In a country where friendship circles are often inherited from classmates, cousins, or coworkers, young people in Vietnam are turning to a new class of apps. Not for dating, but for intentional friendship.
Whether it's sharing a meal with strangers, finding a last-minute travel companion, or bonding over hobbies, these are the four platforms offering something dating apps rarely do—platonic matches.
What are these apps and what do people in Vietnam think about them?
Timeleft: A Dinner Table for Six Strangers
Picture this, every Wednesday night, strangers across 500 cities sit down to dinner together. No dating profiles, no endless swiping, just six people, one table, and the simple promise of human connection. That's Timeleft, a French app that landed in Vietnam in early 2025 with a bold mission: fighting loneliness on Wednesday. “If you feel lonely, just come here—we have some friends,” Winnie, the app's Vietnam coordinator, put it.
For Nghi, a Vietnamese-Canadian who returned home to find her social circle scattered across continents, Timeleft became a social lifeline. With much of her circle still in the U.S. and Canada, she had few connections in Vietnam. But after just five dinners, she found herself part of a close-knit crew. "I met a group of people, we talked until midnight, and then set up a meeting right after. We wanted to do a poker night, then board game nights…We keep going out together outside of Timeleft," she said.
But the app's promise doesn't always deliver. Quinn, a Vietnamese freelance content creator, signed up for the highest-priced dinner expecting a more exclusive experience. Instead, she was placed with others who had selected lower tiers, and the meal turned out to be at a modest Japanese restaurant. “It was around 400,000 VND—pretty average,” she said. “I was expecting something closer to fine dining or at least a more curated setting.” The mismatch, she noted, made the experience feel less intentional.
The concept itself divides users. Jayden, a Korean-Vietnamese attendee who joined after losing a bet to friends, questions the entire premise: "I don't see the point of paying to go meet people becauseI can just go to a bar and I can talk to anyone" He acknowledged the app's limitations rather than its magic: "You meet some really cool people…but the app can do more on the connection part. I feel like it's just kind of like random people thrown together and hopefully they can speak."
Timeleft offers a structured way to meet new people, but its appeal depends on what users are looking for. While some walk away with lasting friendships, others are left underwhelmed by mismatched expectations. As the app expands in Vietnam, its success may hinge not just on bringing people together, but on making those connections meaningful.
TripBFF: Not Tour Guides but Travel Buddies
TripBFF is a travel app that connects solo explorers. Users can create or join trip groups, chat in-app, and plan meetups at destinations.
For Leandra, a Singaporean newcomer to Vietnam, TripBFF became a bridge into the local scene. "The first week I came to Vietnam, I was clueless,” she said. “It was my birthday, I met another solo traveler and ended up having a rooftop celebration with strangers. It was one of my best experiences.”
Still, she noted that not everyone approaches the app with the same mindset. One connection quickly turned uncomfortable when a user began flirting and reacted poorly when she did not engage. While safety remains a concern when meeting strangers for the first time, Leandra appreciates the app's potential: “You realize how much of the world you don't know about when you meet people from the other side of the world."
Bumble BFF: Still Confused Between Friends and Flirts
Bumble BFF is a friend-finding feature built into the popular dating app, offering users a swipe-based way to make platonic connections. Since its launch in 2016, the feature has gained traction globally, but its implementation differs by region.
In countries like the U.S., U.K., and Canada, Bumble BFF has been spun off into a standalone app, Bumble For Friends, allowing a clearer divide between dating and friendship. In Vietnam, it remains a mode within the main app, accessible only by switching settings; a setup that can lead to miscommunication.
Cece, 27, based in Saigon, downloaded Bumble for dating but ended up going out with someone who was using the BFF mode. The mix-up wasn’t immediately obvious, and only after meeting did they realize they had different intentions. “Just switching modes isn’t enough,” Cece said. “Unless you talk about it, it’s easy to misread the situation.”
In cities like Saigon and Hanoi, where digital-first socializing is on the rise, Bumble BFF offers convenience, but not always clarity. Without distinct visual cues or stricter separation between friend and dating modes, users like Cece can be left to figure things out the old-fashioned way: by having the talk.
Meetup: Hobby-First, Friendships Second
Meetup is a global platform that connects people through real-world events centered on shared interests—whether it’s hiking, language exchange, or board games. In Vietnam, it has become a go-to option for both expats and locals seeking low-pressure, interest-driven ways to meet others.
Groups like Saigon Language & Culture Exchange host regular events such as Coffee Talk English, where participants casually practice languages and make friends over games or conversations. Most events are free or low cost, with the emphasis on shared activities rather than matchmaking, making Meetup a practical tool for forming organic connections.
Hej, 26, a Korean newcomer to Ho Chi Minh City, said the appeal lies in the mutual exchange. “I came to learn Vietnamese and saw that some foreigners were doing the same, while locals were there to practice English,” he explained. Unlike algorithm-based platforms, Meetup builds connection through common ground. “You don’t even have to try too hard. People come for the activity, and friendships happen naturally.”
Not Just the App, But the Intention
Although these apps were built for friendship, each user brings their own agenda—whether it's curiosity, loneliness, networking, or even low-key dating. As a result, expectations don't always align, and the promise of platonic connection can blur at the edges.
In Vietnam, where traditional friendship circles typically form from real life existing connections, these platforms bring a new wave to the young people where strangers united by a shared willingness to try. The magic isn't in the matching algorithms or event planning but the mutual decision to show up.
Perhaps what people are really seeking isn't a perfect romantic match, but something simpler, someone to split the dinner bill with on a Wednesday night, knowing that neither of you has anywhere else you'd rather be.