If you’re an introvert, making friends online is a lot easier. Follow these tips to find new besties on Bumble BFF.
You may have heard of the app Bumble before, but did you know it’s not JUST a dating service? If you just moved to a new town or you’re not the best at making friends, this app can make all the difference and connect you with a Bumble BFF.
You no longer have to worry about walking up to a random person and struggling to hold a conversation. All you need to do is sign up on Bumble BFF and let the middleman help you find new meaningful connections.
[Read: 17 new dating app terms & their meanings for easy online dating]
What it takes to make a friendship work
Friendships can be pretty complicated, sometimes more so than a relationship. You have to have a strong connection with someone to be friends with them and make it last. Not only do you need to have similarities, but each of you has to add something to the other’s life; otherwise, the friendship will feel one-sided.
You also have to be willing to see past faults. Not everyone will do things you agree with. You may have to put aside some differences in order to make friends. But you should also maintain the same core values and morals.
Without these qualities, the friendship just won’t work. [Read: 15 ways to make new friends as an adult]
How Bumble BFF works
If you’re familiar with Bumble Dating, you may find Bumble BFF pretty similar.
All you need to do is create an account with up to six photos, add an interesting bio, and set your age range, gender, and location parameters, then you’re good to go!
Swipe right if you’re interested in getting to know someone and left if you’re not.
[Read: Why dating apps don’t work for you – A perspective changing guide]
The 3 most important things to watch out for while making Bumble BFFs
But similarly to Bumble Dating, this is not a flawless app. The internet can be a scary place. So, here are a few things you need to watch out for while making friends on Bumble BFF:
1. Multi-level marketing scams
Multi-level marketers are all over social media like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, but are you really safe from them on a friendship app? Certainly not!
Multi-level marketing is a business model that sells products through independent distributors. These people would put on a front to lure you in by acting sweet and relatable as if they were really here to make friends. You may chat with them about your common hobbies and enjoy the conversation.
But once they think they’ve earned your trust, they’d try to tempt you with the promise of friendship and professional development. After that, they’d attempt to hook you up with their “millionaire” mentors.
[Read: How does Bumble work? What to expect from the hottest dating app]
2. Catfishing
Of course, when you’re online, you have to face the risk of being catfished. So what is catfishing? Catfishing is a deceptive activity where someone creates a made-up persona or fake identity on a social networking service, usually to target a specific victim.
If you pay attention, you can identify the catfish. Their photos always look staged, and there are no candid shots. These catfish profiles are usually too good to be true, like a magazine photoshoot catalog!
They also often avoid meeting up and video chatting because it could blow their cover. They always seem so interested in you and barely share any information about themselves. In short, they just don’t feel like real humans.
Trust your gut and don’t ignore the red flags to protect yourself and have the best experience using the app. [Read: How to catch a catfish – online fakers revealed]
3. Comparison
This is quite similar to the experience of being on social media, because nobody likes to show the bad side of their life to people they want to be friends with. So, you’ll see plenty of profiles on Bumble BFF that showcase their perfect lives.
Girls put up cute photos with their boyfriends. Guys flaunt their expensive vacation. People show amazing styles and fit bodies. And you may find yourself comparing your life to these people’s and feeling jealous and insecure.
This doesn’t often happen with Bumble Dating because you don’t usually get jealous of people you want to date. However, there’s always a little competition between friends, so it’s easier to envy them. This can be a sign of low self-esteem, so you should consider working on it before using the app.
[Read: How to build self-confidence – 16 ways to realize you’re worth it]
How to up your chances of finding a Bumble BFF
Now that you know what you’ve signed up for. Let’s get down to business, shall we? [Read: Clingy friend – What makes them & 22 easy ways to fix the friendship]
Just like online dating, you want to make yourself look the best in order to find a friend. Nobody wants a crappy person in their life and for that reason, here are all the tips and tricks you’ll need to help snag yourself a life-long best friend.
[Read: Opposite sex friendships – 24 rules, boundaries & where we go wrong]
1. Be honest
The thing about making friends is that if you don’t have common interests, it won’t work very well. Think about all the other friends you’ve ever had in your life. You likely met through shared activities or ended up having hobbies in common.
That being said, you need to be honest about the things you like to do. Don’t put down that you love traveling if you get homesick after a day. Don’t say you love reading when you haven’t picked up a book in a year.
Being honest with the person is the best and fastest way to ensure they’ll want to be your friend. [Read: How to show people you’re trustworthy]
2. Add pictures that look fun
The difference between using the Bumble BFF feature and just using it for dating purposes is that you can upload different photos. Instead of using pictures that make you look attractive, use ones that make you look fun.
