10 Best Apps to Meet Queer Friends in Your Area

In a world where connection is more important than ever, queer individuals deserve safe, inclusive spaces to make new friends, foster real bonds, and build chosen family. Whether you're new to a city, fresh out of a breakup, or simply craving companionship, the right apps can help you meet new people, spark engaging conversations, and form lifelong friendships.

For instance, Lex provides a text-based social and dating app experience for queer individuals, while bumble bff, though not exclusively LGBTQ+, can be a useful tool for finding platonic connections. Even community-focused platforms like Nextdoor can, in some instances, help you discover local queer communities and events. Below is a curated list of the 10 best apps to meet people, designed especially for the LGBTQ+ community, to find friends, make friends, and create powerful, affirming networks.

1. Lex – Text-Based Platform to Make New Friends Authentically

Lex is a unique, text-first platform that turns traditional social networking on its head. Rather than swiping through photos, users update personal posts to express interests, invite others to local events within their neighborhood, or simply meet in person to share thoughts. This connects people through genuine conversations and deeper ways to make new friends, especially when navigating a new city.

Many users turn to Lex not only to find friends but to cultivate queer community through creative prompts, zine trades, or organizing art shows. With its emphasis on words, Lex becomes the ideal space to meet people who care about self-expression and emotional depth, leading to real life connections.

Why Lex is ideal to make friends:

- No photos, just words—prioritizing emotional new connection
- Safe space to meet new people in your local queer scene
- City-based feeds encourage friends online and offline

Perfect for: Creatives, activists, introverts, and those tired of the swipe culture.

2. Bumble BFF – Swipe to Find Friends Nearby

Bumble isn’t just for online dating. With BFF mode, you can easily switch over to make friends without the pressure of romance. The swipe feature is still present, but it’s adapted for platonic connections, helping users meet people through shared interests and mutual respect.

The interface of Bumble BFF allows LGBTQ+ users to set filters by gender identity and interests, making it easier than ever to make new friends that feel affirming and safe through Bumble BFF. If you're new to town or just looking to expand your circle, meeting new people here is just a few swipes away.

Why Bumble BFF helps build friendships:

- Swipe-based and easy to navigate
- Quick to connect through shared hobbies
- Designed to help you find friends, not followers

Perfect for: Queer individuals looking for a user-friendly way to meet people nearby.

3. HER – Queer Friendships for Women and Nonbinary Folks

HER goes beyond simply dating. While it offers online dating opportunities, its powerful community features, chat functionalities, and event listings make it one of the best places to meet new friends among queer women and nonbinary individuals, fostering new connections.

Many users turn to HER to meet people with shared experiences, plan meetups, or attend LGBTQ+ events together. It’s also perfect for long-form conversations, making it easy to develop friends online that turn into offline besties.

Why HER is perfect to make friends:

- Real-time groups and discussion threads
- Active local meetups for users to meet new people
- Events geared toward friendship, activism, and identity

Perfect for: Queer women, femmes, and nonbinary folks looking to make friends with shared values.

4. Taimi – A Versatile Platform to Meet People and Find Friends

Though Taimi is often seen as a dating app, its powerful social networking features make it an excellent space to make friends and build community. It offers interest-based chat groups, live streams, and even digital pride events.

Users can swipe to connect or join spaces to participate in rich conversations, often about identity, art, or daily life. Taimi is LGBTQ+ owned, meaning its entire interface is made with your experience in mind.

Why Taimi is great to make new friends:

- Options to meet people through events and streams
- Safe, inclusive environment for deep conversations
- Profile customization helps match with your vibe

Perfect for: Queer people looking to combine networking, friendship, and digital fun.

5. Meetup – Activity-Based Platform to Meet New People

While not queer-exclusive, Meetup is a powerhouse for helping people forge new connections and meet new friends through shared activities, making it one of the premier friendship apps. From queer hiking clubs to sober socials and art nights, there’s a local event for everyone, connecting like minded individuals in group based settings.

