You can send a friend request by tapping the Add friend button on someone's profile, in attendee lists, or in group member lists.
You can also browse and discover people near you from the dedicated Friends tab (currently available on iOS, coming soon to Android and Web), and send requests directly from the profile cards.
The Friends tab includes filters like Next Event, Last Event, and Your Groups to help you find members you're likely to meet at events.
From the same tab, you're also able to Cancel a friend request, but consider that you won't be able to resend a request to the same person for a certain period of time.
Do I have to pay to send a friend request?
Sending friend requests requires a Meetup+ subscription.
However, receiving and accepting friend requests is completely free for everyone — no subscription needed. When you receive a friend request, you can accept or decline it. If you accept, you'll be able to see each other's upcoming events in a dedicated section on their profile.