Apps

Bumble launches standalone app for finding platonic friends

It’s called Bumble for Friends

Published

August 5, 2023

Martynne De Leon

While Bumble is more popularly known as a dating app in the Philippines, it has an option where you can look for new friends. And I mean platonic friends. It’s called the BFF Mode, one of Bumble’s features since 2016.

Just recently, Bumble finally launched this feature as a standalone app called “Bumble for Friends”, recognizing the growing online connections in today’s young generation.

“Friendship is just as important to our mission [as to romance], which is why we are so excited by the launch of the Bumble For Friends app in the Philippines,” says Lucille McCart, Bumble’s APAC Communications Director.

According to Bumble’s latest research, Gen Zs want to make new friends but they don’t know where to meet people and are intimidated by approaching people IRL.

Bumble for Friends aims to make meeting friends easier, less awkward and more fun. The features are quite similar to Bumble date where members see profiles for potential friends based on common interests, swipe right on profiles they would like to connect with, and are notified if a match is made. A person has 24 hours to begin a conversation.

You can create a group chat, too. Here’s how:

Any member can create a plan for a group meetup with at least two of their connections from the conversations tab.
A member selects a planned activity from a list of suggestions or creates their own.
Once a member selects a plan theme or creates a title for the group chat, they can invite at least two of their matches.
Their matches receive an invite in their chat that is titled the name of the planned activity, which can be edited.
Anyone who accepts the invite can join the group chat and start discussing any of the meetup details.

In fact, Bumble revealed in another survey that 3 out of 4 (74%) people globally are keen to find their ‘tribe’ or a group of like-minded people that they can create real friendships with. Additionally, more than half (68%) of those surveyed are keen to find new friends in their local area for the convenience of meeting up and doing things together.

Anyone currently using BFF mode with the Bumble app who wishes to migrate their profile and connections into the Bumble For Friends app will be able to skip the set-up and easily do so upon downloading and logging in as an existing member.

Once a BFF profile is moved over to the Bumble For Friends app, BFF mode is no longer available in the Bumble app. However, The Date and Bizz functionality remains.

“We can’t wait to see how Bumble For Friends has a similar impact on our ability to connect socially and build platonic love in a time when so many of us feel disconnected,” adds McCart.

Is it a match?

I personally met a lot of new friends digitally, especially during peak pandemic years. I can say that it’s fun and exciting to meet people online with similar interests. It’s even more fun when we got together IRL!

Bumble for Friends offers everyone a chance to find their people. If you’re an introvert looking for a new tribe, or maybe you have a new interest and you’re searching for likeminded people to share it with, this app can be a match for you.

Bumble for Friends is now available on Apple Store and Playstore.

Related Topics:Bumble Bumble for Friends

Apps

Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.

Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.

Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.

According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.

Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.

Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.

Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a 3D mode

The app will also have a Gemini chatbot baked inside.

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.

In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.

In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.

Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.

Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.

Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.

Apps

Apple Music, TikTok launch Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience

Rolling out worldwide exclusively through Apple Music

Published

March 12, 2026

GadgetMatch

Ever came across a viral 15 or 30-second music snippet on TikTok that instantly became your jam on repeat?

For years, TikTok has been a regular source of songs that have become part of our playlists. And together with Apple Music, listening to the music you discover has just gotten even easier.

That’s through Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience, which launches exclusively though Apple Music.

With the new feature, Apple Music subscribers can now enjoy full-length tracks that they discover on TikTok. That’s without ever leaving that popular streaming app.

Fans who discover a song that they love on their For You or Sound Detail page can simply tap the Play Full Song button to open up an Apple Music player and enjoy the song in its entirety.

From there, subscribers can continue listening to a personalized stream of recommended songs. That means no more need to switch apps and search separately.

The new Play Full Song experience helps music fans move seamlessly from the moment of discovery to deeper listening. It’s also designed to be instant and all within the same environment.

Moreover, users can also save their favorite songs to Your Music and add them directly to their Apple Music playlists.

Built using Apple’s MusicKit, full-length song playback takes place on Apple Music. This way, streams are paid within the Apple Music service, supporting artists and rights holders while giving fans a smooth, uninterrupted experience.

Listening Party also launched

The feature builds on the success of TikTok’s Add to Music App. This was previously launched to help artists and fans convert discovery on TikTok to a playlist save in Apple Music and other streaming services.

To cap the announcement, TikTok and Apple Music are also introducing Listening Party. This new feature is designed to bring artists and fans together around music.

It creates a shared environment where fans can listen to songs from their favorite artists in real time, interact with each her, and engage directly with the artist during the session.