It’s particularly valuable for those who want to make new friends in real life and don’t enjoy the typical swipe culture. Meetup encourages users to attend events, start chatting, and grow bonds over mutual passions.

Why Meetup helps meet people:

- Events that spark in-person conversations
- Wide range of queer-focused groups
- Ideal for finding friends online who you can meet IRL

Perfect for: Activity-driven folks who love face-to-face connection and structured interaction.

6. Friender – Match by Interests to Make Friends

Friender flips the script by focusing on interests rather than appearance, positioning itself as one of the valuable friendship apps. You pick your hobbies, and the networking app helps you connect with new people who share them. It’s LGBTQ+ inclusive, so your identity is respected and celebrated, making it easier to build community within your neighborhood or when navigating a new city.

Whether you love painting, hiking, or film, Friender makes it easy to start chatting with like-minded users and discover potential local events. It's a fun, refreshing way to find friends who are aligned with your passions and potentially meet in person to build real life connections.

Why Friender is made to make new friends:

- No dating pressure
- Hobby-first matching system
- Organic path to friends online and IRL

Perfect for: Queer users who want to make friends through genuine shared interests.

7. Queer Spaces – Group Chats to Meet People and Build Community

A newer app focused entirely on LGBTQ+ users to meet like minded individuals, Queer Spaces stands out among friendship apps, offering themed group chats where you can forge new friendships, talk identity, share memes, or plan events within your neighborhood or even when adjusting to a new city.

This networking app functions partly as a community board and partly as a group text, providing affirmation and connecting you with others nearby. Unlike traditional apps, Queer Spaces prioritizes conversations over swiping, creating a chill environment to meet people in a low-pressure, text-based setting.

Why Queer Spaces works for making friends:

- Identity-affirming groups
- No swipe required
- Easy to go from friends online to in-person connections

Perfect for: Queer folks who want safe, moderated spaces to meet new people over time.

8. Nextdoor – Local Networking to Find Friends Nearby

Though often overlooked by the queer community, Nextdoor has become a powerful local resource to make new friends and meet people right in your neighborhood. While originally designed for community updates, its forum-like style now fosters rich conversations among neighbors—including LGBTQ+ groups and interest-based meetups.

Many users join local queer circles, post about events, or simply seek friends online before meeting up for coffee or community gardening. It’s a practical, location-based option to find friends without the pressure of a social media profile or dating vibe.

Why Nextdoor is great for queer friend-making:

- Community-driven platform with verified locals
- Opportunities to start or join queer neighborhood groups
- Natural way to meet new people and build in-person connections

Perfect for: Queer individuals who want to build friendships in their actual neighborhood and get involved locally.

9. Facebook Groups – Digital Communities to Find Friends Online

Facebook is far from dead—especially for queer communities. With thousands of niche queer groups, it’s a great place to meet people, post about yourself, or join existing threads to make friends online.

Search for groups like “Queer Book Club,” “Black Trans Creatives,” or “Sober LGBTQ+ Support” and you’ll find active spaces for real conversations and friend-building.

Why Facebook is still relevant to meet people:

- Niche-focused groups that reflect your identity
- Long-form posts encourage vulnerability and depth
- Powerful way to find friends across the globe

Perfect for: Users who want slow-burn, meaningful friendships built on mutual identity and support.

Final Thoughts

In today’s world, queer people deserve more than just safe dating apps—they deserve spaces where they can meet other queer friends and make friends online, connect with people aligned with their identity, and build joyful, supportive communities, especially when navigating a new city. Whether you're into swipe-based platforms or long-form conversations, there's an app out there to help you find queer friends, grow your support system, and thrive as your full self. For instance, Lex offers a text-based approach for forging new connections, while bumble BFF can be utilized to meet friends platonically. Exploring group based features within various apps or even checking Nextdoor for local events can further expand your social circle.

Start with the apps above to meet new people, nurture friends online, and build the queer friendships you’ve always deserved.