Can you use a dating app to make friends? What to look for
By the Miragano team. Updated
You can use a dating app to make friends, as long as the app keeps friendship separate from dating. Look for a friendship intent that only matches you with other people looking for friends, verified profiles so people are who they say, and the same free safety tools you would want for a date. Then treat it like meeting anyone new: a clear profile, a simple plan, and a first meet-up somewhere public.
Why use a dating app to find friends?
Making friends as an adult is hard. Moving to a new town, changing jobs, or watching your old group scatter can leave you with fewer people to call on a Saturday. Apps built for meeting people already solve the hard parts: finding people nearby, starting a conversation and arranging to meet. The only thing that needs to change is the goal.
The catch is mixed signals. If friendship sits in the same pool as dating, some people will read every message as flirting. That's why the setting matters more than the app's name.
What should a friendship app have?
- A separate friendship intent. People looking for friends should only see each other.
- Verified people. You want to know a new friend is a real person who matches their photos.
- Interest-led profiles. Prompts and details that show what someone actually likes doing.
- Local results. A distance setting so you find people you can actually meet.
- Free safety tools. Reporting and blocking work the same whether it's a date or a coffee.
How does friendship work on Miragano?
New friends is one of the intents every member can choose. It is matched only with itself: if you pick new friends, Discover only shows people who also picked new friends, and only they see you. Nobody looking for romance is mixed in.
Discover still uses your setting for who you'd like to meet, so if you're happy to make friends of any gender, choose Everyone. Everyone you see is photo verified, and reporting, blocking and Safe Date Check-in are free. The same tools that protect dates protect friendship meet-ups too: see our safety tools.
How do you write a profile that makes friends?
Friendship profiles work best when they're about activities. Instead of describing your personality in general terms, say what you'd like to do with a new friend: a weekly run, board games, trying every bakery in town, a book swap, gigs nobody else will come to. People reply to a plan they can picture.
Use photos that show you doing things, and include at least one clear photo of your face. Mention if you've recently moved somewhere: lots of people are in the same position and it's an easy opener.
What is a good first friendship meet-up?
Pick something short, public and activity-based, ideally in daylight: a coffee and a walk, a market, a class or a casual game somewhere busy. An activity takes the pressure off conversation. Tell someone where you're going, as you would for any meeting with someone new, and leave whenever you like. The first date safety checklist applies just as well to new friends.
If someone keeps steering a friendship chat toward romance after you've been clear, it's fine to say so and fine to unmatch. Short answers to common questions are in the FAQ.
How to set up a profile for making friends
A simple setup for meeting new friends nearby.
- 1
Choose new friends as your intent
This keeps you out of romantic matching entirely and shows you other people looking for friends.
- 2
Set who you'd like to meet
Choose Everyone if you're happy to make friends of any gender.
- 3
Set a realistic distance
Pick a radius you'd travel for a weekly activity, not just a one-off.
- 4
Describe things to do together
Use prompts to suggest activities: a sport, a hobby, a regular plan.
- 5
Meet somewhere public
Suggest a short daytime meet-up and tell a friend where you'll be.
Questions people ask
Can I use a dating app just to make friends?
Yes, as long as the app keeps friendship separate from dating, otherwise people may assume you're flirting. On Miragano, new friends is one of the intents every member can pick, and it only matches with itself. If you choose it, Discover only shows people who also chose new friends, and only they can see you. Everyone is photo verified, and reporting, blocking and Safe Date Check-in are free. It's a straightforward way to meet people nearby who are also looking for friends, without mixed signals about what you want.
Will people looking for dates see my friendship profile?
No. On Miragano, matching depends on intent, and new friends is only compatible with new friends. People who chose a long-term relationship, marriage, short-term, casual or still figuring it out are never shown your profile, and you never see theirs. That keeps the friendship side free from people hoping it turns romantic. If you later decide you would like to date as well, you can change your intent in your profile, which changes who you see and who sees you. You can only have one intent at a time.
Can I make friends of any gender?
Yes. Discover uses both your intent and your setting for who you'd like to meet. If you choose new friends and set who you'd like to meet to Everyone, you can be shown people of any gender who are also looking for friends, as long as their own setting includes you. You can also choose women, men or non-binary people if you would rather. Miragano offers gender options beyond man and woman, such as non-binary, genderfluid, agender and other, and matching groups them into categories so everyone can be found by the people looking for them.
What should I write in a friendship profile?
Write about things you'd like to do with a new friend. Specific activities are easier to reply to than general traits, so say "looking for someone to try a new climbing wall with" rather than "outgoing and fun". Mention your regular routines, a hobby you'd love company for, and anything that gives people an easy opener, like being new to the area. Include at least one clear photo of your face and complete photo verification so people know you're real. Keep it relaxed and friendly rather than formal.
Is it safe to meet someone from an app as a friend?
Treat it like meeting any stranger from the internet: mostly fine, with a few sensible habits. Meet somewhere public and busy, ideally in daylight, get yourself there and back, and tell someone where you'll be. Don't share your home address or financial details early on. On Miragano everyone is photo verified, and you can report or block anyone from the chat at no cost. Photo verification shows that someone matches their photos; it doesn't check their background, so let trust build over a few meet-ups.
How do I start a conversation with a potential friend?
Lead with something from their profile and a light suggestion. For example: "You mentioned you're new to town too. I've been meaning to try the Saturday market, want to check it out?" That gives them something real to reply to and a plan to say yes or no to. Avoid one-word openers, and don't overthink it: people who chose new friends are hoping to hear from someone. Matches on Miragano expire after 7 days if nobody sends a message, so it's worth saying hello soon after you match.
What if a friendship match starts flirting?
You can say so directly and kindly, for example: "Just to be clear, I'm only looking for friends on here." Most people will respect that, since they chose the same intent. If they keep pushing, it's fine to unmatch. If anything becomes uncomfortable, threatening or inappropriate, use the report option in the chat, which lets you block at the same time. Blocking is instant, ends the match and hides you from each other. Reports are reviewed by people, and reporting and blocking are free for everyone.
Does it cost anything to use Miragano for friendship?
No. Miragano is free to join and free to use, whatever your intent. Free members get 25 likes a day, messaging with their matches, photo verification and every safety tool. Optional paid plans add extras such as unlimited likes and seeing who likes you, and they open with the app store launch. Most people looking for friends will find the free plan does everything they need. The iOS and Android apps are not in the app stores yet; the web app works in any modern browser.
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