Words by Rosalind Thacker
Spring has sprung, and summer is just around the corner – and as restrictions ease, there’s no better time than the present to dive headfirst into the intricate world of dating apps.
Let’s face it, dating in lockdown has been a minefield. After a year of limited social interaction, dating apps have been a necessary evil. However, the options available for virtual romance are a lot better these days than they used to be. Yes, it isn’t much of a romantic story to tell the grandkids that he ‘swiped right’, but whether you love them or loathe them, dating apps are here to stay. Also, statistically, they are pretty effective.
Whether you’re an expert in the game or dipping your toe into the shallow end for the first time, there is a dating app out there tailored to your needs. Allow us to break them down for you.
Tinder
It would be difficult to find a dating app to topple Tinder. For a long time, it has been the biggest player in the game. But that is beginning to change. Of all the dating apps, Tinder probably has the greatest reach across age and social groups. It has been known to provide quick hook-ups, but in recent times, Tinder has been casting Cupid’s arrow towards some happy, long-term relationships.
The app displays single users in your area (you can change the radius and age range to your preference). If you like the look of someone, swipe the photo to the right. If not, swipe to the left. If you really, really like them, you can use a ‘superlike’. If you both swipe right, you can start to message, and the love story begins.
Pros: Dating is a numbers game, and Tinder has numbers on its side.
Cons: It can be superficial. Essentially, you’re basing the decision off instant attraction. If you’re more personality orientated, or you know that you’re looking for something serious, you might have to swipe right for a lot of frogs before you find your prince or princess.
Bumble
Turning gender stereotypes on their head, Bumble is essentially the same as Tinder, but the woman will make the first move (when it comes to same sex matches, it’s anyone’s game). There is a catch, of course – if the woman doesn’t message within the first 24 hours, the match disappears. There is an option for the guy to extend the 24 hours if he is really holding out for a response, though. Likewise, the woman can too – if she’s busy during the day, for instance, and doesn’t have time to think of a cheesy opening line. The time limit promotes an active approach. As often happens on Tinder, people tend to just swipe passively, and matches can just get lost in the pile. A 24-hour limit pushes you to make that first move. Also, as women have to send the first message, you avoid the classic ‘Tinder Mexican Standoff’ – two equally stubborn people match, and both refuse to message first.
Pros: A much more proactive approach to dating apps.
Cons: If you are a woman who hates having to message first, this definitely isn’t for you.
Hinge
Hinge is like Tinder’s older sibling. It’s more mature and wants to be taken seriously. Tinder has a reputation for fuelling meaningless hook-ups and facilitating the odd inappropriate text message. However, Hinge is all about the personality.
Instead of instantly swiping right or left, you scroll down a person’s profile similarly to how you would on Instagram. It also provides you with prompts. If you struggle to come up with witty and engaging bios, Hinge provides you with questions and prompts to help you create a deeper connection. The prompts range from “A life goal of mine…” to “A social cause I care about…”, all the way to “A shower thought I recently had…”. You can choose whether to answer the questions seriously or have a bit of fun with them. In that sense, it can give you a better sense of a person than a 500-word description will. It’s also a lot more fun to use. Rest assured, there are some pretty funny answers out there that make Hinge worth downloading. If you like a person, you can like or reply to either the prompt or photo. If you really like them, you can send a rose.
Pros: There is more focus on forming meaningful relationships – if that’s what you’re looking for.
Cons: The same prompts can get pretty dull. There are only so many “First round is on me if…” prompts with the answer “If the second one is on you” a person can read before they give up hope.
Happn
If you’ve forever had a crush on one person who gets on the Northern Line the same time as you, or the person who comes into your work constantly but you’re too socially awkward to approach them, Happn could be for you. It’s supposed to create a kind of a rom-com movie moment, eyes catching from across the room – but in the digital age.
You see someone you like, then go on the app to see if they’re on there, too. The app will show anyone within a 1km radius. Then, you strike up a digital conversation. You can recount that awkward moment where you both smiled at each other but never said anything. Then, hopefully, you both arrange to meet face-to-face, and you can both just laugh together about how much of a crazy coincidence this is. Sounds fun, right?
Pros: If you’re a hopeless romantic who believes in love at first sight, but lacks the confidence to make the first move, this app could be perfect.
Cons: Be prepared to come across people you know and see on a regular basis. That means colleagues, friends and – God forbid – family members.
Coffee Meets Bagel
Contrary to what the name suggests, this app does not have anything to do with coffee or bagels. The app puts focus on quality, not quantity. So, if you hate mindlessly swiping on Tinder, Coffee Meets Bagel is as anti-Tinder as it gets.
