Asking for a friend: Apps to help you connect with like minds

Whether you are new to Ireland, have moved county or have just found that as life goes on, your friendship circle has tightened due to having kids, not having kids, friends emigrating or leaving people behind after a break-up, there are plenty of options for you to get yourself back in the friend game via apps and websites.

If you are already familiar with online dating platforms, you may know that a few of those apps have a ‘looking for friends’ option. Tinder allows users to switch their preferences to find friends, and female-friendly dating app Bumble has BumbleBFF to help women form female friendships.

But there are also some dedicated friending apps and platforms to try.

BFFinder

This Irish friendship website is only for friends and anyone using it as a dating site will be removed. It is free to sign up to and, once you’re set up, members can search through profiles and message potential new friends.

You can search for friends by interest, such as food, reading, sports, pets and cinema. As well as being able to message people, you can start conversations or post random thoughts on the blog page. BFFinder also allows you to create events or join in the fun of someone else’s gathering. And all of this is entirely free to use.

Peanut

This app was created for mothers, expecting mothers and women going through menopause to help them find new friends and like-minded women. The app is free to sign up to and it also has a subscription option to boost your experience for €6.99 a month.

Peanut has lots of cool features to make sure you find your village. Members can reject or ‘wave’ to profiles, message contacts, explore communities and read posts on the feed. There is even an audio chat feature where they can join live pods and chat about the topic at hand (much like Clubhouse) with mothers from all over the world.

Swanned

For expats from the UK and Ireland, Swanned is both a dating and friendship app for those who find themselves in a new country. If you’re spending time in foreign lands in the short-term or emigrating, you can still feel at home by meeting people from back home. The ability to change location on the app helps members find friends before moving.

Free to sign up, you choose ‘friendship mode’ or ‘dating mode’ to begin with. Once you complete your profile, you can switch between modes. Similar to Tinder’s swiping, members choose the profiles they like the sound of and message directly on the app. The app also offers deals from local businesses.

Meetup

The go-to platform for those looking to find their tribe is Meetup, a worldwide service with something for everyone.

Just as it sounds, this app is intended for people to meet up with each other in-person or via online group events. Some events are free and others may have a charge from the host. Here you can find a wide range of new friend opportunities, from drinks or coffee shop gatherings to something more specific like a Dungeons and Dragons fans meet-up or a writers’ group. And you can’t find a group that suits your interests, you can always start your own one. Basic membership is free but there is also a €9.99 monthly subscription which gives you extra features like seeing who else will attend events, access to a badge of honour system and customisation tools.

Facebook

One of the original social apps, Facebook is more than just a place to find your old friends from school, or to get a random ‘Happy Birthday’ message from someone you once met on a night out on holiday. It’s actually a great place to make new friends by finding local groups – many of which are named Open Forums or Community Forums. You can search these groups by interest, finding online communities and those that organise offline events.

BeFriend

This app does exactly as it suggests. Formerly known as Swipr, BeFriend provides plenty of features to keep your new friendships online. It connecting social accounts, text and audio messaging and it even has a video call feature. It is ideally set up for people who are not just looking for friends to meet in person nearby but are open to the opportunity to friend people from around the world and form online friendships.

Wink

Another site intended to allow users to make friends from all over the world is Wink. The app is free but features beyond the basics will cost you ‘gems’, which you can obtain via in-app purchases. Wink users swipe through profiles and send texts, photos and audio messages using its social media-style features.

5 tips to get you started

1. Look for friends with the same interests as you to find some common ground to kick off the conversation.

2. Much the same as dating apps, you don’t have to like everyone you meet. Don’t force a friendship if you don’t feel comfortable with it.

3. Decide if you want your friendships to be online or offline. This will determine which apps will work best for you.

4. If you are shy meeting in a group setting, pick events for hobbies you love and are passionate about. That will help your personality shine through.

5. Jump in and send that first message. What have you got to lose?