Once upon a time, I was a girl spending her days reading The Everygirl’s reviews of Bumble’s BFF mode, dreaming about being a young 20-something in a big city, and making tons of fabulous new friends. Now, I am a young 20-something moving to a big city and freaking out about how to make friends without the education system spoon-feeding them to me with seating assignments. Thankfully, Bumble has grown up right alongside me and recognizes those awkward growing pains of adult friendships. Their Bumble BFF mode, introduced in 2016, followed by the Bumble for Friends app, released in 2023, has helped make the idea of making new friends feel less daunting. But now, this bestie-making platform is getting another upgrade to make it even easier. Everyone, say hello to BFF—Bumble’s new (and improved) standalone app!
The BFF app is a total vibe shift from anything we’ve seen from Bumble before—but, how exactly the new app stacks up to previous versions is still to be determined. Here, we’re sharing what you can expect from the new BFF app features—including its most recent group hangout features.
What makes the BFF app different?
The features of the new BFF app aim to make it more seamless for users to kickstart new friendships and build long-lasting communities, entirely outside of the Bumble dating app. Built on Geneva—the community-focused social platform Bumble acquired last year—the app integrates updated tools from its short-lived Bumble For Friends app, designed to make finding your people easier and more fun. “Whether you’re settling into a new city, starting college, or just looking for friends who get you, our latest features are built to help,” the app’s description page promises. With this transition, it was shared that Geneva members automatically get upgraded to BFF without losing any of their groups or messages. (The more the merrier!)
The shift to a new app comes after years of mixed reactions to the now-retired Bumble For Friends experience, which was Bumble’s friend-making dedicated app back in 2023. Users previously complained about the app’s selfie verification glitches, superficial connections, and focus on one-on-one matches versus groups. This feedback, in addition to results from a Bumble survey, revealed that 56 percent of Gen-Z and millennials are actively seeking new friendships, and 52 percent want tools to build their friendship circles, is what prompted the revamp. “With BFF’s focus on communities, we’re making it possible not just to meet someone—but to truly find your people,” says Whitney Wolfe Herd, Founder and CEO of Bumble.
How the new BFF by Bumble features work
The BFF app comes with a small but mighty list of new features—primarily focused on incorporating safer profile verifications, more group chat settings, and profile customization options. The app officially launched in late 2025, but it’s most recent (and most requested) “Groups” feature was just added in February. Here’s everything we know about the app’s main features and the latest updates:
Discover friends
Whether you’re looking for someone who shares your hobbies, is in a similar stage of life, or just has the same vibe as you, the BFF app wants to give you multiple ways to connect. Similar to the dating-app world, you can “match” one-on-one with people nearby, or jump into—and even create—group chats. And with their more recent push for making group connections just as accessible as one-on-ones, Bumble just recently launched their new group discovery feature this February, which lets you discover local groups tied to events happening in your area.
Whether you’re a coffee enthusiast looking to swap brew tips in Baltimore or a long-distance runner searching for races to run in Colorado, you will now be able to discover these options under the “Groups” feature—alongside your individual profiles. Members can also view relevant announcements and explore events exclusive to the groups they’ve joined—meaning you can show up with built-in common ground and a conversation primer already in place (anxiety simmered)!
Plan events IRL
One of the app’s most standout features is the “Plan” tool, which makes it way easier to take your connections offline. Instead of endless back-and-forth messages, the Plan function allows you to set up a coffee hang, concert meetup, or even your own custom plan, right in the app. You can also invite other people into the Plan chat, so what starts as a one-on-one meetup can turn into a group hang! Everyone can RSVP in the app, which helps take the hassle out of back-and-forth coordinating and keeps the planning in one place. There is even an in-app calendar where you can create and track upcoming events.
