The Best Social Media Apps for Adults

If you're looking for a more adult-orientated social media experience, these are the services for you.

While it might seem that teenagers dominate the social media landscape, there are actually plenty of social media apps that have a majority or large proportion of adult users.

Whether it's seeing what's going down in your neighborhood, making business connections, or sharing some pictures with grandma, we've rounded up the best social media apps for adults.

1. Facebook

When you think of the term "social media", your mind probably first goes to Facebook. With billions of active users, it dominates as the biggest social networking service. That's partly because it's been around for so long, changing the landscape of the internet forever. Many people have grown up posting their whole lives on Facebook.

On Facebook, you can connect with friends, family, colleagues, and old classmates from around the world. You can post your mind, share your vacation photos, and join groups of like-minded people. Facebook is undoubtedly one of the best adult social media apps.

Download: Facebook for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. Instagram

Instagram is a photo and video sharing service that launched in 2010 and eventually got sold to Facebook. It's not overflowing with features, but its simplicity is what makes it good. The main feed is an endless scroll of media from people you follow and topics you might be interested in.

You can choose to follow people you know, or just live vicariously through celebrity and influencer lifestyles. When it comes to sharing your photos and videos, there are plenty of filters that alter the image. You can share these to your main feed or to a temporary section called Stories.

Download: Instagram for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Pinterest

If you're seeking inspiration, Pinterest is the app for you. It essentially acts as a mood board, letting you gather media (primarily images, but also videos) based on whatever theme you desire: travel, cooking, fashion, weddings, and so on. You can upload your images or discover what other users have shared and "pin" those to your board.

Even if you don't have anything specific in mind, it's fun to browse Pinterest simply to discover new ideas. You're also bound to come across interesting accounts, which you can follow to keep track of the creativity.

Download: Pinterest for Android | iOS (Free)

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the go-to social networking app for adults and business professionals. On LinkedIn, you can build a profile that details your employment history, skills, and certifications. You can connect with current and former colleagues and use LinkedIn as a way to find new employment opportunities.

Many employers use LinkedIn to post jobs and scout potential applicants. To improve your chances, ask those you connect with to endorse your skills, write posts to highlight your recent achievements, and share articles about your industry.

Download: LinkedIn for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

5. Reddit

Reddit is one of the best social media platforms. It's part social network, part news aggregator. On Reddit, users share content like images, videos, and text posts, with others voting on it to impact its ranking within the feed. This content gets posted to communities (known as subreddits), of which millions exist for all sorts of hobbies and topics large and small.

Beneath every Reddit submission are comments, where you can share your thoughts and chat with others. You might even decide to open your own subreddit, which is free to do, and see how popular it gets.

Download: Reddit for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. Twitter

On Twitter, you write 280-character messages known as tweets. You can publish these to your profile and you can respond to other's tweets. You're just as likely to find your best friend on Twitter as you are a global megastar; it's your choice who you follow. While plenty of youngsters use Twitter, it's nevertheless an excellent adult social media app.

Because of the snappy nature of tweets, Twitter is great for gathering instant reactions, news, or brief insights into the mind of others. On the flip side, the character limit doesn't give much room for nuance, so be wary.

Download: Twitter for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

7. Discord

Discord began life as a way for gamers to gather and chat while playing, but it's since expanded into a great app for communicating with anyone. Discord splits into servers, which act as public or private communities, wherein you can chat with others through text, voice, and video.

Discord can be as expansive as you want it to be. If you only want to be in a server with your friends, shooting the breeze and sharing memes, that's fine. But if you want to connect with people from around the world, and make new friends in the process, there's room for that too.

Download: Discord for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

8. Nextdoor

If you want a local social networking app, Nextdoor is the one for you. Rather than connecting with the globe, it puts you in contact with those in your neighborhood. This allows you to find out the latest news in your area, seek events, get recommendations for local tradespeople, and just chat with those nearby.

Nextdoor also has a section where you can buy and sell goods, though it just facilitates these transactions rather than processing the payments. Many people also list things for free, so it's great if you're strapped for cash.

Download: Nextdoor for Android | iOS (Free)

9. YouTube

Since YouTube now has so many social features, it's fair to consider YouTube a social media platform. Of course, you undoubtedly know of YouTube, since it's the largest video-sharing service in the world. It lets you upload videos for free and watch the endless amount of content that individuals and businesses upload.

To connect with creators, you should subscribe to their channel, like their videos, and chat in the comments. YouTube lets larger channels create community posts, which you can also engage with.

Download: YouTube for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

10. Snapchat

Of all the social media apps on this list, Snapchat is the one which traditionally skews younger. However, millions of adults use Snapchat—which makes sense, considering the platform has been around since 2011, and many have used it since the beginning.

The main conceit of Snapchat is that the messages and videos you send only last for a limited amount of time. Snapchat offers plenty of fun and silly filters to apply to your photos and videos. If you're looking for a lighthearted adult social media app, give Snapchat a try.

Download: Snapchat for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

Every Social Media App for Adults Is Different

It's fair to say that all of these adult social media apps have inspired one another. Instagram introduced Stories as a response to Snapchat, for example. But despite that, each of these apps are distinct, with different user bases and intents. Give them each a try and see which you prefer.