The short answer: the friend apps UK users rely on most fall into three types: one-to-one matching (Bumble For Friends), ready-made group plans (Timeleft dinners, Meetup groups) and local community apps (Nextdoor, plus Peanut for mums). The best one is the one that gets you to an actual meetup fastest. If you hate small talk in chat, choose a group format where the plan already exists; if you prefer to get to know someone first, choose one-to-one matching and suggest a coffee within a few days.
This isn’t a ranking of the most downloads or the slickest design. It’s a practical look at how each app turns strangers into people you actually meet, what it costs, who it suits and what to watch out for. All details were checked against official listings and websites in October 2026; apps change often, so check before you sign up.
Friend apps UK: comparison table
| App | What it’s for | How meetups happen | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bumble For Friends (Bumble’s friendship app; relaunched as BFF in some countries) | One-to-one friend matching | You match, chat and arrange a meetup yourselves | Free to use; optional Premium subscription | People who like to chat first |
| Timeleft | Dinners and other meetups with strangers matched by personality | The app books you into a table of four to six; venue revealed on the day | Paid membership (prices shown in the app); 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 groups or events charge | Hobbies, regular activities, big cities |
| 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 App Store and each company’s website. Prices and features change; always check the official listing.
The friend apps in detail
Bumble For Friends (and the new BFF)
Bumble’s friendship app started as a mode inside the dating app, became the standalone Bumble For Friends in 2023, and was relaunched as BFF in September 2025 with a bigger focus on Groups alongside one-to-one chats. When we checked in October 2026, the UK and Irish App Stores still listed Bumble For Friends, while the relaunched BFF app was listed in Australia and the US. The UK listing describes Bumble For Friends as free to download and use, with an optional Premium subscription and paid extras. Either way, the experience is profile-based: you see people nearby, match, chat, and arrange to meet yourselves. For how the options compare there, see our guide to friend apps in Australia.
How to make it lead to meetups: open with something specific from their profile and suggest a short plan within a few days. Our Bumble BFF first message examples include 40 openers and a chat-to-plan template.
Watch out for: chats that drag on for weeks. The longer you chat without a plan, the less likely you’ll meet.
Timeleft
Timeleft matches you with strangers based on a personality quiz and books you into a group, so you don’t have to organise anything. Its website lists UK cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In London, its standard dinners run on Wednesdays and Fridays at 7pm with four to six people matched to you, and it also lists women-only dinners, singles dinners, coffees and walks. 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 and change, so check the app for the current price where you live.
How to make it lead to meetups: it already does. The challenge is the second meeting: swap numbers or suggest a follow-up with the people you clicked with before the evening ends.
Watch out for: treating every dinner as a one-off. Friendships need repeat contact, so rebook with people you liked or suggest your own plan.
Meetup
Meetup is a platform for interest groups: walking, running, language exchange, board games, tech, newcomers and much more. Organisers post events, you RSVP and turn up. Joining is free; organisers pay a subscription to run groups, and some groups charge small event fees to cover costs.
How to make it lead to meetups: pick groups that meet regularly and have recent events, go two or three times, and say yes to the after-event coffee or drink. If going alone makes you nervous, our guide to going to a meetup alone has scripts for the first ten minutes.
Watch out for: groups with lots of members but no recent events. Check the last few events actually happened.
Peanut
Peanut is aimed at women at similar life stages, best known for helping mums meet other mums nearby. You build a profile, match and chat, and there are community discussion groups too. It’s free to download from the App Store and Google Play.
How to make it lead to meetups: suggest something easy with kids in tow: a playground, a café with space for buggies, a baby group you’re already going to.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is a neighbourhood network rather than a friend app, but its local groups (dog walkers, book swaps, running groups, newcomers) can be a surprisingly good route to friendly faces nearby. Free to use.
How to make it lead to meetups: join or start a small local group with a regular meeting, such as a Saturday walk from the park gates.
MeetNow (our own app)
Full disclosure: we’re the team behind MeetNow. It works differently from profile-based friend 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.
Which friend app suits you?
| If you… | Try |
|---|---|
| Like to chat before meeting | Bumble For Friends / BFF |
| 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 |
| Are nervous about one-to-one meetings | A group format: Timeleft or a Meetup group |
You don’t need all of them. One app used actively beats four apps checked occasionally.
How to turn any friend app into real meetups
- Be specific in your profile. “Looking for a Sunday walk and coffee crew in south London” gets better matches than “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. Coffee or a walk, an hour or so.
- Use activities. Markets, quizzes, classes and walks 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. That’s normal; keep going.
Our step-by-step guide on how to meet a friend from an app covers each stage in more detail, with copy-paste messages.
A worked example: from app to friendship in three plans
Here’s what a realistic path looks like for someone who’s just moved to Bristol:
- Week 1: she matches with two people on a friend app and suggests coffee to one of them after a short chat. They meet for an hour at a café near the harbour. It’s nice, not life-changing, but they agree to try a pub quiz.
- Week 2: she joins a Meetup walking group on Sunday and chats to a few people over coffee afterwards.
- Week 3: the quiz happens; her app friend brings a colleague. Now there are three of them, and they make it a fortnightly thing.
- Week 5: she sees the same faces at the walking group again, and one of them invites her to a birthday drinks.
Notice what made it work: quick plans, repeat contact, and saying yes to the second invitation. No single app did all the work.
Beyond apps: other UK routes to new friends
Apps work best alongside offline routes, which often turn into the most lasting friendships because you see the same people regularly:
- parkrun: free, timed 5k events in parks on Saturday mornings, with a coffee afterwards for those who want it. You can walk, run or volunteer.
- Clubs and classes: running clubs, climbing walls, choirs, language classes and evening courses.
- Volunteering: community gardens, food banks, park clean-ups and charity shops all need regular helpers.
- Pub quizzes: join a team or ask the quizmaster if any teams need an extra player.
- Your own plan: host a small board-game night, walk or dinner and invite a few people you’ve met.
Safety basics for friend app meetups
- Meet somewhere public for the first time: a café, a market, a busy park.
- Tell a friend who you’re meeting, where and when.
- Keep your own way home, 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 if anyone behaves badly.
- Leave whenever you want. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.
Our pillar on meeting someone from the internet safely has full before, during and after checklists that apply to friend apps too.
Plans, not profiles
The common thread in every app above: the friendships start 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 the UK?
It depends on how you like to meet. For one-to-one matching, Bumble For Friends is the best-known option in the UK. For a ready-made table of strangers, Timeleft runs group dinners in several UK cities. For regular activities, Meetup groups are the widest choice. Most people do best using one app and turning chats into plans quickly.
Is Bumble BFF available in the UK?
When we checked the App Store in October 2026, the UK store listed Bumble For Friends, the earlier standalone friendship app. Bumble’s relaunched BFF app (September 2025) was listed in Australia and the US but not in the UK store at that time.
Is Timeleft available in the UK?
Yes. Timeleft lists London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow among its cities. In London its standard dinners run on Wednesdays and Fridays with groups of four to six. It is a paid service, and food and drinks are paid separately at the venue.
Are friend apps free in the UK?
Bumble For Friends, Meetup, Peanut and Nextdoor are free to download and use for the basics, though some have paid extras and some Meetup groups charge for events. Timeleft is paid. Check each app’s own listing for current prices.
Are friend apps safe?
They’re generally as safe as the habits you bring: meet in 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 if someone behaves badly.
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, low-pressure first meetups such as coffee or a walk convert best, and suggesting a second plan before you leave keeps the friendship going.