Every day, you get offered one singular “perfect” match based on the information you’ve already given on your tastes, preferences and hobbies. Every day, the app will send men a small selection of potential matches, and then women see the matches that have shown interest in them. The women then get the choice to reciprocate if the feelings are mutual. Next, you will be set up with a 7-day chat window and icebreaker. And hopefully, you find the bagel to your coffee (I still don’t understand the name).
Pros: The algorithm means you are much more likely to find meaningful, quality connections based on your shared interests.
Cons: It’s not for those who value a more proactive approach, or if you’re the type to scroll through hundreds of potential suitors out of boredom at 2 am.
Snack
Snack is basically TikTok for dating. Instead of photos – you guessed it – you upload a short 30-second video of yourself. Users will scroll down their ‘for you’ page favouriting the videos of people they’d like to get to know. Should they favourite your video, you’ll be able to DM each other. If you’re confident in front of the camera, this could be for you.
Pros: It allows for some creative freedom if you struggle to get your personality across in a 500-word bio.
Cons: I’d say this app has a very, very specific target audience. You know who you are.
Bristlr
If you’re reading this article and you’re amazed at how weird and specific dating apps have got in the last decade, prepare to be even more amazed. Bristlr is a dating app for people with beards, to meet people who like beards. Yes, you read that right. Essentially, the app is just Tinder for beards. However, you also get the option to rate people’s beards using a five-star point system. Anyone who has a top-ranked beard gets a special badge to put on their profile.
Pros: If you are literally only attracted to men with beards, then this app is no less than perfect.
Cons: This app isn’t ideal for women who dislike beards. Or equally, men that can’t grow one.
Muddy Matches
Are you looking for a country boy to whisk you away on his tractor? Or a country girl who isn’t afraid to get her Hunter wellies dirty? Well, look no further! Muddy matches is yet another weirdly specific dating app for singletons who love the countryside. So, if you’ve forever dreamed of that farm life, Muddy Matches has over 200,000 members with one shared interest – mud. Sorry, I mean the countryside.
Pros: Perfect for country-folk who are looking to meet likeminded country-folk.
Cons: This app costs for a membership. Depending on how dedicated you are to finding a muddy match, or how much money you earn from the farm, it might not be worth it.
MuzMatch
For any practising Muslim looking to find love, MuzMatch is a fun way to do it. Again, it follows a similar framework to Tinder, but it has some distinguishable features. Firstly, you can have complete privacy if you want to. If you want to keep your profile hidden from friends and family, you can hide your photos and create an anonymous nickname and have complete control over who sees you. Also, for added peace of mind, the app allows you to include a chaperone in your matches (known as a Wali in Islam).
Pros: The app values the user’s safety a lot. Every user must be Selfie Verified and GPS location-checked, so your chances of getting ‘catfished’ are a lot smaller than on any other dating app.
Cons: Similarly to Tinder, there is the downside of having too much choice. You might have to encounter some ungenuine matches before you find the one.
HER
HER is widely regarded as the best dating app for LGBTQ women. What is unique about HER is that it tries to be a lot more than just a dating app. You can join different communities, where members share their thoughts and photos, giving you a real insight into the personalities of your local singles. It creates a sort of dating/social-media hybrid. Also, if you’ve ever experienced the pain of accidentally swiping left on what you believed to be the love of your life – HER has a rewind feature. Meaning, if you instantly change your mind or want to take another look at profiles you didn’t swipe right on the first time, you can.
Pros: The additional features on this app makes you feel like you’re in a loving social community, rather than mindlessly swiping.
Cons: I’m struggling to think of any cons. This app is the most popular LGBTQ dating app for women, for good reason.
Grindr
Imagine a world pre-Tinder (it’s hard, right?). Well, pre-Tinder, we had Grindr. Tinder gets a lot of the credit for being the first swiping app out there, but Grindr actually arrived earlier. Grindr is an all-male dating app, for gay and bisexual men. Since it’s been around since the dawn of dating apps, it has an unmatchable reach. It’s basically like attending a Pride parade, but everyone is single.
Pros: If you’re looking for some instant gratification or some kind of no-strings-attached relationship, Grindr has what you need.
Cons: The most instant things in life are often the unhealthiest. Fast food, instant noodles, and 2 am hook-ups with random people from Grindr. If you’re looking to find a genuine connection, you might struggle with this app.
Raya
Raya is Tinder for the superior members of society. If you know you’re destined to marry into fortune and fame, you need to get yourself on Raya. This A-Lister app boasts users such as Cara Delevingne, Channing Tatum, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Amy Schumer (who actually met her husband on there). Sounds perfect, right? Unfortunately, there is one catch. Raya only accepts 8% of its applications. You’ll have to be extremely attractive, rich, and have 5000-plus followers on Instagram to even be considered.
Pros: This is probably the closest you can get to having a romantic connection with Channing Tatum.Cons: It’s essentially the Soho world of dating. A girl can dream…
Landed yourself a date? You’ll need to consult our guide to this summer’s style trends.