Long-distance relationship apps: 7 for staying close

How the apps were picked#

Each app had to offer a couple-specific feature or a way to do something together in real time, and it had to be available on both iOS and Android, since plenty of couples split across the two. Apps that are iPhone-only, missing from the US App Store, or no longer running were left out (more on those at the end). There are no scores here. The list is ordered roughly by how directly each app serves a couple living apart, starting with the ones built for two.

The seven at a glance#

1. Between#

Between is the closest thing to a shared apartment on your phone. It’s a messenger for exactly two people, with a shared calendar that counts down to anniversaries and special days, a place to store photos, videos and notes, and free calls. There’s a PC version too, which helps if one of you works at a desk all day.

• Suits: couples who want their chat history, photos and plans in one private place rather than mixed into group chats.
• Price: free to download. The App Store in-app list shows Between Plus at $2.99 for one month,$24.99 for one year and $26.99 for lifetime, plus "hearts" packs from$0.99. The app’s own description quotes different six-month and yearly prices and says prices vary by location.
• Limits: the App Store description says subscriptions “cannot be canceled once activated,” so read the terms before buying. It also replaces, rather than adds to, whatever messenger you already use, which not every couple wants.

2. Paired#

Paired sends a daily question for both of you to answer, then unlocks your partner’s response so you can talk about it. Premium adds 1,000+ conversations, couple games, expert tips and exercises, multi-day “journeys” on specific topics and relationship insights, according to its help center.

• Suits: couples whose calls have drifted into “how was your day / fine” and who want prompts that go somewhere new. The site lists long distance as one of its use cases.
• Price: free version with a new conversation each day. App Store in-app prices include Premium Monthly at $14.99 and Annual at$39.99 or $74.99, with other Premium options between$29.99 and $59.99. Paired’s help center says one partner’s Premium is granted to the other when you’re paired in the app.
• Limits: the App Store rates it 17+, and some content covers intimacy. It’s a conversation tool, not counseling.

3. Agapé#

Agapé works on a similar idea with a twist: you answer one personalized question a day, and you only see each other’s answer once you’ve both responded. You can opt into categories, and the App Store listing names a long-distance category with prompts like “What do you miss most about your partner when you are not together?”

• Suits: couples who like a tiny daily ritual that takes a minute, especially across time zones, since nobody has to be online at the same time.
• Price: the site says Agapé is free to download and use, including unlimited questions in core categories. App Store in-app prices list Premium Monthly at $9.99 or$14.99, annual options from $19.99 to$99.99, and Lifetime at $199.99.
• Limits: the site says questions only work once you’re paired, and it states plainly that Agapé isn’t therapy. The App Store listing was last updated 2026-04-05.

Time-zone tip: answer-then-reveal apps like Agapé and Paired are ideal when your awake hours barely overlap. One of you answers over breakfast, the other over dinner, and you talk about it on the weekend call.

4. Teleparty#

Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) syncs playback and adds a chat window so you can watch the same show at the same moment. Its support page lists browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, Safari and Opera, plus iOS and Android apps.

• Suits: couples whose idea of a good night is a movie and running commentary.
• Price: free to use. Teleparty’s support page lists Premium at $6.59 a month or$3.99 a month billed annually ($47.88), with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan only. Premium adds video and audio chat and customization. The App Store in-app list shows the yearly plan at$49.99.
• Limits: each of you needs your own access to the streaming service. The mobile apps support fewer services than the browser extension; the support page lists Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max on mobile. Shows also vary by country, so check that your pick is available on both sides of the border. There’s a full rundown in the guide to watching movies together online.

5. Widgetable#

Widgetable turns your home and lock screens into shared space. The App Store listing describes a Distance Widget that shows how far apart you are, a “Miss You” widget that counts taps, mood and sleep widgets, doodles and photos pinned to each other’s screens, and virtual pets you raise together.

• Suits: couples who like playful, low-effort contact through the day.
• Price: free, with App Store in-app purchases including Premium at $4.99 a month (a$1.99 monthly option also appears) or $19.99 a year, and small "diamond" and pet item packs from$0.99.
• Limits: the distance widget depends on location sharing, which not everyone wants on all the time. The pet and item purchases can add up.

6. Locket Widget#

Locket puts photos from your closest people straight onto your home screen widget. Your partner snaps a picture, and it shows up on your phone the next time you look at it, no app-opening required.

• Suits: couples who want to see small moments, like a coffee, the view from the bus or a new haircut, without a conversation attached.
• Price: free. App Store in-app purchases list Locket Gold at prices ranging from $1.99 to$36.00 depending on the option.
• Limits: it’s built for friends as well as partners, with a cap of 20 friends per account, so it isn’t couple-only. The App Store rates it 12+.

7. Gottman Card Decks#

Gottman Card Decks is a free question-card app from The Gottman Institute, the relationship research organization founded by John and Julie Gottman. The App Store listing describes 22 decks with more than 1,000 cards, including Love Maps (getting to know each other), Opportunity (date ideas) and decks on intimacy.

• Suits: couples who want structured conversation on a video call without signing up for another subscription.
• Price: free; no in-app purchases appear on the App Store listing. The Google Play listing shows optional in-app items.
• Limits: there’s no partner-linking or shared progress. You open it on one phone and take turns reading cards aloud.

Left out, and why#

• Rave: the watch-together app’s own site says Apple removed it from the App Store. It’s still listed on Google Play and offered for Mac and Windows, but it fails the iOS-and-Android rule for now.
• Kast: the site now says Kast is joining Amaze, with no current app to download.
• Love Nudge: the 5 Love Languages app is free on the App Store (last updated 2024-07-19), but there’s no current Google Play listing, so Android partners can’t join.

If you’re mostly here for games, the couple game apps list goes deeper. And for a home-screen photo that’s just for the two of you, the photo widget roundup compares more options.