and livestreams aren’t for everyone. Here is what else adults use to meet new people, and how each one works.
- Apps Like Meetup for Making Friends — Meetup is great for weekly groups. These alternatives cover hosted dinners, friend matching, and live one-to-one chats, with costs and limits for each.