How to Build a Making Friends App?

Making friends can be difficult, especially in this technology world. We may not have as much time to socialise as we used to, and we may find it harder to connect with people who share our interests. Data from Bumble suggests that 66% of Gen Z respondents (people born in the late 1990s through the early 2000s) shared that they made friends online and 41% felt scared to approach strangers in person. This is where making friend apps come in.

Making friend apps are becoming increasingly popular, as more and more people turn to online platforms to meet new people. If you are thinking about building a making friend app, this post is for you.

In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about a making friends app, from its definition, developing steps, key features, budget to monetisation strategies. Let’s check it and prepare to join the market.

1. Introduction to Making Friends App 

1.1. What is a Making Friends App?

Simply, a making friends app is where people connect with others and make new friends all over the world, regardless of locations, languages and time zones.

The app uses a matching algorithm to connect users with others who share common interests and values, then you can send hello messages and start your making friend journey. If you find yourself making friends hard, these apps can be an easier way for you.

1.2. Making Friends App Market Overview

In 2021, one Australian report dubbed millennials and Gen Z the loneliest generations, 54% of Gen Z-ers reporting that they regularly feel lonely – figures that were higher compared to those of other generations. May you not know that loneliness can take both physical and mental tolls on people, and friendship can help people tackle this. That’s why the market for making friends apps is growing rapidly.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, David Siegel, Meetup’s CEO, said “It may be a perfect storm of reasons why there is a great demand for friendships today”, as this pandemic made it more difficult for people to meet new friends in person.

The making friends app market is dominated by a few large players, such as Bumble BFF, Hey! VINA, and Meetup. However, there are also a number of smaller startups that are developing innovative new apps. Bumble introduced Bumble BFF in 2016, and saw a 16% increase in time spent on the app after adding the new feature. “Investors agree that using technology to form relationships is the new normal”. Hey! Vina  ($1.4m), Peanut ($17m), and Yubo ($65.7m) have collectively raised $84m+ in funding.” 

1.3. Top 6 Famous Making Friends Apps

Bumble BFF

Bumble BFF is a dating app that has a dedicated BFF mode for people who are looking to make new friends. It works similarly to the dating feature, where users can swipe right on people they are interested in and swipe left on people they are not interested in. If two users swipe right on each other, they are matched and can start chatting.

Hey! VINA

Hey! VINA is a making friend app that is designed specifically for women. It allows users to connect with other women who share their interests, values, and lifestyle. Hey! VINA also offers a variety of features to help women build friendships, such as group chats, events, and icebreakers.

Meetup

Meetup is a making friend app that helps people to find and RSVP to events in their area. There are Meetup groups for all sorts of interests, from hiking and biking to book clubs and movie nights. Meetup is a great way to meet new people and make friends who share your interests.

Peanut

Peanut is a making friend app for moms. It allows moms to connect with other moms who are in similar stages of motherhood. Peanut also offers a variety of features to help moms support each other, such as group chats, advice, and resources.

Ablo

Ablo is a making friend app that lets you connect, discover, and have conversations with users from around the world with a real-time translation for text as well as video chats. 

Yubo

Yubo is a making friend app for teens. It allows teens to connect with other teens who share their interests. Yubo also offers a variety of features to help teens make friends, such as group chats, live streams, and games.

>>> Read more: Top 15 Making Friends Apps To Meet New People That Actually Work [Updated Version 2023]

2. Why Creating Making Friends App is so Helpful?

As Making Friends App can help people connect with others and make new friends, it can have a number of benefits, including:

• Improved mental health: Studies have shown that having strong social connections can improve mental health and reduce the risk of depression and anxiety.
• Reduced stress: Social connection can also help to reduce stress and improve overall well-being.
• Increased happiness: Having friends makes people happier and more satisfied with their lives.
• Increased sense of belonging: Friends provide a sense of belonging and support, which is important for everyone.
• New opportunities: Friends can introduce us to new experiences and opportunities, which can help us to grow and learn.

3. Steps of creating a Friend Making App?

Step 1: Research and Plan

One of the most important things you need to do when starting to develop an educational app is to thoroughly understand the market and your target users. After collecting a proper amount of data, you can start to analyse them to have an insight of your market. 

Who are you building this app for? What are their needs and wants? What are their interests? Once you understand your target audience, you can start to design an app that meets their needs.

Step 2: Identify core features

What features are essential to your app? What features will make your app stand out from the competition? Some common features of friends making apps include user profiles, matching algorithms, messaging, group chats, voice and video calls, and events. You need to work with the development team to understand what you are trying to make and stay involved throughout the entire process. 

Step 3: Design user interface (UI) and user experience (UX)

The UI is the first thing users will see, so it’s important to make sure it’s attractive and easy to use. On top of that, the UX should be smooth and seamless to make your app accessible for everyone.

