My best friend has a photo of me holding back tears during college graduation. That’s the moment it dawned on us that we were moving to different cities due to work. This meant we would not see each other again almost daily or weekly.
It was such a bittersweet moment for both of us, as no one wanted to address the elephant in the room: Would our relationship survive the distance? I’m happy to say that our friendship has stood the test of distance. And while we might not see each other as often as we would like to, technology has helped us keep our friendship alive.
Today, there are many online apps that can help keep a long-distance friendship alive. Below, I have compiled some of the best apps that have helped my friend and I. I’m hoping they will help you as well.
💖 Table of Contents
Marco Polo
My friend works in Seattle, while I’m located in New York. Scheduling video calls can be challenging when you factor in the time difference and our busy schedules. However, Marco Polo has allowed us to connect despite our busy lives and the time zone difference.
The app allows you to record video messages and send them to your friends. They can be as long as you want.
Your friends then watch the video and respond when they are free. Unlike other apps, Marco Polo is secure, respects your privacy, and does not sell your information to third parties.
You will only need the phone number of the person you want to talk with. This ensures no strangers can drop into your conversation.
The app also allows you to create groups. So you can create a group for family, or groups with people you share common interests with, such as anime.
- Android and iOS
- Free
- Ad-free
Smule: Social Karaoke Singing
If one of the ways you and your friend used to have fun involved karaoke night, then you will love Smule. The app allows you to do a solo, record a duet with your friend, or sing with a group of friends despite the distance.
Featuring more than 10 million songs from all over the world, you can be sure you will find your favorite song. You have the option of singing live or creating a music video. With all these amazing features, a long-distance karaoke session will feel just as good as if you were together.
- Android and iOS
- In-app purchases
- Contains Ads
Scattergories
Can you think fast when you are under the pressure of a timer? Scattergories is a trivia game that features different categories like food, color, country, girl and boy name, historical figures, magazines, and things in the house. The trick is that you are given a random letter, and the words you list in the selected categories have to start with that letter.
What makes Scattergories exciting is how you are on edge trying to come up with those words.
- Limited games
- In-app purchases
- Contains ads
- for iOS and Android
Mario Kart Tour: One of the best game apps to play with friends long distance
I would recommend the Mario Kart Tour app for friends that love racing games. After downloading the app, you can register your friends as game friends and compete with each other.
The game also allows you to play with other players all over the world. Besides the Mario Kart courses, the game features courses from real locations all over the world.
Collect badges, karts, gliders, drivers, and many more items by completing the set challenges.
- May include ads
- In-game purchases available
- Android and iOS
KOYA
The KOYA app allows you to surprise your friends with video messages, gifts, or money to spend on their favorite spots. To date, the app has made over 14,800 people’s days. It uses geolocation technology to enable you to send surprises or gifts that your friends will only receive after getting to that location.
You can make things more interesting by sending your friend on a scavenger hunt with some hints and encouraging messages along the way. The downside is that the app is only iOS-enabled, and to join, you may be placed on a waiting list.
Rave
Do you miss the days when you would go to the movies or have a movie night on Friday? That is what Rave offers you. The app allows you to have watch parties despite the distance between you and your friends.
You can watch your favorite shows and movies from Amazon Prime, Netflix, Google Drive, YouTube, and Reddit while also voice chatting or messaging with your friends. Now, you no longer need to use two devices, one for streaming the movie and the one for chatting with your friends.
Rave allows you to do that. And as a bonus, if you meet with your friends, you can also sync your phones and create a speaker system.
- iOS App
- Android App
Feel
Show love to your friends in a special way by sending them heartbeats. Feel allows you to send a real-time heartbeat to your loved ones, and I think that is one of the most reassuring things someone can do.
You can accompany the heartbeat with a message and then choose a unique heart design to go with it. You will not need any special tools to record your heartbeat. Simply place a finger over the flashlight and camera.
- Android and iOS
Evil Apples: A Dirty Card Game
If you have ever played cards against humanity with your friends, then you will love Evil Apples: a Dirty Card Game. It is a simple game that will leave you and your friends dying of laughter. The game is played among three or more people.
It comes with question cards and answer cards. The question card has some normal questions, but the fun is in the answer cards, which feature the most absurd answers. One player will deal the question card, and then the other players place their answer cards of what they think is the funniest response to the asked question.
The answer that the judge finds most appealing wins a point. The game features more than 1,000 question cards and 8,000 answer cards, meaning it will be a while before you get bored of the game. You can also customize the texts for a more personalized experience.
- Android and iOS
- In-app purchases
- Contains ads
SongPop2
Song Pop2 is almost similar to Smule in that it connects you through music. It is a trivia game that tests how much you know about music. And if you have friends that are passionate about music and trivia like mine, then you will love SongPop2.
