Your friends may have moved to different cities, but these five apps can help you stay connected, share everyday moments, and plan your next hangout.
After graduating from university and going our separate ways, my friends and I slowly realized that the one thing adult TV shows never prepared us for was how hard it would be to schedule a simple meet-up. One moved to Australia, another took over their family business, and I’m balancing law school with publishing life, so finding a day when all three of us are free feels like an achievement in itself. Thankfully, technology has made staying connected a little easier. Whether it’s apps that let you watch something together from different time zones or platforms that help you share everyday moments, there are plenty of ways to keep a friendship going from afar. Here are some apps worth downloading when you can’t arrange a spontaneous coffee date with the gang.
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Setlog
Setlog is a vlogging app that gives you a reason to check in with your friends throughout the day. Every hour, the app prompts you to capture a quick, two-to-four-second video snippet, which it then stitches together into a daily diary-style vlog. It’s a fun way for friends living in different cities to see little pieces of each other’s day, from your morning commute to what you had for lunch or whatever random thing happened at 3 PM. By the end of the day, you have a mini vlog that you can look back on together.
Locket
Locket is for the friends who want to stay in each other’s everyday lives, even from miles away. The app puts your friends’ photos directly on your home screen, so you get little snapshots of what they’re up to throughout the day. It could be your friend’s morning coffee, a cute outfit, a random dog they saw on the street, or a particularly good dinner. There’s something sweet about getting these tiny updates without having to start a whole conversation.
StepUp
StepUp turns your daily walks into friendly competition. You can create groups with your friends, compare your step counts, and see who’s getting the most movement in. For those who live far apart, it gives you something small to do together every day, whether you’re walking to work in Manila or exploring a new neighborhood overseas. A little leaderboard also gives the group chat something to argue about.
Beli
Beli is perfect for friends who are constantly asking each other, “Where did you eat?” The app lets you keep track of restaurants you’ve tried, rate them, and share your lists with friends. You can see where your friends have been eating and use their recommendations when you’re looking for somewhere new. It also makes planning your next dinner much easier when everyone already has a running list of places they want to try.
Splitwise
Then, of course, there’s Splitwise for when the hangout finally leaves the group chat, and everyone has to figure out who owes whom. The app keeps track of shared expenses, from dinner and drinks to hotel rooms and group trips, so you can split the bill without turning the GC into a spreadsheet. Add the expenses as you go, and Splitwise does the math for you, making the inevitable “Wait, how much do I owe?” conversation much easier.
Banner photo courtesy of Locket
Frequently Asked Questions
Apps like Setlog, Locket, StepUp, Beli, and Splitwise give friends different ways to stay connected when they live in different cities. They can help friends share everyday moments, keep up with each other, discover restaurants, and manage shared expenses.
Setlog is a vlogging app that prompts users every hour to record two-to-four-second video snippets. The app automatically stitches these clips into a daily diary-style vlog, giving friends a way to see pieces of each other’s day.
Locket puts friends’ photos directly on your home screen, allowing you to see quick snapshots of what they are doing throughout the day. Friends can share moments like their morning coffee, outfits, meals, or anything else they happen to see.
Beli lets friends keep track of restaurants they have tried, rate them, and share their lists. Friends can use the app to see each other’s restaurant recommendations and find places to try together.
Splitwise helps friends keep track of shared expenses, including dinner, drinks, hotel rooms, and group trips. It calculates what each person owes, making it easier to settle expenses after a hangout.
