Better than Whatsapp, FB groups: The most underrated app on how to find friends in a new city

Being a newbie in a new country, your first instinct might be to join overcrowded Facebook or WhatsApp groups, hoping to meet someone or get tips about your new home. But let’s be honest; scrolling through endless messages and random discussions rarely helps you truly connect or find what you need.

It’s what Hande Turan experienced, at least, when she moved from Turkey to Germany.

For her, joining over 20 Whatsapp groups, each with more than 500 members, offered more chaos than connection.

“I asked myself, ‘Is there a way to build closer, more meaningful connections and learn everything I need about my new country?’” says Turan.

What if there were a one-stop app for seamless adaptation to a new country — where you could find all the answers, join events, and build meaningful connections effortlessly?

Turan moved to Germany after marrying her husband (right), who had already been living and working there. There, she decided to pursue an Executive MBA at Frankfurt School besides her professional career. Source: Hande Turan

The struggles of moving abroad as an international student

As of 2023, over 6.4 million students are studying abroad, according to UNESCO.

That said, it would be surprising if someone were to say that none of the 6.4 million faced any struggles while living abroad.

When you move abroad, facing hardships is a “rite of passage” for all international students, such as financial difficulties, homesickness, language barriers, and culture shock. All of which are things that are all too familiar for Turan.

The one challenge that will often set in later on once you’re abroad is loneliness. You’ll start to miss your parents, the comfort and familiarity of your home, or having your best friend beside you.

A 2023 study found that loneliness among international students can erode their social skills and make them feel stigmatised by their loneliness; it makes them withdraw socially, and they can’t see a way out.

One way to nip the problem in the bud is to attend the university’s orientation events that take place during the first week school begins. Not only does this help you familiarise yourself with the new environment, but it’s also one of the best ways of making new friends, as everyone is in the same boat.

Still, while some people find their lifelong friends from day one, others aren’t so lucky.

The friendships you form during orientation or even the first week or year at university might not last. As some universities have large-scale orientation events that don’t segregate by department or programme, you might be too focused on administrative tasks and working in temporary groups with people who may not be in the same course.

This means you might not be building substantial connections to form lasting bonds, and most people may feel too shy to interact first.

Besides, research by Jeffrey Hall, an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, shows that it takes 80 to 100 hours, or three to four days, to transition from strangers to friends and more than 200 hours, or eight days, to become good friends.

While loneliness wasn’t entirely what Turan went through, losing connections back home and part of her social life was part of her moving abroad journey to Germany to be with her husband.

“The transition wasn’t easy,” she recalls. “I did not have many friends to keep me busy, and I found myself focusing heavily on my family and full-time job.”

Turan even admits that it was because of her small friend group that she found the time to enrol in an Executive MBA at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management on top of her full-time job.

As chance would have it, it was during her EMBA that she found the solution to her problem.

Turan (left) and her business partners Biber (middle) and Cepheli (right) founded Newbee to overcome the shared struggles of adapting to a new country and building meaningful connections. Source: Hande Turan

Searching ‘how to find friends in a new city?’, try Newbee

“When you moved to another country to build a social network or search for answers to your questions, many would rely on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Reddit, or even the internet.” says Turan. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easy, and you’ll make friends easily.”

Turan figured that if those platforms wouldn’t work, a dedicated app could be the solution. 

Enter Newbee. 

Newbee is a one-stop mobile app that helps individuals living abroad solve and overcome everyday problems, especially when making friends is one of the issues they’re facing.

“By downloading this single app, you can solve the problems you may face in the new country you’re in. You can build networks, join groups, find new friends, and even ask questions in your preferred language,” Turan shares.

By downloading Newbee, you will be able to connect with other Newbee users who are facing similar challenges.

On top of struggling with how to find friends, navigating particular needs abroad, especially medical check-ups, is difficult. Getting sick is stressful, as is figuring out which hospital to visit, your medical insurance, and the type of doctor you’ll need. Let’s not forget the possible language barrier when dealing with hospital staff.

With Newbee, it offers services that can help you navigate your way through the health system.

That’s not all. When you have a question, you can even choose how it’s answered, whether through a real-life community, AI-based integration, or professional in the field. The app also enables connections with necessary businesses and services without language barriers, along with exclusive offers.

Today, Newbee is available in Germany, Turkey, and the Netherlands, boasting over 1,000 happy users.

Newbee secured second place at Frankfurt School Entrepreneurship Centre’s Demo Day’s pitching competition and won prize money worth 20,000 euros (US$20,597). Source: Hande Turan

Making Newbee an international student’s best app for making friends

Growing a business as a female co-founder in a foreign country is no easy task, but Turan believes in Newbee’s potential.

“I hope Newbee will grow to have millions of users and expand to several countries while keeping to its original mission of helping those moving abroad, especially female international students who may face bigger challenges,” she shares.

Moving forward, Newbee plans to have international ambassadors for each country on the app — people who will serve as individuals who better understand the community.

For example, a Turk will help navigate and provide insights to the Turkish community on the app. Another example is having a Ukrainian help the Ukrainian community with the significant challenges they may face, especially regarding democratic issues.

“The ambassadors from different backgrounds will be representing the needs within their own community,” shares Turan. “So, with the diversity, Newbee will better serve each community differently.”