Step 4: Develop 

You can either develop your app yourself or hire a mobile app development company. Your choice depends on your budget, project types and demand. However, whether you choose to build an internal team or outsource, building an MVP can ensure low development costs and effort. This could help you define how many users accept your app idea before investing more money into scaling your app.

Step 5: Test 

Once your app is developed, it is important to test it thoroughly to ensure that it is bug-free and works as expected. 

You can follow testing methods below:

• UI/UX Testing: evaluate components’ interactivity with customers
• Functionality Testing: determine whether the product meets the specified requirements
• Regression Testing: check if modification breaks the website’s overall flow
• Compatibility Testing: check the software’s functionality utilising an operating system, an app, mobile devices and a network environment.

Step 6: Launch 

Once you are satisfied with your app, release it to the public. You can launch it on the App Store and Google Play.

Step 7: Maintain and update

After deployment, remember to regularly maintain and update your app to ensure it remains secure, stable and up-to-date with the latest technologies and user needs. Updating the app will help you to keep users engaged and satisfied..

4. Key features of Friends Making App 

User profiles

Users should be able to create profiles that include information about themselves, such as their interests, hobbies, and location. This information will help the app to match users with those who share their interests.

Matching algorithms

The app should use a matching algorithm to connect users with other users who share their interests and values. This algorithm should take into account a variety of factors, such as the user’s profile information, their location, and their activity on the app.

Messaging

One of must-have features is chatting, users should be able to send and receive messages to others on the app. This is the primary way that users will communicate with each other and start to build friendships.

Voice and video calls

Accepting users to make voice and video calls to others on the app is a great way for users to interact virtually with others and to build deeper friendships.

Search Option

Users can search for people with some common features to them, based on some filters like locations, hobbies, interests. The search option will help them to find the most appropriate people quickly and easily.

Push Notifications

The app should send notifications to users about upcoming events, updates, and clearly, messages from their online friends. This will help them to stay informed and updated.

Feedback

The app should allow customers to provide feedback on the app and also report people who have any suspicious or inappropriate behaviour to the app moderator. It is important to ensure the safety and security of all users of the app. 

Group chats

Another great way for users to meet new people and make friends with multiple people at once is joining group chats. Users should be able to join group chats where people with the same interests gather, but the development team needs to add some questions before approving anyone to join the group. 

5. Tech stack

• Front-end development: ReactJS, Angular 
• Back-end development: Node.js, Phyton, PHP
• Mobile development:  iOS – Swift, Android – Java, Cross-platform – Flutter, React Native
• Web development: Javascript, HTML, CSS, Vue.js, React.js
• Databases: Firebase, MySQL, MongoDB, 
• Multiple payment modes:  PayPal, Braintree, Stripe
• SMS, Phone Verification, Voice: Twilio, Nexmo
• Email management: Mandrill
• Push notifications: Twilio, Push.io
• In-app messaging and calling: Twilio
• Cloud environment: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Microsoft Azure.

6. How Much Does It Cost to Develop and Maintain a Making Friends App?

The cost and time of developing a Making Friends App will depend on many factors like:

• Tech stack
• Platform choices (iOS, Android, website…)
• Functionality
• Design
• Team size
• Hourly rates
• Developer’s qualifications

We’ll look at the educational app development cost by location of the development team, it varies from $40,000 to $150,000. It can be seen that choosing a dedicated team from South Asia would help you reduce a lot in building your telemedicine app.

Source: GoodFirm

Regarding development time, if your educational app does not require any specific UI and functionalities, it would take around 2-3 months. But if you need a more complex and challenging app, the time your team should spend will be 4-6 months.

If you don’t have an in-house development team, partnering with a vendor is the best and most cost-efficient option for you. By finding vendors from other countries with a lower cost of living, you can also save money and repurpose them for other business expenses like marketing activities.

7. How Does a Making Friends App Make Money?

There are several monetisation strategies for an app you can refer to:

• In-app Advertising: This is a common way to make money from an app. Advertising allows you to display ads within your app. When users click on the ads, you will earn a commission. This is a good option for apps that have a large user base. 
• Subscriptions: Some making friends apps offer premium subscriptions that give users access to additional features, such as the ability to see who has liked their profile, send unlimited messages, and boost their profile to make it more visible to other users.
• Selling virtual goods: Some making friends apps allow users to purchase virtual goods, such as gifts and stickers, that they can give to other users. The app developers earn money from the sale of these virtual goods.

Conclusion

Since the COVID-19 pandemic happened, the making friends app industry has set to bloom, and it is still expected to continue to grow after the end of the pandemic. This is due to a number of factors, including the increasing urbanisation of the global population, the rising number of single people, and the growing popularity of online dating and relationships.

If you are a business or startup that is thinking about building a making friend app, there are a number of things you need to consider. Moreover, if you are considering hiring a software outsourcing company, I recommend that you choose AgileTech. We have a team of experienced and skilled developers who can help you to build a successful making friend app. Maybe your product will be outstanding in the friendship app industry.