TL;DR
A wave of mobile apps is positioning itself to help users form platonic relationships, with platforms focused on group meetups, event discovery and personality-driven matches. Appfigures estimates these local-focused friendship apps have driven about $16 million in U.S. consumer spending and roughly 4.3 million downloads so far in 2025.
What happened
As loneliness and social isolation have attracted attention from public-health officials, a growing number of apps are aiming to make it easier to meet new friends. The U.S. Surgeon General labeled loneliness a public health crisis in 2023, and developers have responded with platforms that explicitly focus on platonic connections rather than dating. The category includes long-running services such as Meetup and newer entrants that pair people for curated events or use algorithms and personality quizzes to form small groups. Appfigures estimates suggest more than a dozen locally focused friendship apps have generated about $16 million in U.S. consumer spending and around 4.3 million downloads in 2025. Individual apps take varied approaches: some run weekly curated dinners or small-group chats; others surface local events by integrating ticketing and social data or use location maps to connect nearby users. Several of the apps currently operate only in select cities and use paid or freemium models.
Why it matters
- Public-health attention to loneliness has created demand for tools that facilitate in-person platonic connections.
- These apps lower the social friction of meeting strangers by signaling that all users seek friendship rather than romance.
- Commercial traction (downloads and spending) indicates a growing market for social apps beyond dating.
- City-limited launches and paid features show companies are testing local and monetization strategies before broader rollouts.
Key facts
- Appfigures estimates local-focused friendship apps have driven about $16 million in U.S. consumer spending so far in 2025.
- Appfigures reports roughly 4.3 million downloads of these apps in 2025 to date.
- 222 is an iOS-only events platform that pairs strangers based on a personality test, allows a plus-one and charges a $22.22 curation fee or a monthly subscription at the same price.
- Bumble’s BFF began as a friend-finding feature in 2016 and became a standalone app in 2023; it recently emphasized group meetups and is free on iOS and Android.
- Clyx aggregates local event data (including Ticketmaster and TikTok), lets users upload contacts to see which friends will attend, recommends users to meet at events, and currently operates in Miami and London with plans to expand to New York City and São Paulo.
- Les Amís targets women, transgender and LGBTQ+ users, uses AI to match people weekly, is available across multiple European cities and in U.S. markets such as Austin and New York, and charges membership fees that vary by city (e.g., $70 in New York, €55 in Amsterdam).
- Meetup, founded in 2002, remains a widely used event-discovery and group platform where users can RSVP, join and create groups, chat and post event photos.
- Meet5 recently launched in the U.S. targeting users over 40; Appfigures estimates about 777,000 U.S. downloads so far.
- Pie uses an AI-driven quiz to group attendees into sets of six for events and opens group chats before gatherings; it is available in Austin, Chicago and San Francisco.
- Timeleft organizes weekly Wednesday dinner meetups, matches users with four others using an algorithm that considers age, gender and personality, reveals limited participant details the night before, and requires users to buy a ticket and pay for their own meals and drinks.
What to watch next
- Clyx’s planned expansion to New York City and São Paulo (confirmed in the source).
- Les Amís’ rollout to Boston, Miami and Los Angeles (confirmed in the source).
- Whether overall consumer spending and downloads continue to grow and translate into sustainable business models (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Friendship app: A mobile or web platform designed primarily to help users form platonic relationships rather than romantic ones.
- Personality-based matching: A method that uses questionnaires or algorithms to pair users with others who have similar traits or preferences.
- Event-discovery platform: A service that aggregates local events and activities so users can find and RSVP to in-person gatherings.
- Vetting process: A review or selection procedure used by some platforms to approve participants for curated events or groups.
- Location-based social discovery: A feature that shows nearby users or venues to facilitate spontaneous or planned meetups.
Reader FAQ
Are these apps intended for dating?
No. The apps covered in the source emphasize platonic connections and indicate users are looking for friendship rather than romance.
Do these apps cost money?
Costs vary: some are free to download (eg, Bumble BFF), others use paid memberships or per-event fees (eg, 222 charges $22.22 curation fee; Les Amís membership fees vary by city; Timeleft requires tickets and users pay for meals).
Are the services available everywhere?
Availability differs by app: several operate only in select cities (for example, 222 is iOS-only; Pie is in Austin, Chicago and San Francisco; Mmotion is currently limited to New York City).
Do these apps guarantee you will make a friend?
not confirmed in the source
In recent years, people have been increasingly looking for new ways to form platonic connections, as loneliness and social isolation have become more prevalent. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General…
Sources
- As people look for ways to make new friends, here are the apps promising to help
- As people look for ways to make new friends, here are the …
- Friend-Finding Apps and AI Companions
- Loneliness is taking friend-making apps mainstream
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