6 Best Apps To Meet New People In 2026, By Format

Apps to meet new people, compared by format

Prices and features checked Sep 28, 2026 from each app’s App Store listing and official site. U.S. prices; they can change and vary by country. Timeleft's dinner price does not include your own food and drinks.

Group chats: ChatFindr — best for meeting people nearby

ChatFindr is built for adults who want to see what is happening socially around them without a dating-style queue. Discover shows local chats by interest and vibe, and Nearby shows people with shared interests, mutual friends and distance.

The first interaction happens inside a group. A coffee chat, outdoor group or trivia conversation gives everyone something concrete to talk about; you can get a feel for the tone, join in at your own pace, and send friend requests when a connection feels natural. That lower-pressure opening is why we rank it first for meeting people nearby.

It is iPhone and iPad only, private messaging needs ChatFindr Pro, and activity varies by city. Where a chat for your interest does not exist yet, create it — the first few members often become the core of the group.

Dinner with strangers: Timeleft — best for a plan made for you

Timeleft matches you with a small group based on personality, interests and age for dinners, coffee, runs and other activities, and reveals the venue and your companions shortly before the event. It removes almost all planning: you just show up.

The tradeoffs are cost and continuity. You pay for a Timeleft plan and for your own food and drinks, and each event puts you with a new group, so building repeat contact with the same people takes extra effort afterward. It pairs well with a group chat app where you can keep talking to people you liked.

Events: Meetup — best for scheduled activities

Meetup makes sense when you want to leave the house for a defined reason. Its groups span hobbies, fitness, professional interests, learning and social activities, with both recurring and one-off events.

Structure removes the burden of inventing a plan, but it does not guarantee an easy social experience. Check the organizer, group history and typical attendance before you go, and favor recurring events: seeing the same faces weekly is what builds familiarity.

Profiles: BFF — best for choosing individual people

BFF applies a familiar profile-and-match flow to friendship and, since its 2025 relaunch in the U.S., adds free interest Groups with chats and event planning. It suits people who care about someone's photos, prompts and life stage before starting a conversation.

The one-to-one side can feel like another inbox: matches stall unless someone moves things forward. If that is what has put you off, starting in a group — on BFF's Groups tab or in ChatFindr — is a gentler opening.

Small groups: We3 — best for less awkward introductions

We3 matches people in groups of three using personality and values. If you dislike both large events and one-to-one stranger meetings, a trio is a comfortable middle ground. Because the app chooses the group, you browse less — and results depend on how many compatible people are active near you.

Live video: Yubo — best for meeting people online right now

Yubo is an 18+ social discovery app with profile swipes, interest tags, chat and live rooms. It is built for jumping into conversation immediately, often with people far from your city. That makes it lively for online socializing but less suited to building a nearby weekend circle.

Our verdict: start with the interaction you actually want

If you want to meet new people and keep seeing them in real life, pick an app whose opening interaction looks like the social life you want. For iPhone users who want a local circle, ChatFindr's group chats are our first recommendation. For a ready-made night out, Timeleft; for a calendar of activities, Meetup.

Whichever you choose, join a small number of relevant groups or events and show up consistently. The best app is not the one that shows the most strangers. It is the one that makes the next conversation — and the one after that — easier to have.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Picking an app for popularity when its first interaction does not suit you.
• Joining too many groups or events to take part meaningfully in any of them.
• Treating one-off events as the whole plan instead of following up with people you liked.
• Skipping safety basics when moving from an app to meeting in person.

Practical example

Combining two formats in your first month

Imagine you want to meet people nearby but have no interest in another dating-style app. In ChatFindr, you join one coffee chat and one outdoor group, introduce yourself through the existing topic, and check back a few times a week. By the second week, a few names feel familiar.

You also book one hosted dinner or a recurring Meetup event for a fixed night out. Afterward, you invite anyone you enjoyed meeting into the group chat, so the conversation continues instead of ending at the table.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and references

• Timeleft: Make New Friends IRL (App Store)
• Bumble BFF's revamped app is here, focusing on friend groups and community building (TechCrunch)
• How Meetup works (Meetup)
• We3: Meet New People in Groups (App Store)
• Yubo is becoming an 18+ app (Yubo)