Top 9 Best Making Friend Apps in 2025 – What They Teach Us About Building Social Platforms
In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s ironic how disconnected many people still feel. The rise of remote work, urban migration, and the decline of traditional community spaces have all contributed to a growing sense of isolation. As a result, digital tools that help people form meaningful connections have never been more valuable, and friend-making apps are at the forefront of this trend.
Whether you’re a student moving to a new city, a digital nomad craving companionship, or simply someone looking to expand your social circle, friend-making apps offer a powerful way to meet like-minded people. In this article, we explore the nine best apps for making friends in 2025 and show how businesses like AgileTech Vietnam are enabling the future of social networking through smart app development.
1. What Makes a Great Friend-Making App?
Unlike dating platforms, friend-making apps require a unique approach to engagement. Users aren’t looking for romance – they’re looking for genuine, platonic connections, which calls for different expectations around interaction, safety, and longevity. A successful friend-making app needs to do more than match people; it must facilitate trust, encourage interaction, and make users feel emotionally safe.
First and foremost, core features such as geolocation, interest-based discovery, private messaging, and group functionality are essential. These tools enable users to connect based on proximity and common passions, which greatly improves the chances of meaningful interaction.
User experience (UX) design also plays a central role. A clean, intuitive interface removes friction and allows users to focus on the connection rather than figuring out how the app works. Privacy features – such as content moderation, block/report functions, and age filters – are equally critical to ensuring a positive and safe user environment.
2. 9 Best Making Friends Apps for Meeting New People
2.1. Skout
Skout is one of the oldest names in the friend-making space. It pioneered real-time location-based social networking long before many of its competitors even existed. With millions of users worldwide, Skout allows individuals to connect with others nearby or in different cities through chat, profile browsing, and virtual gifting.
What sets Skout apart is its “live streaming” feature, where users can host or join broadcasts. This adds a unique, interactive element to the friend-making process and helps break the ice in a natural, engaging way. Its global community makes it an ideal platform for extroverts who love meeting people from different cultures.
2.2. Bumble BFF
Born as an offshoot of the popular dating app Bumble, Bumble BFF is designed specifically for forming platonic friendships. The interface remains largely the same: swipe right to match, and start chatting once a match is made. But in this version, romantic intentions are left at the door.
Bumble BFF emphasizes personal storytelling and interest alignment, making it a strong option for professionals, expats, or those undergoing major life transitions. The platform supports a wide user base and has invested heavily in community-building initiatives that promote kindness and inclusivity.
2.3. Yubo
Geared toward Gen Z, Yubo turns social discovery into a live, real-time experience. Rather than one-on-one chat, the app focuses on live group streams where users can talk, play games, or discuss topics together. It mimics the spontaneous feel of a school lunchroom or gaming party.
Yubo’s commitment to safety is notable. It uses age-gating features to ensure younger users aren’t matched with adults, and all streams are monitored for inappropriate behavior. It’s a great choice for younger audiences who prefer fluid, interest-based engagement over structured conversations.
2.4. Meetup
Unlike most apps on this list, Meetup is built entirely around offline interaction. Users join local groups based on shared interests, such as tech talks, hiking clubs, or language exchanges, and attend real-life events organized through the platform.
This model is perfect for individuals who thrive in group settings or prefer making friends through shared experiences. For community builders, Meetup offers a robust toolkit for organizing and managing local activities, making it ideal for expanding one’s social network while also pursuing hobbies.
2.5. Friender
Friender is built around one simple principle: shared interests form the strongest foundations for friendship. When signing up, users select hobbies and activities they enjoy, and the app only shows profiles with at least one matching interest. This design dramatically improves the quality of matches and keeps conversations relevant.
With a swipe-based interface similar to dating apps, Friender feels familiar but refreshingly platonic. Whether you’re into travel, fitness, art, or volunteering, you’ll find someone who shares your passion – and potentially, a long-term friend.
2.6. Hey! VINA
Often called “Tinder for (girl) friends,” Hey! VINA is an empowering space for women to connect. The app is built for women seeking platonic friendships, especially those who are new to a city, navigating major life changes, or simply looking for a supportive sisterhood.
