Last year I had a simple problem: I moved to a new city and had no one to grab a coffee with. Dating apps felt wrong — I didn't want a date, I wanted company. Someone to check out a new bar, go for a walk, or hit a concert.
So I built ChillMatch.
What is ChillMatch?
ChillMatch is a mobile app that connects people nearby who want to do the same things — right now. No swiping, no matching based on looks. You pick an activity, see who's around, and start chatting.
It's available on App Store and Google Play.
We also have a Telegram channel where we share updates.
The Tech Stack
- React Native + Expo — cross-platform, one codebase for iOS and Android
- Node.js backend on Render
- MongoDB for data
- Socket.IO for real-time features (chat, live activity updates)
- RevenueCat for subscriptions
- Sentry for crash reporting
- Firebase for push notifications
Core Features
Activity-based matching
Users create or join activities — "coffee in 30 min", "looking for a gym buddy", "who wants to check out this new bar tonight". Other users nearby see these and can join or start a chat.
Real-time location
The app shows people and activities near you. Not your exact location — a general area. Enough to know someone's nearby, private enough to feel safe.
Group chats
Every activity has a group chat. You talk before you meet. No awkward blind meetups.
Venue offers
We partner with local bars and cafes to offer exclusive deals to ChillMatch users who show up. Win-win: venues get foot traffic, users get perks.
Challenges I Faced
The cold start problem
A social app with no users is useless. My approach: launch city by city, seed initial activities myself, and focus on university areas where people actively look for new connections.
Permissions on Android
Google Play's policy on photo/video permissions got stricter. I had to remove broad storage permissions (READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, etc.) and switch to Android's system photo picker. Lesson learned: always check the latest policy before submitting.
Moderation
With any social app, safety is priority one. We built automated content moderation, manual review for reported profiles, and strict age verification (18+).
What's Next
- Expanding to more European cities
- Event discovery integration
- ChillMatch Blue — premium features for power users
Try It Out
If you're the kind of person who wants to do stuff but doesn't always have someone to do it with — that's exactly who ChillMatch is for.
I'd love to hear your feedback. Drop a comment or reach out at info@chillmatch.app.
Top comments (2)
도시별로 출시하고 대학가에 초기 활동을 직접 심는 방식이 소셜 앱의 콜드 스타트를 현실적으로 다루고 있습니다. 이때 가입자 수보다 ‘활동 게시 후 첫 참여까지 걸린 시간’과 ‘채팅 뒤 실제 모임이 성사된 비율’을 도시별로 보면 어느 지역을 확장할지 더 분명해질 것 같습니다. 특히 지역 바·카페의 혜택을 특정 활동과 묶으면 사용자와 장소 양쪽의 초기 공급을 동시에 만드는 실험이 되겠네요.
Thanks! That’s a really good point.
I actually like the idea of focusing on metrics like time to first participant rather than just sign-ups. Ultimately, a social app succeeds when people actually meet, so tracking the conversion from activity → chat → real meetup is probably much more meaningful than download numbers.
The idea of partnering with local cafés and bars is also something I’ve been thinking about. It could help solve the cold-start problem for both users and local businesses at the same time.
Really appreciate the thoughtful feedback!