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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Riverside chapter.

 

Those of you who know me may be confused by the title of this article and that’s because I’m clickbaiting here. Recently, I came to the conclusion that I need and want to expand my friend group and hopefully find people who I can relate with at school. So, I decided that I’d give Bumble BFF a try.

 

(Photo by Pixabay on Pexels)

 

What is “Bumble BFF”?

 

Bumble BFF (BFF) is a section within the Bumble app created to expand your social circle and to create meaningful friendships. Just like the original Bumble, only women can message their match first to get the conversation going. Their mission statement at BFF is to allow “authentic friendships” to blossom and “build a supportive community around you,” which is exactly why I decided to join. After high school and coming to UCR, I found it hard to stay in communication with friends back home and lost a lot of them due to distance, but BFF makes it easy and accessible to find new people around me.

 

(Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels)

 

The App

 

Let’s talk about the about for just a second. BFF function exactly like regular Bumble. You swipe left to pass on a potential friend and swipe right to see if it’s a match. The app is simple and effective. Swipe right on the entire screen to access your profile and make adjustments like your profile picture and bio. Or, swipe left to access your match queue and messages. I like its design and think it was made to be effective and minimalistic. To create an account you need to verify your profile by connecting to Facebook or email. Once you’re connected through Facebook your pictures are transferred over and you can start building your profile. They make it extremely easy to create an interesting profile with prompts you can answer to build your bio. Once you swipe left and right a couple times, you get the hang of the app entirely.

 

(Photo by Laura Stanley from Pexels)

 

My Experience

 

Although I’ve only been on BFF for a short while, I’m finding it to be effective. Almost instantly after creating my account I had matches with girls around my area asking me about my day. Everyone I’ve interacted with so far has been kind and pleasant. However, I have noticed that, just like any other dating/relationship app, starting a conversation and keeping it going can be tough, but don’t let that discourage you! Put in the effort and things might turn around. I can see myself connecting with girls and possibly maintaining friendships. I don’t feel uncomfortable in regards to the app and will continue to use it in the future. I wish I had begun using the app during my first year of college versus my second year because I think it would have allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and enjoy college a lot sooner.

 

(Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels)

 

After high school I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make friends in college. I had to push myself to interact and be more outgoing to finally meet my people. So, if you’re like me, shy at the start but social after getting to know each other, then this app is for you. Check it out, even if it’s just for a day, you never know you might just meet your best friend.

Daniela Olguin

UC Riverside '20

Daniela is a sophomore studying sociology at the University of California, Riverside. After graduating, she plans to continue her education in graduate school and pursue a career in the realm of sociology. Outside of school, she can be found at the Student Association of Latino-Spanish Affairs planning out events and recruiting members. In her free time, she binge watches Catfish: The TV Show, rewatches Vines, or listens to the same three albums over and over again.