Meet people who share your interests, near you

The best way to meet people like you is to start from what you already love, then find who loves it too around you. On Serkle, a free app that isn't a dating app, you choose your interests and see the people near you who share them, starting with friends of your friends. Then you write to each other and meet in real life.

How it works

1. Choose your interests: hiking, jazz, board games, cooking, climbing, photography… more than 900 to choose from.
2. Search for one of them, or several at once: Serkle shows you the people who have them, first those you have friends in common with, then those closest to you in age and distance.
3. See what you have in common: each profile shows only your shared interests and the people you both know.
4. Add them and write. Once you've both added each other you're connected, and you can suggest a coffee, a drink or a walk in one tap.
5. Meet for real. Serkle is only the starting point: five minutes a day in the app, the rest outside.

Not a dating app

No swiping, no feed, no likes, no rating profiles. Serkle is for making friends and keeping your people close, not for dating. No ads, and no algorithm built to keep you scrolling.

Search built on trust

• You only search your own interests: nobody can find you through an interest they don't have themselves.
• Friends in common first: it feels safer, and it gets going faster.
• Sensitive topics stay hidden: a sensitive interest (religion, health, politics…) can help people who share it find you, but it is never shown.
• Minors are protected: Serkle is open from age 15, and an adult can never find or contact a 15-17-year-old they don't know.
• First messages are limited: one first message, then you wait for a reply. You can block and report in every conversation.

From ChatGPT or Claude

With Serkle's official connector (MCP), just ask your AI: "Find people on Serkle who go climbing near me". It searches with your account, under the same rules as the app, and asks before adding anyone or writing to them.

Tel Aviv, Paris, or your new city

Just moved to Tel Aviv, Paris, or a new city for school or work? Choose your city and your interests: you see right away who shares them around you. Serkle speaks English, French, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese and German, so expats and newcomers find their way easily.

Comparing with Meetup, Bumble BFF or Timeleft? See the best apps to make friends. And for your city: Tel Aviv, Paris.

Serkle also keeps your close ones on a private circle: see A personal CRM to organize your contacts.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an app to find people nearby who share my hobbies, not a dating app?

Yes: Serkle. You choose your interests and see the people near you who share them, starting with friends of your friends. It's free, and it's for friendship: no swiping, no rating profiles, no feed.

How do I make friends in a new city?

Add your city and your interests on Serkle: you see right away the people around you who share them, and those who already know someone you know. Add them, write to them, and suggest meeting up.

How do adults make new friends?

Through what they already love. Pick one interest, find one or two people near you who share it, and suggest a coffee or the activity itself. Serkle makes that first step easy: it shows who shares your interests nearby, friends of friends first.

I feel lonely and can't find people who like the same things as me. What can I do?

It happens to everyone: after a move, a breakup, or when old friends drift away. Start small: one thing you love, one or two people who love it too, one first coffee. Serkle helps you find them near you. If loneliness weighs heavily, talk to someone you trust; in the US you can call or text 988, in Israel ERAN answers at 1201.

Is Serkle free?

Yes. Searching for people, writing to them and meeting them is free. Serkle+ ($24 a year) lets you keep more than 100 people in your serkle and customize it; it never gives more visibility or an edge over others.

How is Serkle different from Meetup or Bumble BFF?

Meetup brings groups together around events; Bumble BFF comes from the world of dating apps. Serkle starts from people: you see directly who shares your interests near you, friends in common first, and you keep all your close ones on a private circle.

Updated on November 12, 2026