Apps for long-distance relationships can be the key tool in improving communication, maintaining connection and building closeness (even when you’re far away).
Long distance relationships can be challenging, but luckily technology and apps are here to help bridge the physical divide and keep you closer than ever.
Whether you’re separated by geography, circumstance, or just a work trip, these 11 apps are an awesome way to keep the spark alive until you’re back together again.
Read more: 10 Best Apps for Couples in 2023
1. Cupla
One of the toughest parts of a long distance relationship is keeping a close connection. Being in different places is hard enough – but add in different schedules and different time zones, and suddenly finding quality time together can feel impossible.
Cupla is a shared calendar app (ours, if you hadn’t guessed) designed exclusively for couples, long distance or otherwise. Sync you and your partners calendars together and Cupla will automatically find date night times that work for both of you. Use it to keep connected even over long distance, use our in-app reminders and goals to make time (not just find it) and create a shared (or secret!) to-do list to share your ideas for your next long-distance activity.
The best part for long distance? A private chat channel just for you two. Share memories – photos and videos. Schedule long-distance date nights at times that work for you both by using the shared calendar to view your schedules side by side in one view. Couples using Cupla also love to create fun to-dos lists with everything from sex and intimacy wishlists to holiday and travel plans, tv shows to watch together and more.
Cupla makes for a great app on its own, but use it in combination with the others on this list to get even more out of your time together. Trial it now for free on iOS or Android.
2. Between
Between offers a celebratory tracking calendar that helps you store all the special dates that the both of you look forward to. Count down the days to when you’ll be back together, share your thoughts & feelings or just chat with a private channel designed to store favourite memories, or share stickers and pictures to quickly show your partner that you’re thinking of them.
3. Kast
Ever tried to watch a TV show or a movie with someone over long distance? It can be a nightmare to actually sync things up. When your partner suddenly starts gasping in shock just before the killer shows up on your scream, or starts laughing 3 seconds before the punchline – well, that kind of ruins a long-distance movie night, right?
Kast is designed to make it easy to sync up whatever you’re watching, so you can watch whatever you want together – no spoilers and no need for a carefully timed countdown!
4. TouchNote
There’s nothing quite like getting a real, physical note of affection from your partner when you’re long-distance. Snail mail might be slower than a text or a Snapchat, but sometimes the traditional way is the best way.
TouchNote takes that idea and brings it into the modern world, allowing you to quickly and easily turn your personal pictures into postcards and send them on their way to your loved one, featuring a hand-crafted personal message. Send them for birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates, or just “because”.
5. Locket
Did you know the average person checks their phone about 58 times per day? With Locket, you can turn every single one of those glances into an opportunity to connect with your partner with an automatically shared miniature photo – like a digital locket!
It’s a simple idea but incredibly effective. You just snap a photo through the app and the next time your partner opens their lockscreen, it’ll show up in the corner of their home page. Send a smile, a wink, maybe something a little risque – it’s up to you.
6. We-Vibe
Real talk time. Physical connection can be incredibly important in a relationship and long-distance makes it pretty hard to get those touches, kisses and squeezes that we crave from our partner.
We-Vibe takes those spicy FaceTimes and teasing texts and makes them a little more “tangible” with app-connected sex toys that your partner can control. It’s the closest thing to closeness – and it’s a hell of a lot of fun too.
7. Rave
Rave lets you instantly share that perfect song or playlist instantly with your partner. Spotify is great for sharing a curated playlist of your favourite songs, but Rave lets you and your partner immediately listen to the same bangers at the same time. That’s a special kind of connection.
Rave also has the ability to sync up movies, TV and YouTube as well. Great for a long-distance movie night.
8. Couple Game
Couple Game does what it says on the tin. It’s a game for couples – a quiz, specifically. It offers questions like “what do you find attractive about your partner” and “what is the best thing about your relationship?”. The twist is that you’re both asked the same questions and you have to guess each other’s answers.
It’s a great way to connect with one another over shared perspectives, learn more about where you beautifully differ, and learn more about parts of your partner that may have gone unexplored. It’s fantastic for long-distance couples as a way to connect without being in touching distance.
9. iPassion
If you like the idea of Couple Game but want to make it a little spicier, iPassion is a great choice. You each get to answer questions about your wants and desires in the bedroom – and guess at what your partner might answer if they were presented with the same questions.
It’s a great way to set the mood and get a little “inspired” for when you’re in touching distance again; if both you and your partner have indicated a mutual want, then that’s a perfect place to kick off the grand return. Plus the app has a built-in points system that each partner can cash in for favours – and a private video chat system. We’ll let your imagination fill in how those two things could be used over long-distance.
10. Honi
Honi is another app designed to pitch you head to head with your partner and it works great over long distance. It features more than 500 challenges at various levels, including some spicy truth or dares that make for both great entertainment and an opportunity to show off your adventurous side to your partner.
The private chat channel is especially handy for proving that you completed the challenges and ensuring that your partner – and only your partner – gets to see the results. The more vanilla side of the app is also great, encouraging you and your loved one to stay connected and grow your relationship through insightful questions and “I’m thinking of you” notifications.
11. Gyft
Gyft is the perfect app for anyone who has a partner whose primary Love Language is gift giving. It lets you and your partner exchange gifts no matter where in the world you might be, including vouchers and coupons for a favourite restaurant or store.
With Gyft, turning a bad day for your partner into a good one by showing them that you’re thinking of, listening to, and caring for them even on the other side of the world. And the options aren’t limited here: there are vouchers for jewellery, pizza, iTunes – you name it, there’s a gyft for it.