READ: 8 Things to Do With New Friends Besides Just Grabbing Coffee
Join groups
Alongside the newer group discovery feature, the app also has their general “Groups” tab, where you can join or create your own Groups centered around shared interests. Think: Yoga, romantasy books, clean beauty, thrifting, and more. According to BFF, by adding custom “Interest Tags” to your profile, you can see people nearby who are into the same things, join or create Groups to stay connected, participate in chat rooms, and plan events to meet IRL.
Setting your profile up for success
If you’ve ever suffered through making a dating app profile and ended up staring at the ceiling for an hour thinking about whether or not you’re catering to the Male Gaze (just me? Cool), making a BFF profile will feel like a breath of fresh air. Making a profile for friend matches simply means including photos of yourself doing things you love, being the fun, silly, relatable icon that you are, and adding prompts about your personal interests.
Much like a dating app profile, the BFF profile includes spaces to add up to five of your top interests, what you’re looking for in a friendship, and your basic details, from religious beliefs to lifestyle to zodiac signs. The app also allows you to answer prompts (both written and photo), such as your ideal night out or your favorite TV show. Sound a little overwhelming? Here are our top tips for setting your profile up for success:
Add photos of yourself socializing and doing activities you enjoy
You know that dating app “rule” where it’s more effective to add photos of yourself than group shots? Well, you can throw that out the window with your BFF profile. Adding pictures of yourself with friends will show potential matches the kind of social life that matters to you. You should also add a few photos of you doing activities you enjoy, like horseback riding, so potential friends know your interests off the bat.
Choose prompts that start a conversation
Just like with a dating app, adding prompt responses that show your genuine interests will spark conversations with people who share those same interests. For example, the “ideal night out” prompt can be a great way to chat with friends who love a similar type of socializing. My own profile reads, “Drinks at an aesthetic bar followed by drinks at a fun bar and home before midnight.”
Add as much information about yourself as possible
When I was filling out my own profile on BFF, I found it super hard to narrow down my interests to just five things (I landed on reading, cooking, pilates, bars, and coffee). Adding as much information about yourself as you possibly can will draw in more people who are genuinely excited about meeting you and doing fun things with you. Plus, when you add Interest Tags, it’s much easier to be discovered by others—so don’t skip this step.
Why you should try the new BFF app
No matter how you feel about making friends online, you might be wondering why you should trust Bumble’s new BFF app to actually bring you meaningful friendships—especially if you tried the previous versions and, well, hated them.
For one, the conversation about meeting people has shifted massively in the past few years. With the loneliness epidemic at an all-time high, many of us have had to rethink how we find connection, and it’s become clear that we’re finding success in communities. However, a recent 2025 study at Harvard found that only 17 percent of young Americans between 18 and 29 “feel deeply connected to a community.” Put simply, we know we need community, but finding it is easier said than done. The new BFF app takes the guesswork out of finding communities through book clubs, recreational sports leagues, and more. Not to mention, it’s new features make finding groups much safer.
It can be intimidating to put yourself out there, but whether you’re navigating a new life stage, feeling the stings of loneliness, looking for a new hobby, or just want to flex your friend-making muscles, the BFF app offers a fresh, practical way to start. Downloading the app is a very meaningful first step—and, for a lot of us, taking the plunge to make that friend profile is exactly the kind of lifeline we’ve been looking for.
Emma Ginsberg, Former Associate Editor & Podcast Assistant
Emma is a writer, editor, and podcast producer who created at The Everygirl beginning in 2021. She wrote for all sections on the site, edited the Entertainment and Community sections, and helped produce The Everygirl Podcast. You can listen to her with podcast host Josie Santi on the intros of The Everygirl Podcast and read her articles across the site.
Madigan Will, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Madigan writes and edits content for every topic under the digital media sun. As the oldest of four siblings, she enjoys utilizing her big sister persona to connect and inspire readers—helping them discover new ways to maximize their everyday.
Feature graphic images credited to: Bogdan | Adobe Stock, Caroline Mangum | Dupe, BFF by Bumble
