If you’re keen to meet new people platonically, instead of romantically, Bumble’s new app could be for you.

Unlike the original Bumble app, which is primarily for dating and involves the woman making the first move, Bumble for Friends is just for buddie building.

While the original Bumble has the BFF option for making friends, this whole new app takes dating out of it completely.

Research shows 47% of 18-24-year-olds in the UK believe that platonic relationships are more important than romantic relationships. But, while nearly half want to make new friends, 44% find it difficult to do so.

And, over a third say they’re stuck in ‘outdated friendships’, saying they’re not satisfied with the ones they currently have.

‘Friendship has always been a critical part of Bumble’s goal to living a healthy and happy life,’ says Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble’s founder and CEO.

‘Having a dedicated Bumble For Friends app that’s separate from the dating experience makes friendship-finding easier for people looking to make meaningful platonic connections in their area.

‘People are more open to making friends online than ever before.’

The app works by creating a profile as you would on a dating app, showing your personality and interests.

Then you see profiles with common interests and location preferences, and can swipe left or right.

Group meet ups can be arranged, and you can get help with picking what you might do for an in-person meet.

Tips for making friends as an adult

Kate Leaver, author of The Friendship Cure, moved from Sydney to London and knew she’d need to be proactive about making new friends.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘One of the most effective ways for me was to use Twitter to find people, get to know them a little and when it felt right, ask them for coffee or wine.

‘This was perfect for me as an introvert and a far less risky or daunting option than approaching someone in person.

‘That said, I also made a point of being diligent and courageous when I met new people face to face.

‘I was liberal with my coffee invitations and found that most people are delighted and open to hanging out with a new person, which allayed some of that fear of rejection you carry when you feel like you need new friends.

‘My advice, since writing a book on the subject of friendship, is to operate with strategic kindness and a fastidious sort of openness to meeting new people.

‘Ordinarily, we might not follow up with someone we meet at a work meeting, an interview, a house party or some other miscellaneous event.

‘But when you’re scouting for new people to recruit into your life and protecting yourself from loneliness, you have to find a way to push past any awkwardness and be quite forward about reaching out to people.

‘If you get that feeling of chemistry with someone and you’d like to see them again, ask.’

Bumble For Friends is free to use and is available on the App Store and Google Play.

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