25 Great Ways to Make Friends Over 50

Our guide to expanding your social circle and feeling less alone

Eric Spitznagel,

AARP

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Published May 15, 2026

an illustration shows an older adult male on a small island waving to a person in shadow across the way on a different small island

Sam Island

Here’s something researchers keep finding, and anyone over 50 probably already knows: Friendship is good for you. Not in a vague, feel-good way, but in a measurable, statistically significant way. A 2024 AARP survey of 1,010 adults age 50 and older found that three-quarters of respondents credited in-person socializing as the key to their happiness, with nearly half saying the same about virtual socializing.

But there’s a catch. Despite the clear benefits of socializing, 22 percent of those same adults said they got together with friends less than once a week. This can lead to loneliness, which can affect your health, increasing your risk for heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, infections, dementia and premature death.

Making new friends can be difficult, but that’s where AARP can help. Here are 25 strategies to help you find your new BFFs.

1. Leave the house

The simplest friendship advice also turns out to be the most literal. “You can sit around your living room and complain about how lonely you are, but nothing will change until you leave the house and come to where the people are,” says Rebecca Adams, a professor of gerontology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “It doesn’t work the other way around.”

2. Assume people like you

We all underestimate our likability, says Marisa Franco, a psychologist and author of the upcoming book Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment. In fact, she points to a 2018 study that found that people consistently underestimated how much (or even whether) others liked them, a phenomenon called “the liking gap.” Remembering this “can keep us from being paralyzed by fears of rejection,” Franco says. “When we assume we’ll be liked, it’s more likely that we actually will be liked.”

3. Do the things you love

Do you love going to sports events? Or seeing live music? Going to concerts isn’t just good for our mental health; it can also be a place to find future friends. “Follow your bliss, and your people will be there,” Adams says. “I’m a big live-music fan, and I go to the same venues over and over. I tend to see the same people at these shows, and we start to recognize each other.” Before even opening your mouth and saying hello, you have something in common.

4. Become a volunteer

According to a 2023 study from The Gerontological Society of America organization, older adults who volunteered had more close friends, more frequent contact with those friends and higher-quality friendships overall. And those friendships, researchers found, helped protect against depression.

“It offers a way to get to know people while engaged in something meaningful, without the potential awkwardness of cocktail party small talk,” says Lydia Denworth, a science journalist and author of Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond. Not sure where to start? AARP has many volunteering opportunities across the country.

an illustration shows two older adults talking as they walk their dogs

Walking your dog is a wonderful way to find new friends. It encourages dog owners to be more social.

Sam Island

5. Get a dog

Adopting a dog can be good for your mental and physical health, especially for people over 50. But it can also be a way to find new friends. A 2015 study published in the research journal PLOS One surveyed nearly 2,700 adults in San Diego, Portland, Oregon, and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Perth, Australia, and found that pet owners were 60 percent more likely than non-pet owners to get to know new people in their neighborhoods. Dog owners who walked their dogs regularly were especially likely to form new friendships through those encounters. Before deciding on your new furry companion, make sure you consider the right breed for your personality.

6. Keep showing up

There’s a theory called the “mere exposure effect,” which suggests that we develop a fondness for people just by being around them for long periods. “Frequent exposure to people does tend to be the basis for many of our friendships,” says Amie Gordon, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Michigan who studies the science of close relationships. “It’s why we know our next-door neighbor better than the person five houses down.” The more other people see you and interact with you, the more likely they are to want to pursue a friendship with you.

7. Remember that you’re not the only one afraid of rejection

Roughly 12 percent of U.S. adults will struggle with social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, according to a 2017 paper in BMC Medicine drawing on the World Mental Health Survey Initiative, which analyzed data from 28 community surveys with 142,405 respondents. But don’t let their (or your) anxiety stop a friendship from blossoming.

“Many people decide whether to invest in a relationship based on our view of how likely we are to get rejected,” Franco says. “So when we show people ‘I like you,’ we’re telling them, ‘Hey, you’re not going to get rejected if you try to be friends with me.’” Make sure they know how happy you are to meet them and how great you think they are. A little flattery will go a long way.

