With billions of active users worldwide, it’s fair to say social media is woven into the fabric of our modern society. At this point, we bet you’ve mastered the big players like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and are probably pretty familiar with LinkedIn, TikTok, and Snapchat.

However, social media is an ever-evolving landscape, and a whole world of other platforms is waiting for you to explore. This article will cover some social media platforms you might not be familiar with but should definitely check out.

1. Vero

Think about Instagram, but without all the ads and algorithm changes constantly throwing you off. That’s Vero in a nutshell, and that gives you enough reasons to switch from Instagram if you are a photographer, as it’s a social media platform for sharing content and creating connections.

Vero aims to bring back the emphasis on social connections, giving you the control to share what you want with who you want. It also has no ads so you won’t be bombarded with sponsored posts. In addition, the content is displayed chronologically instead of being sorted by algorithms. Above all, it has a beautiful and clean design that makes it a joy to use.

Vero is free to use, at the time of writing, but the company has stated that it plans to introduce a subscription model eventually.

Download: Vero for Android | iOS (Free)

2. BeReal

What if we told you there’s a social media platform where you can be yourself without worrying about filters and fake personas that have become the norm on other platforms? That’s BeReal’s premise, one of the hottest new social media platforms that’s all about authenticity.

BeReal is a simple photo-sharing app that differs from others in one key aspect: it encourages users to share their unedited photos at random times. After signing up for an account and adding your friends, you will receive one notification at different times every day to take a picture of yourself and your surroundings within a two-minute time frame.

Everyone receives the notification at the same time, and the app is designed to take pictures from your front and back cameras simultaneously. The goal is to create a more authentic way of sharing moments with your friends. Plus, you can comment and react to friends’ photos using RealMojis.

Download: BeReal for Android | iOS (Free)

3. Minds

If, like many, you have lost faith in social media platforms like Facebook, partly due to their aggressive censorship of users’ posts, then Minds can be an exciting alternative. It’s an open-source platform dedicated to freedom of expression and privacy.

Minds is a social network similar to Facebook in many ways, with a newsfeed-style layout where you can post updates, photos, videos, and articles. It also has groups and messaging features.

However, they are also very different in terms of censorship and earnings. You can earn tokens on Minds when other users interact with your content, and you can use these to boost your posts or donate to other users.

Download: Minds for Android | iOS (Free, premium version available)

4. Clubhouse

Clubhouse is an audio-based social media platform that has been gaining much popularity lately. The platform features chat rooms where people can join and listen to live conversations on various topics, including blogging, dating, comedy, philosophy, and more. This is an excellent platform for networking and learning from others in your field.

Once you sign up for Clubhouse, you can choose from various topics to follow. You can then choose to join chat rooms based on these topics, or start your chat room and invite others to join. You could also enable access to your contacts to find your friends’ chat rooms on the platform.

All in all, Clubhouse is a great platform for hanging out with friends and exchanging ideas. You can easily connect with people having similar interests and enjoy thoughtful conversations.

Download: Clubhouse for Android | iOS (Free)

5. Poparazzi

This photo-sharing app is unlike any other in that it encourages users to take candid photos of their friends instead of selfies—it only lets you upload other people’s photos, not your own. This means your profile is unlocked only after someone else posts a photo of you, and you create your friends’ profiles by uploading their pictures as well.

You can follow friends and see their photos in your feed (photos taken by other users). Poparazzi also features challenges encouraging you to take specific types of photos, for instance, “Pop a friend you can’t live without.”

The idea behind Poparazzi is to capture spontaneous moments of your friends without filters or posing, which can often lead to more authentic, fun, and genuine photos.

Download: Poparazzi for iOS (Free)

6. Jodel

Jodel is designed for people who want to connect with others in their local area. It’s basically a local-based social network where you can ask questions, share news, and discuss with people who live near you.

This app does not require you to create a profile and prohibits users from posting personal information. Once you log on to Jodel, it connects you with people in your area, and you can then see their posts and reply to them. This is an excellent tool for learning more about your local community and the people who live there.

Download: Jodel for Android | iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)

7. Product Hunt

If you are a tech enthusiast who likes staying up-to-date with the latest apps and startups, then Product Hunt is a must-have app. This tool bridges the gap between makers and early adopters.

So, how can you use Product Hunt?

As a maker, this tool helps you post your product or service and get feedback from the community. These new products get ranked on the homepage based on the number of upvotes (likes) they receive.

As an early adopter, you can find new products and services that are launching and be one of the first users to test them out. You can post your comments and feedback on these products, which can help makers improve their offerings. You can also join discussions to connect, learn, ask questions, and share your insights with others in the community.

Download: Product Hunt for Android | iOS (Free)

Explore New and Innovative Ways to Stay Connected With Friends

Social media is constantly evolving, and there are always new and innovative ways to stay connected with friends and build relationships.

While the platforms mentioned above may not be as popular as the likes of Facebook or Instagram, they are definitely worth checking out, especially considering that some of them aim to tackle some of the common problems associated with these mainstream social media platforms.

Perhaps one of these can become your new go-to app for socializing and positively affect your relationships.