Best Apps to Make Friends in London in 2026

Product · by Vairi Editorial · 6 min read

The best apps for making friends in London right now split into two formats: one-to-one introduction apps like Vairi and Introvrs, and group formats like Meetup and Timeleft, plus swipe-based Bumble BFF. Twelve percent of young Londoners report severe loneliness, roughly half again the citywide rate of 8 percent, according to data compiled by the Campaign to End Loneliness from ONS figures. That is the opposite of what population density should predict. Nine million people in one city and the group most likely to feel cut off is the group you would expect to have the easiest time meeting others. The honest read is that a big city does not solve isolation on its own; it just makes the isolation harder to notice, because you are surrounded by people the whole time you feel it.

Vairi in London

Vairi is active in London and introduces one compatible person at a time based on a short AI-led interview, no swiping, no public profile, grouped loosely around what it calls life chapters (new city, career pivot, relationship transition) rather than a static bio. It is aimed at people who want a specific new friendship after a move, a job change, or a social circle that has quietly stopped keeping pace with the city, rather than an open-ended way to browse.

• Choose it if: you want one considered introduction rather than a queue or an event to show up to.
• Skip it if: you specifically want a group activity rather than a one-to-one conversation.
• See the full London page at vairi.app/london for local detail.

Timeleft

Timeleft seats a table of strangers together for a single dinner in London, using a questionnaire to assign seating. It is a structured one-off event rather than an ongoing match, which suits people who want a single social evening without committing to an app relationship.

Meetup

Meetup has deep coverage in London across almost any interest, running clubs in Victoria Park, board game nights in Peckham, language exchanges near Old Street. You join a recurring group rather than being matched to one person, so the format rewards showing up more than once.

Bumble BFF

Bumble BFF works anywhere Bumble has a user base, London included, and benefits from a large existing user base in the city. It is swipe-based: you browse a profile grid and match on mutual interest.

Introvrs

Introvrs is a web-based one-to-one matching app, free during its early access period, matching on values, life stage, and way of thinking rather than city-specific browsing. It is not restricted to London, worth knowing if city-specific coverage matters to you.

What is the best app to make friends in London?

It depends on the format you want. Vairi and Introvrs give a one-to-one introduction; Meetup and Timeleft give a group setting. There is no single best app across every preference, only the best fit for how you want to meet people.

Are these apps free?

Meetup and Bumble BFF are free with optional paid tiers. Introvrs is free during early access. Timeleft charges per dinner via subscription. Vairi runs on paid founding-member plans starting at £3.99/mo.

How fast can I expect to make a friend using one of these?

It varies by app and by the size of the active pool at the time. Vairi's matching typically takes 24 to 72 hours depending on the London member pool; group formats like Meetup depend on how often you attend.

How we evaluated these apps

We compared each app on what it actually does: the matching mechanism, whether swiping or a public profile is involved, group vs one-to-one format, and current pricing where published. Vairi is included in every comparison it appears in and is one of the products being compared, not the default winner; where a competitor suits a specific need better, we say so. Facts are drawn from each product's own site and public materials as of the article's publish date, not from hands-on trials of every competitor.