8. Make the plans

Nobody wants to be the first person to suggest a friendship outing. What if they say no? What if you get rejected? Adams has experienced this dilemma firsthand. “I met this woman that I have so much in common with, and we’ve had several meaningful interactions in public,” she says. “I keep thinking, ‘I’m going to invite her over.’ It takes a lot of bravery to get to that point.” It’s important to be proactive and take that leap, she says, even if it terrifies us.

9. Talk to people you see regularly

Adams’ husband made a new friend in the most unlikely of places: the laundromat. “He goes there every Sunday afternoon, and there’s another guy who’s always there at the same time,” she says. “They slowly started making small talk with each other, and now they’re very close friends.” It’s a lesson she’s tried to implement in her own life. The people you see regularly, from the bus stop to the grocery store, are all potential friends. “Sometimes you don’t need anything else in common with someone, other than that you’re both in the same place at the same time.”

an illustration shows two older adults waving to each other from separate work cubicles

Making friends with colleagues can make you more engaged, happier at work and productive.

Sam Island

10. Spend more time with work colleagues

Our workplace environments are the closest thing that older adults have to school. According to a 2022 Gallup survey, more people than ever are finding friends at work, and it’s increasing their job satisfaction and mental health. “Having workplace friends makes us more engaged and productive, and we have better creative problem-solving skills,” Nelson says. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”

11. Ask open-ended questions

Encourage deeper conversation by asking questions that require more than yes-or-no answers. Karla Olson, founder of the Empty Nester Club, a coaching community for parents navigating life after their children leave home, suggests conversation starters like, “What do you enjoy most about the yoga class?” Or “Have you tried any new recipes lately?” She also recommends sharing a personal story, “something about yourself that can help the other person feel more comfortable and encourage them to open up as well,” she says.

12. Be consistent

Friendships do not always happen organically, says Shasta Nelson, an author of several books on friendship, including Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness. “We have to invite, we have to schedule, we have to follow up, and we have to keep doing it over and over and over again.” Olson adds that she and other female friends set up a weekly “girls night out” on Thursdays, in which old and new friends are welcome. “Some weeks, eight to 10 people show up; other weeks, there might only be two or three,” she says. “But it’s always something we could count on every week — a break on Thursday night if we needed it.”

13. Send a text

Face-to-face encounters are where friendships begin, but they also involve smaller, regular investments. A text is a great way to stay connected with a fledgling friendship, and Adams says it can help you build intimacy in a safe environment. “These private interactions allow you both to feel more comfortable with self-disclosure and sharing things you might not be ready to talk about in public,” she says. “That’s a huge step forward in creating a true friendship.” Check out these ways to make your texts more fun and creative.

14. Be your perfectly weird self

Resist the urge to change your personality or pretend to be someone you’re not because you’re worried that the real you isn’t likable enough. It might work in the short term, but it’s a recipe for disappointment. “If you’re not being yourself, then the other person isn’t getting to know the real you,” says Adams, “and that means you’re not really establishing a friendship at all.” The qualities you think make you weird or unlovable might actually be the qualities that somebody else finds interesting or appealing.

an illustration shows two older adults talking, their faces are squares signifiers among app symbols on a smartphone

Use a friendship app like Bumble BFF, Meetup or Friended to find like-minded pals.

Sam Island

15. Try a friendship app

Apps aren’t just for singles looking for a love connection. “There are some great app options out there for meeting prospective friends,” says Olson, like Bumble BFF, Meetup Friended and Wyzr Friends, the last of which is designed specifically for adults 40 and older. “They offer all sorts of ways to connect, like hiking groups, wine tasting, travel groups, anything you can imagine.”

16. Be patient

“Time is one of the essential ingredients for making friends,” Denworth says. “This is true even if you like someone immediately.” In fact, a 2018 study from the University of Kansas found that it took roughly 50 hours of shared time to turn an acquaintance into a casual friend, and more than 200 hours total to develop a genuinely close friendship. The good news, especially for older adults, is that we tend to have more time to invest in building new relationships. “Professional and family demands are less intense for many older adults,” says Denworth. “But we’ve still got to remember to be patient.” Rome, as they say, wasn’t built in a day.

