Although Yubo has taken steps against cyberbullying, fake profiles, and sexually explicit material as it gains popularity with teenagers in the US, it may be time to look for other apps like Yubo that also lets you “meet new people.” To help with that, here is our list of the best apps like Yubo for your phone!
In this Article
What Is Yubo?
Before we talk about alternatives, what exactly is Yubo anyway? In a nutshell, it’s a live streaming platform for any type of content except nudity, violence, and hate speech. It first started as an idea to create a Snapchat discovery tool by a trio of Frenchmen, Sacha Lazimi, Jeremie Aouate, and Arthur Patora. The three embarked on to make a Tinder-like app for Snapchat friends and a place where people can “meet new people.” They designed the app to be a live-streaming program that lets people interact with one another. This idea turns the lessons of “stranger danger” up on its head. Originally called Yellow, Yubo wants registered users to actively talk to and befriend random people on the Internet.
While Yubo claims that they safeguard their users’ privacy and have strict age requirement enforcement rules, many are still afraid of fully trusting the app. To be fair to Yubo, they know that their fresh take on social media is quite popular with teens and other Gen Z’ers who are a large part of their user base. Due to this, they have teamed up with Yoti, one of the few companies that fully specializes in age verification technologies.
Best Apps Like Yubo
Let’s now proceed onto the actual list of apps like Yubo. In an effort to help some of the parents and guardians reading this article, we have added the platforms the apps are available on and its age content rating as well.
1. Twitter
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: Mature 17+
Twitter seems like it has always been there from the start of the social media craze in the early 2010s. With celebrities and personalities like Kim Kardashian West and US President Joe Biden having their own accounts, it is no surprise that it is the first app like Yubo on our list. Follows, hearts, and re-tweets are Twitter’s bread and butter, though, so it may be a bit overwhelming for those who want one-on-one social media conversations.
While its live video streaming may not be its main draw, for that, you will have to look at their eponymous “Tweets” that have a short 280 character limit. Twitter does support streaming in a limited way through “Live” videos, though. Aside from that, the camera-shy may want to use Twitter Spaces instead, since it lets users live stream their audio instead and talk to their followers.
Although it may be geared to celebrities or those with large followings, we normal people can happily use it to connect and “follow” the people we want to learn more about.
Also See: A Starter’s Guide to Twitter.
Get Twitter on the Google Play Store
Get Twitter on the Apple App Store
2. Facebook
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: Teen
Another social media giant, Facebook was one of the pioneers for the industry and is still going strong. Although originally thought of as a “Facemash” of attractive and less attractive people, it has branched it from being just a list of people’s profiles.
Live-streamed videos, social status posts, profile photos, location sign-ins – Facebook has had a hand in them all. While there are a lot of controversies about internet privacy and Facebook’s role in modern society, there is no question that Facebook is a friend-making app like Yubo due to its similarities in both design and function.
Also See: Facebook App Review
Get Facebook on the Google Play Store
Get Facebook on the Apple App Store
3. MeetMe
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: Mature 17+
Another app with a dating angle, MeetMe is also a good app like Yubo. A complete social media experience, MeetMe offers not just chatting with people one-on-one but also live-streaming, profile posts, and location filters as well. This full-on take with social media is probably what drew over 100 million users to the platform from different parts of the world.
When finding friends online through this app, you could restrict or search for people in your neighborhood or other locations with a fun “Locals” tab. From there, you can see the posts and live streams of people in your chosen neighborhood. Just remember that others can do the same to your profile as well!
Get MeetMe on the Google Play Store
Get MeetMe on the Apple App Store
4. Meetup
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: Teen
Compared to other apps like Yubo, Meetup is designed for groups in mind. Although it has a similar name to MeetMe, the two are not related and are by different companies. Meetup has more than 330,000+ different interest and event groups that you can join in. These include general sports activities like hiking, jogging, and cycling to more tech-filled groups like Java or Linux programming.
The main draw for the Meetup app is its “local meetups” that show you local groups and event plans if you have your GPS turned on. Aside from that, you can also get to know the people in your group or create your own with friends and family.
Get Meetup on the Google Play Store
Get Meetup on the Apple App Store
5. Peanut
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: PG 12+
A bit of an odd pick when it comes to apps like Yubo, the Peanut app is designed mainly for moms and women. The app aims to connect women of similar age groups and backgrounds to help them interact and share experiences with one another. This is assured by Peanut’s strict verification control, content filters, and community moderators through “guardian badges.”
