I'm very introverted, so loneliness was usually not a big problem for me. But now I feel like I just need some more people to talk to. Just something else to do besides work.
In addition to everything suggested so far, I'd recommend Meetup if they have it where you live. You can search for groups, and sort them by proximity. I join a few events on Meetup every now and again, just whatever looks fun (also used to run a few groups that ended up folding due to covid). I've made enough friends off them that I can bring them as +1s to stuff I'd rather not attend solo.
Yeah there has been a noticeable drop off since I first used it, only the large groups can afford to pay the organiser subscription after any promo period ends. The ones that remain are bankrolled through sources other than their strict MU membership. So I notice groups pop up briefly, gain a small pool of members, then shift to other platforms when it comes time to pay up.
I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if where I live people simply don't use it, but meetup.com to me only shows events and groups by "expats" and "digital nomads".