The app features over 100,000 music clips from the 1960s to now. You will also find different genres, including classic rock, country, Latin, pop, and many others. Battle your friends and find out who knows the most artists and songs.
Earn badges when you battle with friends while expanding your music knowledge. And the good thing is that the app is constantly updating the playlist. You can be sure you will not get bored with the same challenges.
Monopoly
Did you know that there are more than 1,000 versions of Monopoly? This is one of the most popular party games ever invented, and now, thanks to technology, you can play the online version. The online version allows you to recreate the game in different ways and enjoy it with your friends located in different parts of the world.
- $3.99
- iOS and Android
Trivia Crack
This is a personal favorite of mine, particularly because I used to host trivia nights with my friends in college. And up to now, I have not let distance rob me of the joy of playing trivia with friends. Trivia Crack allows you to have a virtual quiz game with friends.
You can choose the topics you find interesting, such as sports, science, music, art, etc. You can also create quizzes based on your favorite topics, and link up with other people that share the same interests as you.
- Limited special events
- Android and iOS
- Contains Ads
Words With Friends 2
Another app that I have found useful for friends that used to love game night is Words With Friends 2. The game allows you to display your spelling skills while expanding your vocabulary.
It is one of the most popular social word games in the world, allowing you to play with close friends, fictional personalities, and strangers. There are many ways you can compete for points. If you are a pro at word games, you may find the regular round too slow for you.
Fortunately, you can compete in the lighting round with five friends. It has a more fast-paced approach and will challenge you just how you want.
To get a personalized experience, add profile frames, tile styles, and stickers. The app is iOS and Android enabled.
Kahoot
To take us back to our college days, when we would have trivia night, my friends and I decided to try the Kahoot app. I mostly loved the app because it allows you to create your own quizzes.
This ensures you have a more personalized experience, depending on your interests. While popular in academic circles, anyone that enjoys quizzes will love this game.
Once you are done creating the quiz, the app will generate a code that you share with your friends to join in. You can invite as many as ten people using the free version.
However, if you have a large circle of friends that involves more than ten people, you will need the Kahoot! Plus version, which has a monthly fee of $9.99.
- Free
- iOS and Android
LoveLight Connect App
Picture connecting with a long-distance friend through friendship lamps and the LoveLight Connect app. To use this app, you will need to get Long Distance Friendship Lamps.
They come as a pair, and you can send one to your friend and keep the other one. Each time you touch your lamp, your friend’s lamp will also light up, regardless of the geographical location.
However, for the lamp to work, it needs to be connected to the internet so that you can operate it through a mobile app. The app also allows you to change the color palette of your lamp or add new lights. And even if you are on the go, you can use the mobile app to “touch” your lamp to illuminate your friend’s.
The app is a great way to connect with friends and show them they are on your mind even when you cannot be there physically. And as a bonus, you can connect to multiple lovelights. So, if you are a group of friends, you will all feel connected even when you are spread apart.
- Hand-curated color palettes
- Rechargeable lamps
- Android and iOS
Tinkovu
When you are miles apart from each other, the Tinkovu app lets your friends know that you still hold them close. You do not need to set up an account to start using the app.
You will only need a username and then connect to your friends using the app as well. Every time you are thinking of your friend, you can send them a Tink, which is simply a notification.
What I liked about Tinkovu is that it has different types of tinks, such as:
- Standard tink – I’m thinking of you.
- Audio tink – recorded messages.
- Personalized tink – send a personal message.
- Paint tink – a drawing of what is going in your head.
- Memory tink – accompany your tink with a photo.
It also has a feature on friendship goals where you get to see how much your friends know about you.
UNO
The original UNO card game was invented by a man named Merle Robbins in 1971. Almost everyone that loves party games has played UNO physically.
But did you know that you could play the game online? The physical and the online version are almost the same, with the main difference being that one is played online.
The game is simple. You are given different cards, and your goal is to match what you have with what is on the pile by either number or color.
The aim of the game is to be the first person without any cards. UNO can be played by 2 to 4 players, and you can use special cards to block opponents.
- Contains ads
- In-app purchases
- iOS and Android
Frequently Asked Questions About Long Distance Friendship Apps
Seeing as there are many options mentioned above, you may wonder which app to go with. You will need to consider your interests first.
How should I choose a long-distance friendship app?
If you and your friends are music lovers, then Smule and SongPop2 are the right apps for you. And if you enjoy quizzes, try Trivia Crack or Words With Friends 2.
What are the benefits of apps for long distance friends?
Long-distance friendship apps allow you to connect with your friends in a fun way. Unlike the usual communication apps you are used to, these apps go beyond voice and video calls.
They allow you to participate in fun activities together, even from a distance. This will continue to strengthen your bond.
What are the best apps to play with friends far away?
This depends on what activities you and your friends like doing. Plus, you do not have to be limited to only one app. Try as many apps as possible until you find something that works best for you and your friends.