Other people always want to be around fun individuals. If you show someone that you’re fun and goofy, it’ll attract those who like to have fun. So don’t go for all those selfies. Instead, post pictures of you doing activities or out with friends. [Read: How to have fun with friends]
3. Fill out your bio
Not having a bio is the worst mistake you can make when you’re on an app like this. This is your one chance to give people information about yourself to see if you two are compatible as friends.
Never skip this step. Even if you just put down a few words describing your interests, it’s better to have very little than to have nothing at all. However, more is always better in this case.
4. Mention your real interests
When you do write out your bio, make sure you keep it real with your interests. You never want to put down things you don’t actually enjoy.
Sure, it might sound cool if you love camping and hiking. But if you hate those things, you’ll only attract people you won’t get along with. That’s why you have to write the things you do enjoy – even if they’re a little embarrassing. You never know what friends you could make who love the same things. [Read: 20 ways to bring more fun into your life with new hobbies]
5. Be a little goofy in your bio
Another great thing you should do in your bio in order to find a Bumble BFF is to just be funny. Make a joke in your bio. Show them you’re not all serious and you love to goof around a bit. This does wonders in attracting a friend with a similar personality – something very important in friendship.
[Read: 71 friendly, funny questions to get to know someone in a happy way]
6. Let your personality shine through
With your photos, bio, and conversations, let your true personality come through. You want to make sure you’ll vibe well with the person you connected with.
And that means they’ll have to be able to see your real personality. Of course, there are always nerves involved with this type of thing. Just be sure that your personality will still shine through. Don’t hold back. [Read: 13 ways to bring out the best in yourself and show the world]
7. Say hello first
It’s funny how nerve-racking finding a Bumble BFF can be. Sometimes it’s almost easier to use the app for dating than for finding a friend. One way to ease the tension is to just make sure you say hi first.
You both have 24 hours to message one another before the connection disappears forever. Don’t waste that time, and start off with a good conversation starter. If you message the other person first, they’ll feel less nervous since it seems like you already like them a lot.
[Read: The best deep conversation starters to impress anyone, anytime!]
8. Don’t try too hard
Don’t try to act too cool or be too funny. People can tell when you’re trying really hard, and it’s not good. It can actually get annoying at times when someone is always trying to be on their game.
So just loosen up a little bit. Try enough so they’ll see that you’re putting forth the effort, but leave it at that. Let your personality and your true self do the work. [Read: How does Bumble really work? What to expect from the hottest dating app]
9. Ask them about their interests
Don’t just start rolling off on a tangent when you talk to a new friend. Try to ease into the conversation, but make a point to ask about what they do for fun.
Since this is someone you may be doing a lot of activities with, you want to make sure they like the same things as you. Having shared interests is extremely important when it comes to making a Bumble BFF. So don’t just gloss over those details. Make sure their interests match yours – at least to a certain extent. [Read: How to be less critical of other people and their interests]
10. Let the conversation carry on naturally
A lot of people who want to find a friend seem a little desperate to keep the conversation moving. The thing is, it doesn’t always have to. Let the discussion go where it goes and carry it naturally.
When you ask a question every other sentence, it’ll feel very forced. You’ll make the other person feel like they’re in an interview. And who wants a friend who makes them feel that way? Avoid trying to fabricate a conversation and just let it happen.
[Read: 8 fun ways you can start over and make friends in a new city]
11. Don’t just focus on looks
The effect “swiping culture” can have on us is insane. When using these apps, we tend to care so much about an image rather than getting to know a person.
So try to swipe right on as many people as you can, based on their bios and not on their looks. It may not be easy at first because we’re trained to focus on photos. But if you’re going to build real friendships, you should look for someone with whom you can build a connection on mutual interest rather than appearance.
[Read: Platonic friendship – How to be platonic friends without sexual drama]
12. Don’t be discouraged
Same as using Bumble Dating, it’s easy to get discouraged if you don’t find someone you can vibe with right away. But you have to remember that there are so many people out there. There has to be someone who matches with you perfectly, and you just haven’t come across them yet.
So don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Take your time, enjoy the process, and have fun.
[Read: Codependent friendship – The bad signs & why it’s unhealthy for you]
The key to getting a Bumble BFF is to be cool, act like yourself, and just go with the flow. These tips can help you appeal to the most friends on Bumble and can even connect you with a new life-long best friend.