I wanted new friends. Real ones. Not just follows. So I grabbed my phone, made tea, and tried a bunch of apps like Wizz. I swiped. I chatted. I got ghosted. I laughed. You know what? It was messy and kind of sweet. If you want the uncut diary version, I broke down every day of that experiment over on Woopid.
Below is how it went, with the good, the bad, and the “why is this person sending me only a chair emoji?”
Quick take, no fluff
- Wizz: Fast swipes, chill chats, some spam, bright vibes.
- Yubo: Group Lives, games, better checks, very “college hangout.”
- Wink: Snapchat-focused, coins and points, hit-or-miss.
- Hoop: Also Snapchat-focused, quick adds, lots of noise.
- Bumble For Friends (BFF): Slower but deeper chats, older crowd, safer feel.
- LMK: Q&A and audio rooms, loud but fun at times.
- Purp: Simple swipes to add on Snap, fast, lots of repeats.
For a deeper dive into how these friend-finding platforms compare, take a quick look at Woopid; their side-by-side reviews saved me a ton of scroll time before I even hit download.
Let me explain what it felt like to actually use them.
Wizz: Quick swipes, quick wins (and a few weird moments)
I made a simple profile. A bright selfie. A line about noodles and art. Within five minutes, I matched with a girl who paints tiny fruit on nails. Cute, right? We traded three voice notes about gel polish. Then she vanished. That’s Wizz—fast hello, fast goodbye. Side note: before diving too deep, I skimmed these adult user reviews on Common Sense Media, and a lot of folks there echo that same whirlwind vibe.
What I liked:
- You set interests and age range. That helped.
- I passed on a match, then Wizz asked me why. It felt like someone behind the screen cared, even if it’s just a button.
What bugged me:
- I hit a pocket of spammy snaps. One guy sent “add now” five times. I blocked. Easy to do, but still.
- Boosts and extras popped up a lot. Not the worst, but I’m cheap.
One night, my ramen got cold while I answered “Cats or dogs?” from three people in a row. Dogs. Always dogs.
Also, pro tip: if you go searching for “Wizz reviews” and accidentally land on Trustpilot’s Wizz Air page, you’re in the wrong boarding line—those travelers are talking planes, not pals.
Yubo: I joined a Live and forgot the time
I set my age group to 18+ and jumped into a Live called “Late-night snacks.” Picture five people, all munching chips, playing “Would You Rather.” I stayed for an hour. I didn’t plan to talk, but then I showed my ginger tea and got teased for being “cozy grandma.” Fair.
Good stuff:
- Age checks felt stronger. I had to do a quick face check once. Simple blink, done.
- Lives make it feel like you walked into a dorm lounge. You can hang back or chat.
Not so good:
- If you’re shy, Lives can feel noisy. I had to mute twice.
- Some Lives went silent then chaotic, like a bus with no driver.
Still, I made one real buddy there. We swap snack pics now. Tiny joy. I dedicated an entire week to Yubo as well—every glitch, every snack photo is in this longer recap.
Wink: Snapchat friends, coins, and a whole lot of “hey”
Wink leans hard on Snapchat adds. You get coins. You spend coins. You ask for Snap. On my first night, I got ten “hey” messages, two longboard invites, and one bot that called me “sir.” I am not a sir.
What worked:
- Quick adds. My Snap list grew fast.
- I liked seeing badges for hobbies, even when people forgot to fill them.
Watch-outs:
- Many empty bios. It’s like talking to a door.
- Paywalls show up here and there. I stayed free and just paced myself.
One bright spot: I traded longboard tips with a kid who fixed his trucks with a quarter. Smart kid.
Hoop: Fast adds, faster scroll
Hoop felt like Wink’s cousin. Diamonds, requests, Snap names. Boom, boom, boom. I got a flood of adds after dinner. Too many, honestly. I only kept two chats going. Both were nice. One sent a photo of his cat in a hoodie. I laughed out loud and scared my own cat.
But yeah, lots of noise. I used the block and report buttons more than I wanted.
Bumble For Friends (BFF): Slower, safer, more “let’s meet for coffee”
BFF felt calmer. I filled out prompts like “Perfect Sunday” and “Green flags.” I matched with a pottery fan who runs at sunrise. We made a plan for a weekend market. No Snap codes. No rush. Just normal friend talk.
Pros:
- People write real bios. Full sentences! Big win.
- Photo checks seemed stricter. Fewer weird profiles.
Cons:
- Fewer matches per hour. But better ones for me.
- You need patience. I had to wait a day for replies. Worth it.
I also found a local ceramics group. We traded kiln horror stories. Felt like home.
LMK: Audio rooms, quick Q&A, volume up
LMK is more “Ask me something” and “Join this room.” I hopped into a study tips room. One girl swore by 25-minute timers and gummy bears. It was loud, but the tips helped. Later, I posted a question sticker on Snap with “What hobby should I try?” I got “crochet” five times. Guess what I’m holding now? A wobbly scarf.
Good:
- Fast answers. Super low pressure.
- Audio rooms can be cozy if the host keeps order.
Meh:
- Noise. Echoes. People talk over each other. I bailed when it got messy.
Purp: Quick swipes to add on Snap
Purp is simple. Swipe. Match. Ask for Snap with gems. I met a guitar kid who taught me a four-chord loop. We traded voice notes that sounded like we recorded them in a shoebox. Not great sound. Great vibe.
Downside: lots of repeat profiles. Like déjà vu, but with hoodies.
Safety stuff I actually used
- Age filters: I set mine tight. It cut out some noise.
- Face checks: When an app asked, I did it. It helped the room feel safer.
- Report and block: I used both. No guilt. My thumb is mighty.
- Location: I kept it broad, not exact. City, not street.
- Meetups: Public spots, tell a friend, simple plan. I like coffee shops with big windows.
If you’re in Orange County and want something a notch glossier than a café for that first IRL hang, check out Tryst in Newport Beach—their page lays out the current vibe, best nights to visit, and how to book a table so you can focus on connecting with your new friend instead of scrambling for a seat.
If you still hop on Kik now and then and want an extra layer of armor, take a minute to read this Kik safety handbook—it breaks down the must-use privacy settings, explains common scam tactics, and gives you quick, actionable steps so you can chat with a lot less worry.
Small thing that helps: I never share Snap till I feel good in chat. No rush. If someone pushes, it’s a no. If anonymous chat apps are more your thing, I also spent a week testing Kik alternatives—find what actually worked for me here.
Little moments that stuck with me
- A Yubo host made everyone show their snacks like show-and-tell. Someone held up a whole cabbage. No reason. We clapped anyway.
- On Wizz, a nail artist sent me a tiny lemon charm she made. It looked like sunshine.
- On BFF, a runner told me to tie my shoes “like you mean it.” I think about that when I jog now.
Who should try what?
- You want speed and casual chats: Wizz or Purp.
- You like group energy and games: Yubo.
- You live on Snapchat: Wink or Hoop.
- You want deeper, safer friend vibes: Bumble For Friends.
- You like Q&A and low-key rooms: LMK.
If your social life runs on big group threads, my week of testing apps like GroupMe has the receipts on what works (and what doesn't).
Final word
Making friends on your