I tried Bumble BFF in Toronto and here’s why it’s way better than the dating scene

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

These days, it seems like every couple I know in Toronto met through a dating app like Hinge, Tinder, or Bumble. With more people working and studying from home in the post-Covid-19 world, it makes sense that more people are looking to options like online apps to find love.

But the idea of ​​looking for friends through an app still seemed foreign to me. So, when I heard about Bumble BFF, I was very ambivalent.

Bumble BFF is a feature of the popular Bumble dating app designed specifically for individuals looking to make new friends. First released in 2016, it works like the dating part of the app, but users swipe between potential love partners instead of potential friends.

At first I was hesitant to try it. I’ve used dating apps before and swiping left or right wasn’t really my thing.

But I decided to give it a try and it honestly exceeded my expectations in every way.

Creating a profile was easy and making potential friends surprisingly fun. Unlike online dating, I liked almost every person I met. I also didn’t feel like I was being judged based on my looks or seen as another pointless potential hookup.

Instead, app participants seemed genuinely interested in others who shared their interests and passions.

I recently connected with a woman my age and before we even met we were already exchanging life stories, things about our childhood that kept us up at night, and what we loved most about the city.

He invited me out for drinks with two other women he met on the app, and while I was nervous, I was too full of curiosity and excitement to refuse, and the night turned out to be incredibly healthy. The experience of four women giving their lives to complete strangers over a drink proved to be incredibly enriching.

At the end of the night, as we were walking back, one of the women noticed I was missing an earring. This was one of my favorite pairs and I was honestly gutted when I realized I probably lost it.

My new friends insisted we go back to the now incredibly crowded, loud and dark bar to find my missing property. I was touched that they wanted to try it, but they didn’t think we had a chance in a million years of finding it.

But seeing her crouch down with our phone lights looking for the earring inspired other women’s groups to join us.

It was probably one of the most heartwarming things this year to see more dressed up women in high heels wanting to get down on their knees looking for my earrings.

And lo and behold, we finally found it! I went home very happy that night.

However, I was told that I was lucky and that there are horror stories in the Bumble BFF universe.

A woman told me a story about how she and a group of people had arranged to meet for dinner and she was the only one who showed up and they were all possessed.

But for now, all I can do is support the experience. You never know when you’ll sign up for something that will be a fond memory for years to come.