Bumble is testing a friend-finding app

Dating app Bumble said it is testing a standalone BFF app in some markets to allow people to find friends. The company added that it plans to release the app in the US this year.

The company is testing the app in the UK and some other Asian markets – in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines on both Android and iOS.

“With Bumble For Friends, you can connect, meet new people, and make friends in a community focused on kindness and safety. Whether you’re new or just looking to expand your social circle, Bumble For Friends is the easiest way to make new friends and find a community,” reads the description of the new Bumble App on the App Store.

Bumble also has a new landing page for the app, but the download button will likely take you to the main app unless you’re testing in the aforementioned markets.

The app is free to use, but it also has premium subscriptions for a week, three months, six months, and a lifetime. The Bumble For Friends app also includes in-app purchases such as boosts to improve profile visibility and super swipes to grab a specific person’s attention.

A Bumble spokesperson told TechCrunch that BFF has roughly 15% of the main app’s monthly active users. The company added that Bumble For Friends is for people “who are looking for friends without being on a dating app.”

The dating app introduced BFF mode on the app back in 2016. Last year, the company began testing the Beehive feature to create a community as part of the BFF update. But the new app does not have this feature.

With the launch of the new app, Bumble is trying to break into the buddy finder market, which includes the Yubo live streaming app, as well as the LMK, Wink, Swipr, and Vibe apps.