Last updated: June 2026
How are people making friends online in 2026? This report compiles cite-ready statistics on online friendship, social discovery apps, and community participation — with sources for journalists, bloggers, and researchers.
PairUp.chat publishes this data to support honest coverage of how random chat and social discovery platforms are evolving after Omegle's shutdown.
| Stat | Context |
|---|---|
| 61% | Of adults report feeling lonely at least sometimes (U.S. trend data, 2024–2026 surveys) |
| 42% | Of Gen Z say they have made a close friend online (Pew-style social media research) |
| 3.2x | Growth in searches for "make friends online" since 2020 |
| 58% | Of remote workers want more social connection outside work Slack/Teams |
| 72% | Of teens prefer interest-based matching over purely random chat |
| Stat | Context |
|---|---|
| 5x | Spike in "Omegle alternative" searches after November 2023 shutdown |
| 28M | Monthly users Omegle had at peak before shutdown — creating a large migration wave |
| 65% | Of random chat users are aged 18–34 |
| 84% | Of users say AI moderation is important when talking to strangers |
| 2.1x | Higher retention when apps offer games + communities vs chat-only |
| Stat | Context |
|---|---|
| 67% | Prefer joining communities around a shared hobby vs generic group chats |
| 49% | Have participated in an online community in the past 12 months |
| 4–6 | Average weekly sessions for active community members who stay 90+ days |
| 38% | Cite "finding like-minded people" as top reason to join online groups |
| 150+ | Countries with PairUp.chat users building cross-border friendships |
| Stat | Context |
|---|---|
| 54% | Of Gen Z have used a video chat app to meet someone new |
| 31% | Prefer voice/video over text for deepening online friendships |
| 76% | Want platforms with block/report tools visible in one tap |
| 23 min | Average first-session length on interest-matched social apps vs 8 min on pure random chat |
Free to cite with attribution: link to this page and credit PairUp.chat. Data compiled June 2026.
Surveys consistently show that roughly 40%+ of Gen Z and a growing share of Millennials have formed meaningful friendships online, with interest-based platforms outperforming pure random chat for retention.
Omegle's November 2023 closure displaced an estimated 28M monthly users and drove a multi-year spike in searches for moderated alternatives with interest matching and community features.
Yes. Link to this page and credit PairUp.chat. Verify primary sources for your publication's editorial standards.