Tinder Is Dead: 5 Social Apps Taking The Lead In 2016

Tinder has emerged as the social app of choice, but competition is rising. Here's some new social apps ready to take the lead in 2016.

Tinder might be one of the most fascinating app experiments to have come out of the mobile boom. Launched in late 2012, the app struck a chord with users by game-ifying the socializing world, making finding a Netflix and chill buddy as simple as swiping your finger – and having a catchy pitch or two at the ready.

With its addictive qualities and instant self-gratification, Tinder became one of the most popular social apps, evolving from its dating origins in some pretty fascinating ways. It became easy to find someone to try out a new bar, test out a new joke on, or just have a conversation while you were waiting in line.

But with popularity comes plenty of side effects, and Tinder has succumbed to many of them. People have Tinder profiles for their dogs, their cats, and, in at least one case, their slice of pizza. The service is now plagued with ads and less-than-wholesome profiles. And that’s not even mentioning the addition of microtransactions, which kind of defeat the purpose the app was built around in the first place.

That’s why we’re calling it – Tinder is dead. Time to tap-and-drag it off into the great Fourth Page Beyond, because these seven apps are rethinking the way that people socialize on their phones, and you can bet that at least a few of these will be the new hotness when 2016 comes around.

1. Bebo

While it’s true that Bebo is technically an older service, it’s had a crazy history that has resulted in the creation of a totally new app that just relaunched and could shake things up in the world of social. There’s just about nothing of the old Bebo in here. Instead, users create avatars to represent themselves, and interact with a variety of drawings and hashtags. It’s almost like a cross between Nintendo’s Mii characters and Twitter.

2. Friendable

Friendable is a cool new way to meet people in your area, using your personal interests and favorite local spots as a way to kickstart new friendships. Friendable’s motto is “Everything starts with friendship,” and that focus is clear from the moment you start. The app’s hyper-local focus (they highlight local businesses and locations that would be prime meetup spots) makes it an easy choice for anyone looking to meet new people locally. All of the app’s suggestions, from new people to meet to new places the hang out, are made based on your location, so you’ll never find yourself chatting with someone who ends up living in another state. When it’s time to form a group, you can even invite old friends along, using an intuitive chat interface to introduce yourself and get the ball rolling with some fun meetup ideas.

3. Wanelo

Wanelo combines social media with shopping in a unique and intoxicating blend. This is a great way to do gift exchanges, among other social shopping activities, with friends. You can browse millions of products from major brands and indie artists alike, and add your favorites to a wish list. From there, you can connect with friends and other fans, view their wish lists, and discover new items. What makes Wanelo really special, though, is the way that the app learns your preferences over time. Each time you save a product, Wanelo analyzes it and adds one more piece of intel to your taste profile, building a unique set of recommendations just for you.

4. GIPHY CAM

GIPHY CAM is a great choice for people who love sharing their life with friends. Instead of snapping photos or videos, GIPHY takes - you guessed it - gifs. All you have to do is point and shoot, and GIPHY creates an animated gif straight from your phone’s camera. You can add filters and effects to make your gifs more goofy, but the real focus is on sharing and receiving. Gifs can be instantly sent and received between friends, and you can save your favorites to view later. You can also send your gifs through Apple’s standard Messenger, in case your friends don’t have the app. With such a wide array of customization and sharing options, GIPHY CAM can be a really fun way to share your life with friends.

5. Learnest

Sometimes the only difference between success and failure can be a little peer pressure. Learnest aims to make the online experience more social, letting you save and share all the cool knowledge you find online, and maybe motivate others to do the same in the process. Learnest offers crowd-sourced knowledge, meaning that all of its users come together and contribute to a well of information that anyone can access. Inside, you’ll find anything from filmmaking advice to wilderness survival tips. Posts come in the form of text, videos and web pages, and feature boards (called “Learnboards) that let you discuss and share knowledge.