Best IRL social apps for people in their 20s

Our take

Your twenties are supposed to be the most social decade of your life, but for many people the reality is lonelier than expected. The built-in social structures of college disappear overnight, and suddenly making friends requires actual effort. Nobody warns you about this part.

Søren tracks the apps and platforms that help twenty-somethings build a real social life after school. These range from casual hangout platforms and group activity apps to curated dinner parties and community clubs — all focused on getting you out of your apartment and into rooms with people you might actually click with.

The apps that work best for people in their 20s tend to be low-cost or free, mobile-first, and activity-based. This generation generally prefers doing things together — pickup sports, group hikes, trivia nights — over awkward one-on-one coffee dates with strangers. If you've been searching for how to make friends in your 20s, look for platforms that lean into that preference.

Here's the thing nobody tells you: the key to making these apps work is consistency. Try a few different platforms, show up more than once, and give yourself permission to feel awkward at first. Every single person at that event felt the same way their first time. Friendship grows from repeated exposure, not from a single perfect interaction.

Søren's mission is to cut through the noise and help you find what's actually worth your time and energy. We review every relevant platform so you can compare formats, costs, and what actually has traction in your city — because an app with zero users near you is useless no matter how good it looks.

Your twenties don't have to be lonely. The tools exist. We'll help you find the right ones for how you actually want to connect.