With over 2 million women using the app, it aims to offer them a place to comfortably and safely talk about their problems. You can discuss these problems like those with relationships, fertility, pregnancies, motherhood, and menopause through chat, audio conferences, and video calls between members of the group.
Get Peanut on the Google Play Store
Get Peanut on the Apple App Store
6. Pawdates
Platform/s: iOS
Age Content Rating: Mature 17+
It is not just you who can go out and meet people as your doggo can too with Pawdates! Exclusively for iOS (the similarly named Paw Dates on the Google Play Store is a different app), this app lets you set up your perfect play date for your four-legged best friend. However, it does have a subscription feature that might limit the number of these dates.
Meant to connect not just your furry companions, this app wants to help its users interact with like-minded dog lovers and give them a place to meet, plan events, and socialize. To help do that, the app has several options like status, photo and video posting, multi-media enabled chat, and an easy search filter to find the perfect doggo.
Get Pawdates on the Apple App Store
7. Nextdoor
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: Teen
An app that focuses on what is happening near you. Compared to other apps like Yubo, this app focuses on users and people from your local community instead of far-flung strangers. Because of this, you would find that most of the people on this app usually interact with other members close by. This interaction comes through several features on the Nextdoor app, including groups, private messaging, and public posts.
Get Nextdoor on the Google Play Store
Get Nextdoor on the Apple App Store
8. Skout
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: Mature 17+
Another app that promises to let you get to know people near you and meet them, Skout has had more than 50 million installations from the Google Play Store alone. Although a “hookup app” at its core, it does not mean that you could not make some meaningful friends along the way.
Skout has all the features standard to most dating and friend-making apps like Yubo. These include the ability to sort profiles by location and filter them by preferences, a “swipe” matching feature, profile pages, versatile chats, and a one-on-one video chat feature. The big downside to this app, though, is its subscription feature which requires you to pay some cash to open up more of their “premium” features and remove ads.
Get Skout on the Google Play Store
Get Skout on the Apple App Store
9. Friended
Platform/s: iOS
Age Content Rating: Mature 17+
Promising a “better way to meet people,” Friended is an iOS exclusive friend-making app like Yubo. Created by Foundermark Inc., Friended is a decent app that has all the standard features you would want from a social media app. It has interactive profile pages, instant chatting, video calls and conferences, and video live-streaming.
Aside from these standard features, where Friended truly shines compared to other friend-making apps is its games. These include word association games, personality quizzes, and ice-breaking games. This kind of fun does, however, come at a price — $7.99 to be exact, for the average premium subscription.
Get Friended on the Apple App Store
10. Tinder
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: Mature 17+
The world’s most recognized dating app, Tinder has a lot going for it. Consistent account verification and security, a pioneering matching feature, video chat, text chat, and customization bios are just some of the features Tinder has. Although primarily meant to be a chat app to meet and date strangers, Tinder can be used for more platonic meet-ups too. It is also reportedly adding a live streaming feature similar to Yubo, so users can better express themselves.
If you want to try Tinder out for a spin, though, you should know that they also offer a subscription service called “Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold.” While starting at just $9.99 a month for Tinder Plus, the Gold option could cost you as much as $14.99 a month instead.
Also See: Tinder vs Bumble: Which is Better For Men?
Get Tinder on the Google Play Store
Get Tinder on the Apple App Store
11. Hey! VINA
Platform/s: Android and iOS
Age Content Rating: 16+
Similar to the Peanut app, Hey! VINA also aims to connect women between generations and lifestyles. It is being promoted as an app “for women, by women.” Hey! VINA has had wonderful reviews from magazines like ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, and even newspapers like The New York Times. That said, the app is a bit restrictive as it requires you to log in using your Facebook account as it uses your Facebook profile to verify their users.
Even with that restriction, the app follows the same ideas popularized by Tinder and other meet-up apps. You can swipe right or left on people’s profiles and once matched, you can then chat and interact to get to know each other.
Get Hey! VINA on the Google Play Store
Get Hey! VINA on the Apple App Store
Finding Friends Through Apps Like Yubo
We hope that you find a good friend through the apps on this list. Just remember to keep your private information and location safe while surfing the Internet!
