Your Squad Search Ends Here

- Julie Vadnal

Lucky for you – and thanks to a bunch of new apps (see ‘Need a New BFF? Swipe Right’) – ‘friend dating’ is easier and more popular than ever. Technology has given women everywhere an assist in forming platonic relationships (which, BTW, can make you happier and healthier). COSMO has your guide to finding and bonding with potential BFFs.

1 Scout prospects.

In terms of IRL friend pick-up spots, the usual suspects still rule: a mutual acquaintance’s party, your local coffee shop, the gym. When you spot someone promising – perhaps she has a hilarious phone case that makes you go ‘same’ – approach her casually and keep your intro light, says psychologist Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance Of Anger. Start with a simple ice-breaker: ‘I love your boots. Where did you get them?’ Then bring up something you can bond over (such as your shared appreciation for a strong stacked heel).

Not an option? Grab your phone and download an app to swipe your way to a kindred spirit. Bumble BFF, for example, helps users who are looking for gal-pal love. ‘I relocated to my husband’s home town, and I really wanted a girlfriend I could do happy hour with,’ says Caroline, 30, who used Bumble BFF when she arrived in her new town. ‘Me and the first girl I met up with spent more than four hours on our first “date”!’

2 Plan a hang.