I use Bumble BFF to make friends — here are 6 quick observations
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I met my fiancé on Bumble two and a half years ago, swiping my way through decent, mediocre and completely bizarre dates until we connected.
Dating apps come with their challenges, but I liked that you could get a better sense of what someone was all about before agreeing to what could turn into a miserable evening. Also, when you work from home your “get set up with a co-worker’s friend” options are non-existent.
I’ve been in the market to expand my friend network recently, so I decided to fire up Bumble again and switch it to BFF mode.
Yep, there’s an app just for meeting friends and you swipe on it, like you do when you’re looking for dates.
Meeting people organically is good, but I had luck on Bumble before, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
After spending a few weeks swiping, I’ve had a few realizations about using apps to expand your social circle:
(1) I like not having to play it cool
When I was swiping for dates, I would have many moments of self-doubt, wondering if my text message response rate or use of emojis was too eager or not eager enough. Now that I’m making friends, I emoji if I want to and text back when I’m able to.
(2) I like knowing that this person is open to making friends
The idea of making friends at the gym is great, but there’s something unnerving about chatting up the girl next to you in some workout class when you’re both sweaty and focused.
Since we met on an app, I was assured that my friendship advances were welcomed.
(3) You’ll find a few flakes
Just like when you’re looking for romantic connections, I found that I had good conversations with a few different people, only to have them fizzle out or not actually text me when I gave them my number.
Dates, friends, people are just sketchy sometimes.
(4) You’re still going to be selective
When I was swiping to meet guys, I was immediately ruling out shirtless selfies and guys who felt a bio that only consisted of their height was sufficient. With Bumble BFF, the premise hasn’t changed much. I did plenty of left-swiping on girls whose profiles consisted of no bio or just a selfie featuring them using a Snapchat filter.
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(5) If you’re in a relationship, you’re analyzing both the friend and her partner
We all have that friend who’s awesome but picked an insufferable partner.
If you’re in a relationship and you’re on Bumble BFF, not only are you analyzing her as a potential friend, but you’re also evaluating her partner for double-date compatibility.
(6) You’re still worried about what to wear
I thought I had safely made it past the “what do I wear?” stage of the game after meeting my fiancé. I was wrong. Minutes before I was supposed to leave for my first friend date, I was standing in my closet wondering if my outfit was the right pick. It never ends.