As People Look For Ways To Make New Friends, Here Are The Apps Promising To Help

As People Look For Ways To Make New Friends, Here Are The Apps Promising To Help

Friendship Apps Surge as Loneliness Crisis Deepens As loneliness reaches epidemic levels, a new generation of friendship apps is stepping in to help people forge real, platonic bonds—without the pressure of dating. With remote work eroding casual office interactions and younger adults rebuilding social circles from scratch, millions are turning to digital platforms designed specifically for making friends. In 2025 alone, U.S. users have downloaded friendship-focused apps over 4.3 million times, signaling a major shift in how we build community. Credit: Tim Robberts / Getty Images Loneliness Is Now a Public Health Priority The urgency isn’t imagined. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General officially declared loneliness a public health crisis, linking chronic social isolation to increased risks of heart disease, depression, and even premature death. Fast forward to late 2025, and that warning has catalyzed real behavioral change. People aren’t just swiping for romance—they’re swiping to find hik…