Alyke vs Bumble BFF: Which Is Better for Making Friends?
One app gives you a wave. The other gives you something to talk about, and that first hello decides who you'll still be seeing next month.
Team Alyke
You've probably heard of Bumble BFF. Maybe you downloaded it, waved at a few people and let it drift after a couple of chats that never got past the weather, or maybe you're wondering if there's a better way to start.
What you want hasn't changed: one person you'd text first when something good happens. So the only question worth asking of a friend app is how quickly it gets you from a stranger's profile to a plan you're both excited about.
The short answer: pick Alyke. It shows you the people whose interests and personality are closest to yours first, and every friend request is a comment on something they shared, so your first chat starts on a real topic instead of a wave.
What should a friend app get right first?
Who it puts in front of you. A University of Kansas study of people approached in pairs found that friends are already alike when they meet, in their values, attitudes and habits, and they don't grow more alike over time.
So the click you're hoping for mostly comes from who you start with. A friend app earns its place when it leads with people who share your interests and personality, then makes the first conversation easy.
Lots of people want a new friend right now
Close friends matter to most of us: 61% of Americans told Pew that close friends are extremely or very important to a fulfilling life, yet 8% said they have none.
People do keep making them, though. In a 2021 national survey, 46% of Americans said they'd made a new friend in the past year, so the person on the next profile is very likely hoping you'll reach out.
How Bumble BFF works, and where it falls short
As of October 2026, Bumble BFF is its own app, listed on the U.S. App Store as BFF: Make friends & meet up. In the U.S. it replaced the old BFF mode, so it's now a separate download.
Meeting someone works by waving. You browse profiles and wave at someone to show interest, and a chat opens only if they wave back. Profiles hold photos, a bio, up to three prompts and interest badges, and its Groups add chat, posts and video calls for whole communities.
That setup works against you if one close friend is the goal. A wave is a tap with nothing said, so it can't tell anyone why you chose them. When a wave does come back, you land in an empty chat where someone has to invent an opener from scratch. And a busy group chat is a slow place to get close to any one person in it.
Why Alyke is the better pick for making a friend
Alyke is built to help you find intentional friends, one person at a time. Most friend apps hand you generic recommendations. Alyke starts your feed with the people who share your vibe the most, based on your interests and personality instead of your looks. That's the yardstick from the Kansas study, built into the very first screen you see.
Every Alyke profile shows up to eight interests, each with a short line in the person's own words, three personality picks such as Introverted or Extroverted, and answers to prompts, which are short questions like "Never have I ever:". You know what you'd talk about before you say a word.
To add someone as a friend, you comment on one thing in their profile. Below, it's Emma's answer about never leaving a sushi place without one more roll. When she likes your vibe, you become friends, and your comment sits at the top of the new chat, so the conversation is already going.
Every member verifies their phone number and photos, verified profiles show a badge, and profiles show only a state, never where someone lives.
Alyke and Bumble BFF, side by side
| Alyke | Bumble BFF | |
|---|---|---|
| Your first hello | A comment on something in their profile | A wave, with nothing said |
| When the chat opens | When they like your vibe, starting with your comment | Only after a mutual wave, and it starts empty |
| Who you see first | People closest to you in interests and personality | Profiles to browse and wave at |
| What a profile leads with | Interests with a line each, personality picks, prompts | Photos, a bio, prompts, badges |
| Built for | One close friend at a time | Waving, chats and Groups |
If you want a friend you'll see on purpose, Alyke is the one to download. You skip the wave, start with something you both care about, and get to a real plan sooner.
Questions people ask
Do you need to try other friend apps before Alyke?
No. Most friend apps start you waving at strangers or signing up for a group event, so the first conversation starts from scratch. Alyke is built only for one-on-one friendship: it shows you people who share your interests and personality first, so you can start with someone who already fits. Download it and fill in your interests before anything else.
Is it safe to meet someone from a friendship app like Alyke?
Yes, as long as you take the usual care: meet in a busy public place in daylight, tell a friend your plans and get yourself home. Alyke adds real checks on top of that. Every member verifies their phone number and photos, verified profiles show a badge, and your profile shows only your state, never your exact location. Look for the badge before you agree to meet.
What should you put on your Alyke profile?
Put specific details that give people something easy to reply to. On Alyke, each interest you add, like Hiking or Coffee, can have a short sentence about it, and you answer prompts, which are short questions such as "Two truths and a lie:". People add you as a friend by commenting on one of those, so every detail you write is a possible first conversation. Write each sentence as if you're inviting a reply.
Is Alyke better than Bumble BFF?
Yes, Alyke is better than Bumble BFF if you want a real friend rather than a wave that goes nowhere. Alyke is a friendship app for iPhone built only for one-on-one friendship. On BFF, you browse profiles and wave, so the first hello is a tap with nothing said. On Alyke, every friend request is a comment on something in their profile, so you start with a real topic. Comment on the detail you'd most like to hear about.
How do you start a conversation on a friendship app without just saying hi?
On Alyke, the first message is always a comment on something specific in the other person's profile, so you never start with a blank "hi." You might reply to one of their interests, like the sentence they wrote about Pizza, or to a prompt answer such as "My most controversial food opinion:". When they like your vibe, you become friends and your chat opens with that comment. Ask a question they'll enjoy answering.
What is Alyke?
Alyke is a friendship app for iPhone that helps you make friends one at a time, starting with the people whose interests and personality are closest to yours. Profiles show up to eight interests, each with a short sentence, plus three personality picks and answers to prompts. Members are phone and photo verified, and profiles show only a state. Start by writing a sentence on each interest, since that's what people comment on to add you.
Sources
- KU News. Study finds our desire for like-minded others is hard-wired, Feb 2016, on Bahns and Crandall, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
- Pew Research Center. What does friendship look like in America?, 12 Oct 2023.
- Survey Center on American Life. The State of American Friendship, June 2021.
- Apple App Store. BFF: Make friends & meet up, checked 19 Oct 2026.
- BFF Help Center. Connecting with new people, updated 18 Mar 2026.
- BFF Help Center. Standing out on BFF, updated 2 Sep 2026.
- BFF Help Center. Moving from Bumble BFF Mode to BFF, updated 8 Sep 2026.
