Lonely? Need to talk? Chat confidentially with the HearMe app for free

The premise is intriguing. We all need to talk sometimes, but you might not always be comfortable opening up to a friend or loved one about certain topics. Rather than seeking out therapy, why not chat with a stranger, who can lend a sympathetic ear and help you talk things through? That’s what you get with HearMe, a free app that matches up folks who need to talk with empathic “listeners.”

You’re not really talking — this is a texting experience, which might actually make it a bit easier to open up to a stranger. At least that was my experience. I tried out HearMe this week and decided to use it to talk through a personal issue that has been weighing on me. Getting started with the app, which you can install on your iPhone or Android device, is easy, and you don’t need to provide any personal information, so there’s very little for the developers to mine, if your privacy is important to you. You can specify your listener preferences — male, female, non-binary — listener’s age range, and can say upfront what your topic is or simply start chatting.

Once in a chat, the app behaves like any texting app, with the exception that you’re thrust into a potentially weird situation in which you’re there to chat with a stranger for no reason other than to chat. It’s not a dating app; it’s not an online forum; it’s not someone you know. It’s just someone who’s volunteering their time to talk to you, and you’ll never interact with them again. 

In my case, after a slow start, I can say that my chats made me feel a little better about my personal issue. No, the person at the other end of the chat isn’t a trained therapist. He or she is just a normal person like you (and in fact you can use the app to become a listener as well). But my listeners were friendly, empathic, happy to talk, and let me open up without feeling compelled to try to solve my problem, which I appreciated.

After your session is over, your chats are saved in a “journal,” which you can refer back to and re-read at any time.

In this age of self-quarantine and pervasive illness, having a resource like HearMe could be a godsend. To be clear, HearMe is completely free; there are no in-app purchases or upgrades to contend with. Honestly, it’s a little ray of sunshine in a day that otherwise can sometimes feel pretty dreary. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.