Have you noticed how challenging it is for everyone to find new friends? Especially in these post-pandemic, chronically online times, we have to rely on our smartphone apps to make friends. Whether you're in for a romantic, platonic, or business relationship or simply finding like-minded people, here are the best social platforms to make friends in 2025.
(Note: Unlike today's most popular social media platforms like TikTok, where you may earn money, the platforms listed here do not feature monetisation or affiliate programs. If you're more interested in making extra income, you might find this article helpful.)
Best Social Platforms That Help You Connect with Others and Grow Your Friends List
Social Platforms to Make Friends - Dating and Romantic Connections
Bumble Date
Bumble is all about connection. Women make the first move, which can feel like a relief when navigating the online dating world. It’s also great for those who want to take their time getting to know someone without the usual pressure. A mum friend of mine met her now-partner on Bumble after swearing off dating for years. They started as friends and, well, now they share school drop-offs.
Tinder
This app has a reputation for being a bit fast-paced, but it’s all about how you use it. You can find serious relationships, casual connections, and even new friends. One of my closest friends met her husband here. She swiped right on someone she thought was cute, but they ended up bonding over single parenting struggles instead. Five years later, they’re still inseparable. Who knows? Maybe you can be the next success story, too.
Skout
Skout is a location-based app where you can meet people nearby, whether for friendship, dating, or networking. If you’re open to different kinds of connections, this is a good one. You can meet a new person every single time.
Wink
Wink is a lesser-known but growing app that helps you meet new people by swiping through profiles and sending friend requests. It’s a fun, casual way to expand your social circle. A mum at my little one's daycare swears by it. She says it’s less intimidating than traditional dating apps and great for making new friends when you’re feeling isolated.
Social Platforms to Make Friends - Social Connections and Friendship Apps
Bumble BFF
The popular dating app has siblings that are great apps to make new friends. It's like Tinder for friends. Bumble BFF is one of today's best friendship apps, and is especially helpful if you've moved to a new city and find potential friends. Just like its older sibling, simply swipe right if you think you're a match and swipe left to pass.
Friender
Instead of just browsing profiles, Friender matches you based on shared interests. If you’ve ever wished for an app that connects you with someone who also loves early morning walks or binge-watching crime documentaries, this is it. If you're looking for fellow dog owners, download this.
LMK
LMK is a talk-based social app where you chat with people with similar interests. It’s a great way to connect without the pressure of meeting face-to-face right away. Maybe you can find a supportive group of women who share your love for travel and wine (even if only in theory, because of kids).
Peanut
Peanut is basically Bumble for mums, minus the awkward pick-up lines. It’s a friendship app designed to connect with fellow women, especially mums, during this crazy journey called motherhood. If you’ve ever struggled with making mum friends at the playground, this app makes it easier. Maybe you'll find another sleep-deprived mum who understands your obsession with coffee here.
Vina
Like Peanut, this app is specifically for women. Vina is all about female friendships. It matches you with women who have similar interests, whether you’re looking for a brunch buddy, a travel partner, or just someone to chat with. During her fertility struggles last year, my cousin used this platform to find other women who would understand her. She now has a solid group of friends who get her through the toughest days. Oh, and this app has compatibility quizzes to help you gauge whether your and your potential friend's personalities and values would resonate with each other.
Yubo
Yubo is a fast-growing social media app specially designed for Gen Zs to grow their network. The minimum age to join is 13 years old. Those above 18 years old can also join but in separate communities. Although I don't personally know mums that have accounts on Yubo, me and my friends agree that kids seem safe due to their protection measures.
Best Social Platforms to Make Friends (cont.)
Social Platforms to Make Friends - Local and Community-Based Connections
Meetup
Meetup is one of the best platforms for in-person, well, meetups. You can find groups for anything: book clubs, hiking groups, business networking, and even single-parent support groups. I once joined a Meetup group for mums who love coffee, and let’s just say it turned into a regular thing.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is a community-based platform where neighbours connect. It’s great for local recommendations, event updates, and meeting people in your area. I once posted asking if anyone had a second-hand bike for sale and ended up making a new friend who invited me to a local parents’ group.
Best Social Platforms to Connect with Like-minded Individuals (cont.)
Social Platforms to Make Friends - Hobbies and Networking
Atleto
Atleto is perfect if you want to connect through sports and fitness. Whether you need a running buddy or a social netball team, this app helps you find like-minded people. My sister used it to start a casual mums' tennis group. More chatting than playing, but it was a win nonetheless.
Bumble Bizz
The third sibling of the Bumble family, Bizz, is exactly like the two others ... but for networking. Using the all-familiar algorithm, meet potential business partners, clients, employers, and employees that match with you. What the Beanstalk Mums team loves about the Bumble app is the company's commitment to always putting women first all the time.
Social Platforms to Make Friends - Meta and X (formerly Twitter) Alternatives
Bluesky
If you prefer microblogging but want out of X, head on to Bluesky, the fastest-growing social networking app today with 33 million users (and still growing). Unlike X, which controls your feed, Bluesky lets you filter what you want to see. Oh, and Bluesky is owned by a former Twitter CEO, so everything about it feels like home.
Mastodon
Another worthy alternative is Mastodon. It's an open-source social media app that lets you connect with people from different communities. Some say it's an alternative to X, but for me, it's to Facebook. It's kind of similar to Reddit, except you and the people you meet don't have to be anonymous. I also find people here to be generally nicer and more supportive compared to other social networks. A lot less noise, too. At least so far.
