The short answer: the friend apps Australia users rely on most fall into three types: one-to-one matching (Bumble’s BFF app and the older Bumble For Friends), ready-made group plans (Timeleft dinners and coffees, Meetup groups) and local community apps (Nextdoor, plus Peanut for mums). The best one is whichever gets you to an actual meetup fastest. If you’d rather skip the small talk in chat, choose a format where the plan already exists; if you like getting to know someone first, choose one-to-one matching and suggest a coffee within a few days.
This guide compares the main options on how they turn strangers into people you actually meet, what they cost, who they suit and what to watch out for. Everything was checked against the Australian App Store and each company’s website in October 2026; apps change often, so check before you sign up. If you’re in the UK or Ireland, see our separate guide to friend apps in the UK, because availability differs.
Friend apps Australia: comparison table
| App | What it’s for | How meetups happen | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BFF (Bumble’s relaunched friendship app) | One-to-one matching plus Groups | Match and chat, or join a Group and its hangouts | Listing says all features are free | People who like to chat first |
| Bumble For Friends | One-to-one friend matching (the earlier app) | Match, chat, arrange a meetup yourselves | Free; optional paid extras | Existing users |
| Timeleft | Dinners, drinks and coffees with strangers matched by personality | The app books you into a small group; venue revealed on the day | Paid; food and drinks paid at the venue | People who want the plan done for them |
| Meetup | Interest groups and events | Organisers post events; you RSVP and turn up | Free to join; some events charge | Hobbies and regular activities |
| Peanut | Connecting mums and women at similar life stages | Match and chat, then meet locally; community groups | Free to download | New mums and parents |
| Nextdoor | Neighbourhood network | Local groups, posts and events | Free | Very local connections |
| MeetNow (our own app) | Plans, not profiles | A host posts a plan at a public place and picks who joins | Free | Live on the web, starting in Malta; phone apps coming soon |
Last checked October 2026 against the Australian App Store and company websites. Prices are shown in AUD inside each app and change; always check the official listing.
The friend apps in detail
BFF and Bumble For Friends
Bumble’s friendship app has changed shape a few times: BFF started as a mode inside the dating app, became the standalone Bumble For Friends in 2023, and was relaunched as BFF in September 2025, built on the Geneva community platform Bumble had bought, with Groups alongside one-to-one chats. When we checked the Australian App Store in October 2026, both the new BFF app and Bumble For Friends were listed. The BFF listing says every feature is free and that matches pass selfie verification; Bumble For Friends offers optional paid extras.
How to make it lead to meetups: open with something specific from their profile and suggest a short plan within a few days, or join a Group that already runs hangouts. Our Bumble BFF first message examples include 40 openers and a chat-to-plan template.
Watch out for: long chats that never become a plan.
Timeleft
Timeleft matches you with strangers using a personality quiz and books you into a small group, so you don’t organise anything. Its website lists five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Dinners with four to six people matched to you run on Wednesdays at 7pm in all five, with Friday dinners too in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Depending on the city, it also lists drinks, Saturday coffees, women-only dinners and singles dinners. The venue is revealed on the day.
Cost: Booking needs a paid Timeleft membership, and food and drinks are paid separately at the venue. Prices vary by city; check the app.
How to make it lead to meetups: it already does. The challenge is the second meeting, so swap numbers with the people you clicked with or rebook together.
Meetup
Meetup hosts interest groups across Australia: bushwalking, running, board games, language exchange, newcomers, tech and much more. Joining is free; organisers pay to run groups and some events charge small fees. Look for groups with recent events and a regular schedule. Our guide to going to a meetup event for the first time explains RSVPs, waitlists and what happens when you arrive.
Peanut
Peanut is aimed at women at similar life stages, and its Australian App Store listing is titled “Find Mum Friends”. You match, chat and join community discussions, then meet locally. It’s free to download.
How to make it lead to meetups: suggest something easy with kids: a playground, a café with room for prams, a baby group you’re already going to.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is a neighbourhood network available in Australia. It isn’t a friend app as such, but local groups (walking, dog owners, book swaps, newcomers) can be a good route to friendly faces nearby. Free to use. It works best in suburbs where neighbours already post regularly; if your area is quiet, starting a small group with a regular meeting time is often enough to get things going.
MeetNow (our own app)
Full disclosure: we’re the team behind MeetNow. It works differently from profile-based apps: a host posts a plan at a public place (a dinner, drinks, a game, a walk) with a time, seats and who pays; people ask to join with a short note; the host picks who comes; accepted guests get a group chat, and afterwards both sides confirm “we met”. It’s live on the web at app.trymeetnow.com, starting in Malta, and the iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.
