The best way to actually make plans happen is by using Howbout shared calendar, the shared calendar app built for friends.

Howbout helps you easily see when everyone’s free, suggest plans and times with polls & shared ideas, all without the endless chaotic back and forth of group chats. Each event keeps all the details of the plan together and has its own chat. You can see all that your friends are up to, see when they're busy, and send reactions to your friends plans, so that you can make plans that actually happen with your friends .

Howbout turns “we should hang out soon” into real plans.