Change in Social Interaction: Apps to Promote Friendship Experience Boom

The advancing digitalization has noticeably intensified people's need for new, platonic connections. The U.S. Surgeon General explicitly warned in 2023 about the growing loneliness and classified this phenomenon as a serious health crisis. Particularly remote workers and younger generations, who seek social contacts outside their office world, are driving the demand for new friendships. Thanks to online dating apps, the stigma of forming relationships over the internet has significantly diminished. This has paved the way for a variety of applications focusing on creating friendships and local communities. According to estimates from SensorTower, over a dozen such apps in the U.S. have generated around 16 million USD in revenue to date. Prominent examples include Timeleft, Meet5, and Bumble’s BFF with approximately 4.3 million downloads in 2025. These apps offer an easier way to make new friendships than direct contact in gyms or cafes, for example. Since all users are on the same path seeking friendship rather than romance, communication is facilitated. With major players like Meetup and new entrants like 222, a wide range of applications is being served that meets the growing need for meaningful friendships. Below is an overview of some of the offerings. 222 is a platform available exclusively for iOS that organizes social events by assembling groups through personality analyses. This app relies on a unique invitation strategy and allows socially anxious users to bring a companion. The giant Bumble already focused on the topic of friendship in 2016 and launched its standalone app BFF in 2023, concentrating on group meetings and community building. The app Clyx has its roots in Gen-Z and integrates local event data for mutual visits, while Les Amis focuses on women and the LGBTQ+ community. Meet5 targets users over 40 and promotes group events in the U.S., while the app Pie relies on AI-supported compatibility tests to bring users together. Rounding out the offerings is Timeleft, which organizes weekly meetings with dinner dates, and Wyzr Friends, which is aimed at those over 40. With targeted features and innovative approaches, this new family of apps represents a dynamic and growing market in social networking.