9 Apps That’ll Make You a Better Friend

1. Connect (Free): Connect is the ultimate address book. It shows you a map of everyone you know from every social network. Plan a trip to Rome and find friends to stay with, use Connect on Saturday night to see where your friends are before you go out or find out when a friend comes to town so you can catch up. Connect helps you make the most of the relationships you already have, no matter where you are in the world.

2. FireChat (Free): Just when you thought you had your iPhone all figure out… Surprise! Enter FireChat, the hot (hehe) new app that lets you chat without Internet or phone connection. Whether you’re in an airplane, on the subway or camping in a remote place, you can still keep in touch with friends.

3. SocialRadar (Free): This app uses your phone’s location and chatter from social networks to match you up with people you might know or have a connection with through existing friends. You set a “radar” around yourself, whether it be 25 feet, a five-mile radius or all of Europe. Then, SocialRadar tells you who’s there, how you’re connected and what they’ve been up to. If they are using the app, you can send them a message and connect. Find friends or friends of friends wherever you go.

4. Red Stamp (Free): Making relationships stronger one personalized post at a time. Sounds a bit like Facebook, eh? But, no. It’s more along the lines of snail mail meets social media to create some kind of new world modern correspondence. Facebook, text, Tweet, Instagram or even snail mail personalized invites, photo cards, announcements and notes from your digital device.

5. Bondsy (Free): Friendship is based on trust, and Bondsy helps friends trade things you can’t put a price on. This app takes the concept of Craigslist, uses a format similar to Instagram and applies it to a smaller network (your friends) and lets you trade your possessions with the ones you love. You’ll always know that those jeans that are just a little too tight are going to a good home.

6. Cal (Free): The app’s focus is finding you more free time to connect with friends or simply enjoy a beautiful day. You can add a happening to your calendar, peg people who are invited and contact with them individually or as a group. And seeing as it’s always someone’s birthday, Cal helps you stay on top that, too!

7. Stellar (Free): Wherever you’re traveling or living you can share your stories with friends and loved ones. Stellar is a storytelling app that lets you create, follow and share stories in a design-friendly way. Get started by selecting a layout, adding text, inserting photos and video. Hold on… it gets awesomer. Friends can view your stories without having the app. Stellar, indeed.

8. GroupMe (Free): Basically a group messaging game changer, GroupMe is free and works on any device. Chat, send pictures and even split checks. You can easily leave a convo, turn off notifications when you don’t want to be bothered and attach your location to messages so friends know where you are. Move over iMessage, GroupMe is taking over this conversation.

9. Splittr ($2): This is the app that’s solving problems and saving friendships worldwide. You know the story: A group of friends take a trip or plan a party. One person pays, and everyone else pays them back. No joke, friendships have been lost over these logistical nightmares. Enter Splittr, an app that helps you split costs between you and your friends. The next time you go on vacation, take a weekend trip or even go out to eat with friends, be sure to take Splittr along with you.

What apps are you using to become a better friend? Let us know in the comments below.