An app for adults over 40 looking to connect is launching in Iowa. Here's what it hopes to do.

It seems like social apps geared toward the dating scene for younger generations are being launched left and right. But what about older people?

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1 in 4 older people are lonely and feel socially isolated. WHO describes it as a pressing worldwide health threat.

Two Southern California women, Taylor Jay and Carolyn Kelly, say the dating apps just aren't cutting it, at least not for an older demographic. They want to make it easier to make friends as you grow older.

They've developed an app called Wyzr Friends that focuses on connecting adults with shared interests online and in-person.

"We feel that the market of what we call 'older adults' (those older than 40) has been neglected in the social app space," Jay said.

Jay and Kelly say they saw an issue with the "friendship scene" when they met at a music festival in 2022. They began talking about their fathers, who they found shared a common love of Costco.

They realized it would be helpful to have an app that could "get their dads together for friendship and Costco," Kelly said.

"There are not many friendship platforms that cater to this specific age group," Kelly said. "The ones that do exist are mainly online forums, chat rooms or group experiences, which make it difficult to form a one-on-one connection."

So the free-to-use app Wyzr Friends was born. With no software design or coding experience, Jay and Kelly teamed up to design the app visually and then built it with the help of app developers.

The app was soft-launched in October 2023 and is available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Philippines and Singapore. A hard-launch marketing campaign in Iowa is scheduled to start on Jan. 15, 2024.

Around 1,500 users have joined the app.

How does Wyzr Friends work?

Much like dating apps, Wyzr Friends users can swipe through profiles and "match" with people in their local area. They do this by pressing on a blue "thumbs up" if they want to be that person's friend, or a red "thumbs down" if they aren't interested.

Wyzr connects people based on a parameters such as shared interests, age range, location and health and wellness goals, Jay said.

The app is geared toward an older audience, but anyone over the age of 18 can download and benefit from its features.

Wyzr users can connect for a variety of purposes, such as finding a friend to have coffee with, to play pickleball with or a concert buddy.

Jay and Kelly emphasize that the main concept of the app is friendship.

"We're connecting people on a deeper level for companionship and genuine friendship," Jay said. "It's purely for non-romantic social connection. If people want to meet for dating, we're not going to stop them, but it's not the objective of the app.

A first-hand experience

Mary Melvin, a recent transplant from Connecticut and a friend of Kelly, said she found her move to Iowa difficult to adjust to.

"I am at a point in my life where I'm trying to meet new people," Melvin said. "Any sort of resource that I can have that can make it easier is great. I welcome that."

She has become an ambassador for the app.

"I feel like there's just a lot of people that are kind of lonely and they're kind of at a loss as to where they're gonna go next as they get older," Melvin said. "To have something like that (Wyzr Friends) where you could connect with people that have similar interests ... it's just a great idea."

Wyzr's promise to privacy

Another feature Wyzr Friends offers is identification verification.

"Online safety is super important," Jay said. "We do our best to make sure users have a safe experience."

When you sign up for Wyzr Friends, you have the option to verify your account through the third-party verification service Persona, the same service Walmart uses for its drivers.

To verify your identity, you upload a picture of the front and back of your government ID. This data is not shared with Wyzr Friends or the friends you make on the app.

Once verified, you get a blue check mark, and just like that, you're a real person (at least on the app).

Why is Wyzr Friends starting its campaign in Iowa?

Yes, the app will be hard launched in Iowa on Caucus Day, Jan. 15. According to Jay and Kelly, Iowa is community-oriented and an indicator of what to expect in upcoming elections and more.

A caucus campaign is based on community connections, and Jay and Kelly hope to do the same with Wyzr.

"The whole country looks to Iowa for what's to come," Jay said. "We're also building community by community and state by state, so it makes sense to have a similar approach, and what better state to start with than Iowa."

Iowa users will have the chance to take advantage of the Wyzr Discount Club that will be set up with local shops, restaurants and businesses to give users discounts.

While the app's features are currently free for all users, once the app grows, some of these features might be at-cost.

What are some of the app's other features?

When you first open the app, you're greeted by the song "Thank You for Being a Friend," the iconic theme song from the hit '80s sitcom "The Golden Girls."

Aside from the now-basic matching and chatting features offered by Wyzr Friends, the app includes a carpool feature, Wyzr Ride, and an impromptu-meeting scheduler, Friend Blast.

You can download Wyzr Friends on IOS and Android devices. You can learn more about "Wyzr Friends" at their website, https://wyzrfriends.com/.

Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wyzr Friends makes meeting other older adults easier