Friend apps by Australian city
| City | Timeleft (per its website) | Also worth trying |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Dinners Wed and Fri; also drinks, women-only and singles dinners | Meetup walking and harbour groups, BFF Groups |
| Melbourne | Dinners Wed and Fri; also drinks, women-only and singles dinners | Meetup board-game and language groups, BFF Groups |
| Brisbane | Dinners Wed and Fri; singles dinners; Saturday coffees | Meetup newcomers’ and outdoor groups |
| Perth | Dinners Wed and Fri; Saturday coffees | Meetup, Nextdoor local groups |
| Adelaide | Dinners Wed; Saturday coffees | Meetup, Nextdoor local groups |
| Smaller towns | Not listed | Nextdoor, local Facebook groups, parkrun, clubs |
Timeleft schedules from its city pages, checked October 2026.
Which friend app suits you?
| If you… | Try |
|---|---|
| Like to chat before meeting | BFF or Bumble For Friends |
| Hate planning and small talk in chat | Timeleft |
| Want a regular hobby with the same faces | Meetup |
| Are a new parent | Peanut |
| Want friends within walking distance | Nextdoor |
| Feel nervous one-to-one | A group format: Timeleft, a Meetup group or BFF Groups |
You don’t need all of them. One app used actively, alongside one offline activity, beats four apps checked occasionally.
How to turn any friend app into real meetups
- Be specific in your profile. “Looking for a weekend walking and coffee crew in Brisbane’s inner north” beats “love travel and food”.
- Suggest a plan early. Within a few good exchanges, propose a day, time and public place.
- Keep the first meetup short. A coffee or a walk, an hour or so.
- Use activities. Markets, beach walks, trivia nights and classes give you something to talk about.
- Suggest the second plan before you leave. “Same time next week?” is the most important sentence on any friend app.
- Accept some fizzle. Not every match becomes a friend; keep going.
Our step-by-step guide on how to meet a friend from an app covers each stage with copy-paste messages.
A worked example
Sam moves to Perth for work. In week one she books a Timeleft Wednesday dinner and swaps numbers with two people at the table. In week two she joins a Meetup coastal walking group, and suggests a Saturday coffee to one of her dinner companions. By week four, the coffee has become a regular thing, and two people from the walking group have joined them. No single app did it; quick plans and repeat contact did.
Beyond apps: other Australian routes to new friends
Apps work best alongside offline routes, where you see the same people week after week:
- parkrun: free, timed 5k events in parks on Saturday mornings, with coffee afterwards for those who want it. Walk, run or volunteer.
- Community sport: social netball, touch footy, futsal and running clubs often welcome beginners and solo sign-ups.
- Volunteering: community gardens, op shops, beach clean-ups and local events always need regular helpers.
- Trivia nights: many pubs run weekly trivia; ask if a team needs an extra player.
- Classes: pottery, dance, languages and cooking courses give you the same faces for several weeks.
- Your own plan: host a small walk, picnic or board-game afternoon and invite a few people you’ve met.
Safety basics for friend app meetups in Australia
- Meet somewhere public for the first time: a café, a market, a busy beach path.
- Tell a friend who you’re meeting, where and when, and share your location for the evening.
- Keep your own transport and don’t share your address until you know someone.
- Stay in the app’s chat until you’ve met and feel comfortable sharing your number.
- Use block and report tools if anyone behaves badly. The eSafety Commissioner’s website has advice on online safety and reporting serious online abuse.
- In an emergency, call 000 (or 112 from a mobile). For police assistance that isn’t an emergency, the Police Assistance Line is 131 444 in most states.
- Some venues run Ask for Angela, where you can ask staff for “Angela” if you feel unsafe; look for the posters, as not every venue takes part.
Our pillar on meeting someone from the internet safely has full before, during and after checklists.
Plans, not profiles
Every app above works best when someone suggests a plan. MeetNow is built around that idea, with the plan first and the people second.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web and works in your browser, starting in Malta; the phone apps are not in the App Store or Google Play yet. Open MeetNow and see the plans posted in Malta.
FAQ
What is the best friend app in Australia?
It depends on how you like to meet. Bumble’s BFF app suits people who like to match and chat first. Timeleft books you into dinners and other small group meetups in several Australian cities. Meetup has the widest range of interest groups. The best app is the one that gets you to an actual plan quickly.
Is Bumble BFF available in Australia?
Yes. When we checked the Australian App Store in October 2026, both Bumble’s relaunched BFF app and the earlier Bumble For Friends app were listed. The BFF listing describes all its features as free.
Which Australian cities is Timeleft in?
Timeleft’s website lists Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Dinners run on Wednesdays in all five, with extra Friday dinners and other formats in some cities. It is a paid service, and food and drinks are paid separately at the venue.
Are friend apps free in Australia?
BFF, Meetup, Peanut and Nextdoor are free to download and use for the basics; Bumble For Friends has optional paid extras, some Meetup groups charge event fees, and Timeleft is paid. Check each app’s own listing for current prices in AUD.
Are friend apps safe in Australia?
They’re as safe as the habits you bring: meet somewhere public, tell a friend where you’re going, keep your own transport, and leave if anything feels off. Use the app’s block and report tools, and call 000 in an emergency.
How do I actually meet people from a friend app?
Move from chat to a specific plan within a few good exchanges: a day, a time and a public place. Short first meetups such as a coffee or a walk work best, and suggesting a second plan before you leave keeps the friendship going.