17. Be vulnerable

True friendships are based on vulnerability: our willingness to share things with each other that we don’t with the outside world. “I remember the exact moment one of my coworkers turned into a true friend,” Franco says. “We were out for coffee together, and I decided to admit to some struggles I was having at work. I didn’t know how she’d respond, but she admitted to having the same struggles — a shared experience that drew us closer.”

18. Leave them with positive emotions

“Any time you make a new friend, you want them to walk away feeling positive emotions about you,” Nelson says. “The goal is to leave them thinking, ‘I want to see that person again.’” That means focusing on the things you like about somebody — and telling them. Compliment them, point out the things you admire about their personality and their opinions, and let them know how much you’ve enjoyed your time with them. “When you make somebody feel good, they’re naturally going to gravitate back towards you again,” Nelson adds.

19. Join some Facebook groups

Social media, especially shared-interest groups on Facebook, can be the launchpad to friendships in real life. “There are a lot of Facebook groups that will help you build a sense of community and belonging and shared commonalities,” says Nelson, noting that there are online groups for everything from cancer survivors to welcoming new neighbors. Olson knows one woman who started a Facebook group for lonely middle-aged moms and now has “a group of 1,300 local members, and they have had 40 meetup events a year.”

an illustration shows an older adult man walking out of a giant yearbook, greeting a friend

Look up friends you had decades ago to see if they'd like to reconnect.

Sam Island

20. Reach out to old friends

Has it been years (or maybe decades) since you’ve reconnected with an old high school or college buddy? “They’re probably going through exactly what you’re going through,” Olson says. The next time you breeze past an old friend’s post on social media, don’t just “like” it. Reach out and see if they’d like to get together for a face-to-face reunion. “It’s so fun to laugh and reminisce about the good old times and support each other through this next chapter,” Olson says.

21. Socialize without booze

The social pressure to make new friends over cocktails can feel overwhelming, but it isn’t good for someone who’s trying to make better health choices. Fortunately, sober socializing has gone mainstream. A 2025 consumer survey by NCSolutions found that nearly half of Americans said they planned to drink less alcohol this year, a 44 percent increase from just two years ago. Nonalcoholic beers, wines and mocktails have followed the demand, giving anyone who’d rather skip alcohol plenty of options at the bar. If you’d rather avoid the scene altogether, “there’s always coffee,” says Adams.

22. Invite someone on an errand date

Whether retired or still working, everybody feels like they have a shortage of free time. “That’s the challenge for all of us,” Adams says. “How do we carve out the time to meet new friends, much less spend time with them?” She suggests trying an “errand date,” where you and a new friend tackle your to-do lists together. It could be running to the post office, clothes-shopping, or just hitting the mall. “It takes away the pressure, as you’re both focused on the activity,” Adams says.

23. Don’t let age stop you

According to a 2020 AARP survey, nearly 4 in 10 adults had a close friend who was at least 15 years older or younger than them. Among boomers and Gen Xers, that figure climbs even higher. Several studies have shown that intergenerational friendships make us smarter and more open-minded. And the age gap doesn’t have to be just a few years. Olson recently heard from an 83-year-old member of the Empty Nester Club who met her new best friend in the group. “Her new BFF is 37,” Olson says.

24. Don’t be too quick to feel rejected

We’ve all felt the sting of trying to set up a friend date and getting a response like “I’m busy the next few weeks,” or worse, no response at all. It may look and feel like rejection, but it probably has nothing to do with you. “Maybe your text got lost in a text chain and they forgot to answer you back, or they were busy and forgot to get back to you,” Nelson says. If there’s any doubt, it may be time to pick up the phone. “Just to say, ‘I wanna make sure you saw my text. I’d still love to get together if it works out. And if not, no worries.’”

25. Remember to be a good friend

Evolutionary science shows there are three essential ingredients to a quality friendship, Denworth says. They need to be long-lasting, positive and cooperative. “That translates into being a steady, stable presence in someone’s life,” she says. “Being positive and kind. And being helpful and cooperative. Show up. Listen.” A true friend isn’t just someone to pass the time with and help you feel less lonely. You need to demonstrate that you’re making their life (and they’re making your life) actively better.

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Eric Spitznagel is a features writer for AARP Members Edition. He was also a cofounding editor of The Arrow, AARP’s newsletter for Gen X men.

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25 Great Ways to Make Friends Over 50