The landscape of apps for meeting people and making friends is always evolving. While popular apps from 2023 and 2024 will likely still be relevant, here are 4 apps to watch for potential growth in helping you meet people and make friends in 2025, keeping in mind that these areas are constantly evolving:

1. Meetup (Continued Growth):

•  What it is: Meetup is a platform for finding and joining local groups based on shared interests. You can find groups for hiking, book clubs, gaming, coding, language exchange, and many more.

•  Why it’s promising for 2025: It has a well-established user base, focuses on in-person interactions (which are crucial for building genuine friendships), and caters to a wide range of interests. It is well positioned to continue to be a useful way for people to connect with like-minded people in the coming years.

•  Features: Browse groups, RSVP for events, chat with group members, and organize your own meetups.

2. Friended (Emphasis on Shared Experiences):

•  What it is: Friended is designed for making friends based on shared experiences, activities, and conversations. It’s less about superficial profiles and more about finding people with similar values.

•  Why it’s promising for 2025: The focus on genuine connection and shared interests is likely to appeal to people looking for deeper friendships than what is found on dating apps. This app appears to have more potential to grow in the coming years.

•  Features: Share your thoughts, engage in meaningful discussions, and find people interested in similar activities and interests. It also allows users to chat via text and video.

3. Bumble BFF (Continued Focus on Friendships):

•  What it is: Bumble has a separate “BFF” mode designed specifically for finding friends, not dates.

• Why it’s promising for 2025: Bumble has a strong reputation and a user base. The BFF mode offers a structured environment for women (and men) to connect. As dating app burnout rises, more people might start using this as a way to find platonic friendships.

•  Features: Swipe through profiles, connect with people who seem like a good fit, and chat within the app.

4. Hunch (Potential Growth in Personalized Connection):

•  What it is: Hunch utilizes AI to match users based on personality and interests, not just demographics.

•  Why it’s promising for 2025: AI-powered personalization is a major trend. Apps like Hunch have the potential to offer a more refined way to connect with people you are more likely to genuinely get along with.

•  Features: AI-driven matching system, personalized recommendations, in-app chat, and the potential to match with people anywhere on the globe.

General Trends to Watch:

•  Emphasis on Authenticity: More apps will likely move away from superficial profiles and focus on genuine interactions.

•  Integration of Video and Audio: Expect more apps to integrate video and audio chat options for more engaging conversations.

•  AI-Powered Matching: AI algorithms for finding compatible friends are likely to improve.

•  Virtual Events: Some apps will continue to explore virtual events and activities to help users connect.

•  Focus on Local Communities: Apps that facilitate local in-person meetups are likely to be popular.

•  Mental Health: Apps that are also focused on mental health may start incorporating features for meeting friends.

Important Note:

•  Safety: Always prioritize safety when using any app for meeting new people.

•  Be Patient: Building meaningful friendships takes time.

•  Try Several Apps: Don’t rely on just one app. Try a few different options to see which ones work best for you.

It is likely that several other apps will continue to dominate in 2025, but be sure to follow reviews and watch out for new app releases to discover the best way to find new friends.