Hey! VINA uses quizzes and lifestyle algorithms to match users based on personality, values, and interests. Its community content, blog posts, and group challenges make it more than just a matching tool – it’s a lifestyle space. For women seeking meaningful connection in a safe environment, it’s one of the best options available.
2.7. Twitch
While Twitch is primarily a live streaming platform for gamers, it has evolved into one of the most powerful online communities in the world. Streamers often foster highly engaged follower groups, and viewers interact in real-time during broadcasts. Many friendships begin in Twitch chats and extend into other platforms or even real life.
The sense of shared routine – logging into the same stream, participating in jokes, and supporting a common creator – fosters a strong sense of belonging. It’s an organic, slow-burn way of forming connections that feel authentic and unforced.
2.8. Atleto
Atleto is a fitness-centric social app for those who believe in bonding over movement. Whether you’re looking for a running partner, tennis match, or team sport, Atleto lets users find local athletes of similar skill levels and interests.
The app also supports event creation and community-building features, making it ideal for anyone who prefers face-to-face activity over digital chat. Atleto appeals strongly to students, young professionals, and health enthusiasts who see sports as a gateway to socializing.
2.9. Mom Life
Motherhood can be one of the most isolating experiences despite being so common. Mom Life is an app designed to address that by connecting moms based on their children’s ages, locations, and shared parenting philosophies.
Through discussion groups, private chats, and localized meetups, Mom Life helps women build support systems during some of life’s most challenging (and rewarding) moments. It’s more than an app – it’s a community built on empathy, understanding, and shared experiences.
Read more: Top 20+ Making Friends Apps To Meet New People [2025 Updated]
3. AgileTech Vietnam’s Expertise in Social App Development
The growing popularity of friend-making apps is a direct reflection of evolving user behavior. At AgileTech Vietnam, we’ve helped startups and enterprises build social platforms that cater to these modern needs. With a team of experienced developers, designers, and business analysts, we provide end-to-end app development services specifically tailored for community-driven products.
Our development process incorporates real-time features such as chat, geolocation, content moderation, live streams, and AI-based recommendations. Whether you’re building a niche platform like a fitness buddy finder or a large-scale social app with millions of users, we ensure your product is designed for engagement, growth, and long-term retention.
Data security and performance are two non-negotiables in social networking, and we adhere to best practices for privacy (GDPR-compliant development), secure APIs, and scalable cloud architecture. Our clients value our ability to balance speed-to-market with high code quality and flexible engagement models.
We’ve collaborated on multiple apps focused on community interaction, lifestyle engagement, and virtual connection. Our UX/UI designers place the user at the heart of every screen, ensuring every interaction feels natural, intuitive, and enjoyable.
Read more: How to Create A Dating App: A Comprehensive Guide
4. Planning to Build a Friend-Making App?
Creating a successful social app involves more than just coding. It begins with identifying the target audience, defining user personas, and mapping out user journeys. At AgileTech, we help founders go from idea to MVP through detailed product discovery workshops, wireframing, and feature prioritization.
Choosing the right tech stack is also critical. For most social apps, we recommend cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native for fast deployment. Backend choices like Node.js with Firebase or AWS offer real-time capabilities and seamless scalability. For apps requiring advanced features – like video chat or AI matchmaking – we integrate third-party APIs or develop custom modules as needed.
If you’re weighing outsourcing vs. in-house development, consider this: Vietnam has become a trusted hub for IT talent, offering high-quality development services at competitive costs. By working with AgileTech Vietnam, you get access to a dedicated team that understands both the technical and strategic sides of app development, without the overhead of hiring internally.
The average timeline for building a social MVP is 10–14 weeks, depending on complexity. During this period, our team provides weekly updates, sprint demos, and full transparency so you stay in control of your product vision.
Conclusion
Friend-making apps are more than just digital tools – they’re lifelines to connection in an increasingly disconnected world. Whether you’re a user searching for authentic friendship or a business exploring the next big idea in social tech, now is the time to act.
The nine apps highlighted in this article each offer a unique take on modern friendship, from hyper-local discovery to live-streamed communities. Their success proves that the demand for meaningful connection is as strong as ever.
For entrepreneurs looking to create the next breakout social platform, partnering with a trusted development company is key. AgileTech Vietnam is here to help you build with confidence, innovate with purpose, and grow with your users.