Best Apps to Make Friends in the UK in 2026
Making friends as an adult is just weird.
In school or uni, you kind of just ended up with friends by existing in the same room. Now? You might chat with colleagues or people at the gym, but actually getting from "hey mate" to hanging out on a Saturday is surprisingly hard.
Friendship apps help, but they’re not all built the same. Friendship apps help, but they’re not all built the same. And apps are only one option — if you’re in the capital, we’ve also put together a guide to how to make friends in London as an adult. Here’s a realistic breakdown of what’s out there in the UK right now, without the fluff.
(Full transparency: Bfriendz made this list, and yeah, we included ourselves. But no, we didn't put ourselves at #1. We just want to give an honest look at what works for different vibes.)
Meetup
Meetup still looks a bit like the internet in 2010, but people use it because it does the job. Run clubs, board game nights, weekend hikes — if there’s a group doing it, there’s a decent chance it’s on there.
What’s good: No need to come up with awkward openers. You can just turn up. And honestly, being in a group of ten people is often less awkward than sitting across from one stranger for two hours.
The reality: It’s a total hit or miss. Some groups are super active and friendly, while others host one dead event at a pub and go silent forever.
Bumble For Friends
This is just standard Bumble, but swapped for friends. You make a profile, see who’s nearby, match with someone and start talking.
What’s good: Good if you want to vet someone before committing to meeting them in real life.
The reality: Get ready for the "small talk trap". You’ll match, ask how their week is going, text back and forth for 3 weeks, and then quietly fade out without ever making a plan.
Bfriendz
Most apps start with a person’s profile. Bfriendz starts with an actual activity.
Instead of matching first and endlessly asking "so what do you like to do?", you just post a real plan — like grabbing a coffee in Soho after work, hitting an exhibition, or going to a gig. You also set the intent upfront (Friendly, Romantic, or Let’s See) so nobody’s confused.
What’s good: It skips the three weeks of useless texting. You start with a time, place, and thing to do.
The reality: We’re newer than Bumble or Meetup, so user numbers are still growing outside major UK towns. Also, since it covers dating too, it's not strictly 100% platonic.
Gofrendly
It’s for women who want to meet other women as friends. You can match one-to-one, join group chats or arrange something locally.
What’s good: Very clear intention. You know 100% that nobody is on there with a hidden agenda.
The reality: It’s women-only, and depending on where you live in the UK, user numbers can drop off outside major cities.
We3
Meeting one person you’ve never met before can end up feeling weirdly like a blind date. We3 solves this by grouping people in trios based on a quick personality quiz.
* What’s good: Three people is a sweet spot. If conversation lags with one person, someone else picks it up. Way less pressure.
* The reality: You can’t choose your group members, and the matching algorithm only works if there are enough active people near you.
Peanut
If you’re pregnant or have young kids, Peanut is basically the go-to. It connects local mums going through the exact same life stages.
What’s good: You already have something in common, and nobody thinks twice if your schedule is a bit weird or changes at the last minute.
The reality: If you don’t have kids and aren’t planning to, it’s probably not for you.
What is the best free app for making friends in the UK?
If you want a completely flexible starting point, Meetup, Bumble For Friends and Gofrendly all offer ways to begin without paying, although particular Meetup events may have their own ticket prices and premium features exist on some platforms.
Bfriendz, We3 and Peanut are free to download too, though they all have paid extras or subscriptions.
Are friendship apps actually worth using?
They can be, but an app can't create a friendship for you. What these apps can do is make it a bit easier to get started.
The ones you actually stick with will probably be the ones that suit how you already like meeting people. If you like groups, find groups. If you like one-to-one conversations, find one person.
And if you're tired of saying “we should hang out sometime”, make it specific. We’ve got a guide on how to ask a new friend to hang out without making it weird.
Or just start with a plan instead.
Download Bfriendz
