Friend-finding apps have really increased lately, haven’t they? They’re not for dating, but for people who want to connect with others who share the same hobbies, or who just genuinely want friends. It seems like quite a few people in their 30s and 40s are looking to make new friends, too.

In fact, I tried a few, and they’re totally different depending on the app. For women-only apps, there’s a higher awareness of security—requirements like an ID with a face photo, 24-hour monitoring systems, and the like. Favomatch is focused on supporting fandom activities, so it’s specialized for finding fellow people for otaku activities, and it’s interesting how easy it is to connect with people who share the same favorite. Touch is also women-only, and with its timeline feature you can interact like you’re on social media, which makes it less intimidating.

If men want to use friend-finding apps, options include Bumble’s “BFF mode” and Tantan. You can also make friends with the opposite sex, and the fees are relatively low. DotoMatch and tipsys are for women, so men can’t join.

Personally, what I think is important is whether there’s 24-hour monitoring or not. Safety is pretty important. Also, little features like being able to search on weekends, or narrowing it down by place of residence—those kinds of details matter. Unlike dating apps, friend-finding apps assume you’re actually going to meet in person, so it’s quietly really important to find people whose schedules match.

If you’re an adult 30 or older, there are apps like Somli that target the middle generation. You can search based on whether or not you have children, and there are things like adult relationship quizzes—there’s a sense that it’s been a bit thoughtfully customized.

Another important point is being able to use it for free. Women are usually free, but many apps are paid for men. Even so, among them, Tinder and Bumble let men use them for free by default, so they’re for people who just want to try them out first.

In the end, which app you choose changes depending on what you prioritize. Do you want fandom friends, friends of the same sex, or friends of the opposite sex? Age also matters. I think when choosing a friend-finding app, the right approach is to decide based on your purpose, security, and the balance with ease of use.