Social media and dating apps are a dime a dozen, yet the aspect of connection isn’t necessarily present. It’s all too easy to swipe no or scroll past without really engaging with another human being on the other end. We’ve seen apps come and go over the years that’ve tried to overcome this barrier but few have sustained long enough to gain serious momentum. Honesty and empathy are paramount to our well being, and these three apps manage to bring people together via their smartphones.
Whisper (Free)
You may have seen Buzzfeed videos featuring Whisper app confessions, but there’s more to it than just sending secrets to the Internet. You can see what people think about locations you visit such as your school or connect on a variety of topics you care about. Exchange advice or just chat with fellow Whisper members.
Tandem (Free)
Learning a new language? The best way to become fluent is chatting with native speakers and Tandem makes that easy. Tell the app which languages you speak and which you’re practicing, then connect with others looking for the opposite. You might say, “I want to talk about Star Wars in Spanish,” and connect with someone from Spain who wants to practice their English. Also a great way to get advice for best-practices when learning a language, Tandem was featured by Apple as one of the “Best of 2015.”
Kindly (Free)
Kindly makes it easy to chat with helpful peers or life coaches via the app. Describe your issue, what you want advice about, or what you need to vent about and instantly connect with someone. You can post about a huge range of problems and improve your listening and empathy skills by becoming a listener in return.
