In a world of endless doomscrolling and digital minutiae, it’s easy to let real-world friendships slip through the cracks. But while tech can pull us away from meaningful interactions, it can also help keep them alive.
This roundup explores apps that help you do just that by tracking social interactions and giving you the odd polite nudge you might need.
Reminders (free)
If you’re the sort of person who wants all their reminders in a single place, you might gravitate towards Apple’s app for friend tracking. And if you’re happy with things being basic, it can prove effective.
Set up a new list and create a recurring task for each friend. You can add images to such tasks, which display as thumbnails in list view or larger in column view.
And that’s about it. Amazingly, given that Apple’s all about integration, there’s none with the Contacts app. Maybe in iOS 27. Still, it does the job with a minimum of fuss.
Up Ahead (free or $10/£10 per year or $30/£30 lifetime)
This app transforms reminders into a colorful timeline-style view. You effectively turn people into tasks, each with their own symbol and color, making it easy to scan and see who you’ve been neglecting. If you miss someone, the app keeps counting the days – an ever-more-glaring hint you should reach out.
Again, there’s no Contacts integration, and recurring reminders require one of the paid upgrades. But the clean design and visual approach make Up Ahead appealing if you like the idea of social commitments laid out in a vibrant, clear timeline.
CatchUp – Keep in Touch (free)
This is the first dedicated friendship tracker in this roundup. And despite CatchUp being very capable, it’s free. For each contact, you set how often you’d like to connect, and you can even randomize weeks within monthly check ins to keep things fresh.
The main screen shows your next four catchups in little lozenges at the top, with the rest below in a standard list. Tap any item and you get a card with contact details and scheduling options. It’s simple, effective, and polished. If you find yourself relying on it, do tip the developer through the app.
Catchup: Friendship Tracker ($10/£10)
Despite its similar name to the previous app, this friendship tracker has its own unique qualities. You still import from Contacts and state how regularly you’d like to connect with each person, but the main list can be sorted by frequency or due/not due.
Where it goes beyond the apps mentioned so far is in logging check ins and letting you add notes to bring some context to your meetings. It also lets you set birthday reminders in addition to alerts for routine contact dates – a nice touch. You can try it with two contacts for free, and pay a one-off fee for more.
Get Catchup: Friendship Tracker
Amato ($15/£15 per year or $35/£35)
We’re big fans of apps that marry well-considered features with unfussy vibes. In terms of design, Amato has the same clean, no-nonsense approach as our favorite RSS reader, NetNewsWire.
As ever, there’s the odd standout feature to pique your interest too. For example, Amato can alert you a few days before events, in case you need time to prepare. You can also limit contact dates to specific days – useful if you’re only free at weekends or certain friends are only available at set times.
Again, this one gives you two contacts for free, so you can see if it clicks with you. Pay to unlock more.
Bond ($4/£4 per year or $9/£9 lifetime)
Bond takes a different approach from other apps in this roundup, encouraging you to reflect on the status of relationships. If you’re unsure about this, you can run a ‘friendship test’ to get a recommendation.
The main screen tots up how many friends you plan to see per week, asking if you can cope, and there’s a useful events tab for birthdays and anniversaries.
Frustratingly, the app doesn’t integrate contact details, meaning you can’t quickly start a call or message. It’s a puzzling omission, but Bond remains of interest as a thought-provoking way to visualize and rebalance your social life.
Linc ($70/£70)
To some extent, this one echoes CatchUp and, erm, Catchup. You add contacts, set intervals, and check a summary screen – only this app’s display feels busier. Fortunately, Linc distinguishes itself with more depth.
A dedicated Relationships tab helps filter large lists. Analytics provide trends and insights about activities. Smart scheduling ensures you avoid overlapping interactions. And the app offers a fuller range of messaging options than its rivals.
The free tier covers the basics, but most premium features sit behind a $70/£70 paywall. That feels steep, but if you want serious tools to analyze and actively manage friendships, you might find Linc money well spent.