7 best apps to make friends online with the use of phone number search

There are no shortages of reasons (and studies) explaining why it is difficult to make friends today.

For example, once a person turns 18, they are likely to move nine times before the age of 45.

From a career standpoint - statistically speaking, you will probably change jobs at least 12 times before you retire. In short, you live in a mobile society in which putting down roots and having enough time to meet your neighbour, let alone have a regular coffee date with them is very unlikely.

Don’t despair as all is not lost! The following online apps are the ultimate icebreakers that can help you to make meaningful connections with people who share the same interests as you be it hobbies, sports, food, or whatever other enthusiasms you may have.

Meetup by The Numbers

With 35 million members around the globe and 300,000 diverse groups, it is safe to say that through the Meetups app, the odds of making at least a "few" connections is more than a distinct possibility.

Add into the equation a quick-start capability and intuitive user interface, and you will be engaging new friends in no time by joining one of the many special interest groups.

While the app is best suited for use in larger cities, it is still an Editor’s Choice on Google Play, scoring a 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 87,214 reviews. The people have spoken, and they love Meetup!

As an aside, it is worth noting that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ERSB) "T" rating means that Meetup is suitable for Teens as well.

No More Bumbling With BFF

While Meetup is good for Teens, Bumble BFF is for an older 17+ Mature crowd.

What immediately stands out about Bumble is its tagline "Bumble connects you to new people, and women always make the first move." For shy people, the fact that someone makes the first move means that it will be much easier to make friends online.

With 46 million users – 2 million of whom are paying customers; bumble is one of the fastest growing friendship sites around rivaling even Tinder in that department. Despite this meteoric growth track, the company invests a good deal of time in making sure that its members get the most of their Bumble experience. Besides easy to access online tutorials, the support staff even finds time to respond to individual member concerns.

While the overall Google Play rating of 3.7 stars out of 5 from 109,805 reviews isn’t as heady as Meetups, you won’t get stung giving this app a try.

Finding Love is In the Air

Countless studies and articles suggest that being friends with someone before becoming romantically involved is the best way to have a lasting relationship.

Scoring 4.5 out of 5 stars based on the feedback from 301,621 age 17+, members there is no better place to make friends online than the Find Real Love app.

Besides a highly responsive staff – the response time to one user who had an issue was within 24-hours, the pool of potential connections is at 25 million and growing by a rate of 100,000 new members every day.

The app’s creator, Jaumo, is so confident in the level of service they provide that they share a real-time ranking analysis page.

Be A Sport

Feel like meeting someone for a pick-up game of hoops? Looking for a team to round the bases and share a few rounds after 9-innings of fastball? Then check out the Sports Social android app.

Rated "E" for Everyone, this handy app has more than 50 different sport categories to help you to connect with fellow enthusiasts be it for a game of cricket or basketball to badminton and yoga.

With a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, it is quickly becoming the social app for sports of all ages.

Use Reverse Phone Lookup

To make friends, not for one day but for ages you need to find out something in common with them. Of course, you can just ask them about their hobbies. But, if you are so shy or you don’t have an opportunity to talk enough, you can use his/her mobile number and do phone number search with the use of Spokeo.

With the help of reverse number lookup, you will find out all social media profiles of your friend and check out what he/she is interested in.

Explore the photos on Instagram, twits in Twitter and posts on Facebook.

Making Friends with A Capital "P"

While some sites suggest that the aim is friendship, there can be an undercurrent of flirting with a hint of romance. With Patook, no such ambiguity exists. Friendships on this social app start with a "P" as in platonic.

Whether looking to make connections in your hometown or a new city after a recent move, Patook’s algorithm-driven screening system ensures that you will make friends online quickly and easily.

Given their 4.0 out of 5-star rating on Google Play, they seem to be delivering on their platonic promise.

Skouting Friends

Wherever you are in the world, Skout makes it easy to discover new friends at home or while traveling abroad.

With a 17+ Mature Rating, the 1.1 million plus members who have rated the app give it a 4.4 out of 5-stars. Featuring a chat-broadcast capability Skout is a truly interactive experience that will make "meeting new people, anytime, anywhere" a snap.

Man/Woman’s Best Friend

What better way is there to meet people and make new friends than through your best friend. Whether you are online or offline Meet My Dog opens up a world of tail wagging fun for pets and owners alike.

Even though there are a few hiccups with the app; Android users give it a 2.4 out of 5-stars on Google Play, while Apple users give it a slightly better 3.8 out of 5, Meet My Dog is the best app of its kind available.

Besides having a "T" for Teen rating, the app’s family sharing feature enables up to six members of a family to use it.

The Friendship Connection

For the sake of full and fair disclosure, the above apps and similar ones to them have their share of detractors.

There is some merit to concerns regarding groups being too large or the high frequency of people dropping in and out of a particular network. However, the overall benefits of these apps far outweigh the challenges for the majority of users looking to make friendship connections.

So what are you waiting for – make a new friend?

Valerie Malecha is a content writer for Spokeo. Her main interests are traveling, meeting new people and trying something new. She is experienced in marketing, business, travel, and technology topics.