Bumble recently announced the launch of Bumble For Friends, a standalone app designed to help you find new friends in your local area. This new app creates a fresh and separate space from the Bumble dating app, making it easier than ever to grow your circle of friends and discover meaningful connections.

If you’re already familiar with Bumble’s BFF mode, then think of this as an enhanced experience that Bumble For Friends brings to the table. Since 2016, BFF mode has allowed users to find romantic partners (Date), forge platonic friendships (BFF), and build professional networks (Bizz) within the Bumble app. All these modes can be confusing. What if you’re looking for a date and end up with a BFF instead? Hello friendzone.

Making new friends can be a challenge for many, especially as adults. Unless you get lucky and find your “work wife”, then options for meeting a BFF out here in the real world is difficult. Recognizing this struggle, Bumble For Friends seeks to create a solution that allows people to form genuine and supportive friendships, regardless of their stage in life.

Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble, shares her passion for fostering meaningful connections when speaking during the press release. She emphasized that friendship has always been a critical aspect of Bumble’s mission to promote healthy and happy lives. Given the rising levels of loneliness and isolation in today’s world, the app aims to prioritize self-love and friendships for overall well-being. Bumble For Friends offers a dedicated platform to connect with like-minded individuals and tackle the important issue of loneliness in a fun and enjoyable way.

 

So, How does bumble for friends work?

First step. Create your profile. This allows you to showcase your personality, interests, and hobbies through photos and descriptions (no pressure). This profile is made to reflect where you are in life and what kind of friends you’re looking to meet. Do you want to party every weekend? Are you looking for a jogging partner? Maybe both?

Once your profile is set up, the app presents potential friends based on common interests. Just like in Bumble Date, you can swipe right on profiles you’d like to connect with, and when a match is made, you’ll receive a notification.

For those of you who have already been using BFF mode in the Bumble app (yes, we have tried it), transitioning to Bumble For Friends is pretty self explanatory. Existing BFF profiles can also easily be moved over to the new app, and from there, you can continue building friendships without the distractions of the dating profiles feature. The Bumble app will still keep the Date and Bizz functionalities.

 

Why the change? what’s the difference?

Bumble For Friends introduces a new feature: a simplified way to plan group meetups. The app allows any member to create a plan for a “group meetup” with at least two of their connections. Hello new friend group. Whether it’s an activity from a suggested list or a custom idea, you can create a group chat title, invite your matches, and start discussing the details of your upcoming meetup. We think this is actually genius because one friend is nice, but then how do you both find more to add to your squad? Problem solved. 

It does sound like Bumble For Friends is going to be a huge asset to your social calendar. We’re going to try it! Are you? Try it with us and let us know what happens!