Best IRL social apps for expats

Our take

Living abroad is an incredible experience, but the social challenges are real. Language barriers, cultural differences, and the transient nature of expat communities can make it genuinely hard to build lasting friendships. You might feel like you're constantly starting over as friends move on to their next assignment.

Søren curates the best apps for expats and international residents. These platforms connect you with other people living abroad, help you navigate local social scenes, and provide the kind of community that makes a foreign city actually feel like home. We look for platforms with genuine international presence — not just American-centric apps with a few overseas users.

The best expat apps offer a mix of expat-specific events and integration into local communities. Connecting only with other expats can create a comfortable but limiting bubble, while diving exclusively into local culture without a support network can be overwhelming. The platforms we recommend help you balance both.

If you've been searching for how to make friends abroad or expat social groups, you know that the options vary wildly by country and city. That's a major part of what Søren evaluates — not just whether an app exists, but whether it has active users where you actually live. An app with a million downloads means nothing if there are twelve people using it in your city.

Expat communities tend to be uniquely warm and welcoming because everyone in them has experienced being the new person. That shared vulnerability creates bonds that form quickly and often last well beyond your time in a particular country. These are some of the most meaningful friendships you'll make.

Søren reviews each platform with expats specifically in mind, covering international availability, language support, community warmth, and the types of events you'll actually find. Wherever you are in the world, we want to help you find your people.