- I’m a reporter covering social media for Business Insider.
- My phone has well over 150 apps, and I’m quick to test out any new social app.
- Here are three apps worth trying if you’re looking for alternatives to Instagram, X, or TikTok.
More apps? For this social-media reporter, the answer is “always.”
I’m back with my favorite apps from the year.
At a glance, the dozens of apps I’ve downloaded this year fall into a few themes: IRL social, close-friends-focused apps, social shopping, and anti-swipe dating apps.
Last year, I highlighted 13 apps that I downloaded in 2023 as part of my reporting on the social-media industry. Since writing that story, some of those startups have continued to grow, while others have been acquired, and a few have had to pivot.
For instance, Artifact, an AI-driven news app founded by the original creators of Instagram, shut down and was acquired by Yahoo. Lex, a queer social network, laid off staff before getting acquired by mobile app conglomerate 9count. And Landing, a creative social collaging app reminiscent of Polyvore, changed course and pivoted to building Zeen, a shoppable blogging platform.
Meanwhile, new apps have launched or expanded this year, making their way onto my phone (which, yes, has very low storage).
Here are the three of the best apps I downloaded in 2024:
Disclaimer: These are my favorite downloads of the year and this is very much an opinion.
1. PI.FYI is a recommendations-based feed
Screenshot/Business Insider; PI.FYI
What it is: Created by the team behind the pop-culture newsletter Perfectly Imperfect, PI.FYI is a mostly text-based feed where people answer questions, share recommendations, and post micro-blogs about topics like music or film. The app was built by ex-Meta staffer Tyler Bainbridge, who cofounded the PI newsletter with Alexander Cushing.
When it launched: 2024
Why I haven’t deleted it: When I’m on the hunt for new forms of media to consume (be it books, movies, music, etc.), I’ll open up PI.FYI to see what people are sharing. The app lets you add a link to a post, which helps when going down rabbit holes. Posting there sometimes feels like writing into the void on Tumblr or Twitter in 2012 (in a good way).
2. Airbuds lets you see what friends are listening to
Screenshot/Business Insider; Airbuds
What it is: It’s a feed of music. It’s that simple. Airbuds pulls information from several music streaming platforms (including Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud). The team behind Airbuds also built Cappuccino, a social-audio app that launched in the early days of Clubhouse.
When it launched: 2022
Why I haven’t deleted it: I switched from Spotify to Apple Music several years ago, and the one feature I missed was the ability to see what my friends were listening to. Airbuds lets me do just that and also makes it easy to save music to my own library.
3. IRL social app 222 coordinates experiences with strangers
Screenshot/Business Insider; 222
What it is: 222, which started as a dinner series in Los Angeles in 2021, is an app that matches users with strangers for in-person experiences. The in-person events range from dinner and drinks to DIY art classes, and users take a robust personality quiz that is used to pair them with compatible matches. It was founded by Keyan Kazemian, Danial Hashemi, and Arman Roshannai, and was part of Y Combinator. In February, 222 announced it had raised a $2.5 million seed investment round.
When it launched: 2021 (222 expanded to New York in 2024)
Why I haven’t deleted it: I’ve gone to several experiences through 222 this year and even made a few friends along the way. I’ve described the app to friends as a way of working out my socializing muscles, more than a guaranteed way to make friends or find new romantic sparks. You do have to pay a fee to access the curated experience (the monthly fee, for example, is about $22) on top of drinks, food, and other expenses.
