The best apps for tracking what your friends are reading and watching in 2026

Why this list exists

Goodreads is older than the iPhone. Letterboxd is great if you're a film person, but it doesn't tell you what your friend just read. Most "social discovery" apps optimize for influencers, not friendships.

We pulled together the best options in 2026 for people who want the simple version of the question: what are my actual friends into right now?

1. Kyndrid

Kyndrid covers everything in one place — books, films, restaurants, music, products, anywhere — and uses a simple "vouch" primitive instead of star ratings. You see your circle's vouches, not an algorithm's suggestions.

Best for: people who don't want a separate app for every category of taste.

2. Letterboxd

Still the best dedicated film tracker. Strong social graph if your friends are already there.

Best for: serious film fans whose friends are also on it.

3. The StoryGraph

A Goodreads alternative with much better data and a clean interface. Social features exist but aren't the focus.

Best for: heavy readers who want analytics.

4. Beli

Restaurant-only. Friends rank restaurants head-to-head, which produces surprisingly good lists.

Best for: people who eat out a lot and live in a city where their friends do too.

The pattern

The apps that work are the ones that take one thing seriously: making it easy to see what people you know are into. Algorithms are everywhere. Trusted friends are scarce.

If you'd rather have one app for everything than four apps for everything-separately, download Kyndrid — it's free.