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Whether we like it or not, the dating game has changed dramatically for teens, young adults and everyone else looking for a potential mate. Back in the day, you used to have to meet people at the store, in your apartment building, at a party or at work. The dating pool was much smaller and was restricted to areas where you regularly visited. If you didn’t meet people in real life, the chances of you dating them were incredibly small.
But in the 21st century, things are much different. There are a ton of different ways to meet people, one of which is online dating. In fact, millions and millions of people are online dating and it is among the most popular way to meet people. And while many of these online dating mediums such as apps and websites are often branded as places to “hook up” and thats it, the fact is, more people are getting into committed relationships and getting married after meeting online than ever before.
As you could expect with the skyrocketing popularity of this space, dozens of different dating apps and websites have popped up to use. However, not all of these apps are created equal. It may be hard to choose which one to use to try and meet your next potential love interest, so that is where this article will come in handy. Within this article I will look at a number of different good dating apps that are worth a download if you are looking for love.
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While you may be shocked to see it here at the top spot due to its reputation, it is hard to argue that Tinder isn’t the best and most popular dating app out there today, which is why it comes in at number one on my list. This app has tens of millions of active users and that makes it among the most popular dating apps out there and while it is normally focused on people between 18-30, there are also some older people that are starting to migrate to the app as well. Don’t be shocked to see it continue to get more and more popular over the next few months and years too.
While many people see it as a hook-up app first and foremost, a very large number of people have found love on the app. Tinder is also fairly new into the dating scene compared to other apps out there, so once more people get on the app, that reputation of it being purely for hookups will go away. Don’t get me wrong, there are many people who use it purely for hook ups, but I would argue that there is as many or more people who use it as a tool to look for something more serious.
So now that you know a little bit about the app and a bit about its reputation, let’s get into how the app works. Before you can even use the app, you must sign up by using your Facebook account. Don’t worry, however, the app won’t post anything on Facebook and no one on your Facebook will be able to tell that you have signed up for Tinder. It is also very nice that everyone who uses the app needs a Facebook, which stops people from being inappropriate a lot of the time as what they say or do can be fairly easily traced back to them. This can stop people from being inappropriate if you have numerous mutual friends or anything like that.
Once you sign up with Tinder via your Facebook account, you are ready to get started with the app. First things on your to-do list will be to create a profile. Grab a couple of good pictures, add a bio with some information about you and you should be good to go. There are also options to connect with Spotify and Instagram, which are pretty cool additions and features to have. Next, you’ll want to set your preferences. There are a number of things that can be customized such as which gender you want to match with, what radius do you want to set for who you can match with, as well as the age range of your potential matches.
Once your profile is created and your preferences are selected, you are ready to start meeting people. The app works by using your GPS coordinates to show you other users that are within the radius you set on your preferences page. Somebody’s picture will pop up and you will have the option to either swipe left (which means you are not interested in them) or swipe right (which means you are) and then (like a deck of cards) the next person will show up and so on. Tinder was one of the very first apps to use this swiping mechanism in the dating space and now many different ones use a similar style. While many people may just swipe based off of looks and the first thing they see, there is of course the option to click on their picture which will reveal their bio, a few more pictures, a link to their Instagram if they chose to include that, any mutual friends you may have, and more.
So once you have made the choice to swipe right on some people, it is time to wait for some matches to come in. When you like someone who has already liked you, or they like you after you liked them, a match occurs. Both parties are alerted when a match occurs and a match opens up a conversation between the two parties. The conversation in unrestricted and uncensored, but if your match is being rude, disrespectful or anything else, you can easily unmatch people and report them in only a few taps. After you guys match, it is 100% up to you to decide if you want to share numbers, go on dates or anything else.
While the app itself is cool, one of the best things about the app is that is available to use for free and for most people, that is enough. However, for those who want the full and unrestricted experience of Tinder, there is indeed a subscription model as well. It is called Tinder Plus which lets you pay to get extra features such as unlimited likes (if you just use the free app, you will eventually run out of likes and have to wait 12 hours to get more), re-dos on accidently swiping the wrong way, and matching with anyone in any location around the world and other things that might be of interest to some people who want.
So while it does maintain a bit of a reputation as a hookup app, this is slowly starting to dwindle as more and more people use the app as a traditional dating app and are looking for something more serious on it. Billions of swipes are done every single day and this app is without a doubt one of the most popular apps in general with millions upon millions of users who check it daily and a good portion of them are looking for something serious, not just casual fun. The fact that you need a Facebook account to use this app should instill some more confidence in this app, as you will have a good idea of the person you are talking to and this should hopefully stop them from being overly inappropriate.
And in addition to being very popular and helpful in meeting a ton of people you never would have without this app, Tinder is also extremely easy to use. Everything is laid out in an incredibly easy-to-use fashion. The interface is useful and simple. There is no reason to have an extremely busy and confusing app, and Tinder does a great job being very simple with very few screens you actually check on a regular basis.
If you are looking for an app with likely a huge userbase in your city that is very easy to use and completely free, this app is worth a try and who knows, you might just meet the love of your life. Also, there is a very good chance that someone (or many) people you know have used the app, so you can always ask them for advice too.
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The dating app that comes in at the number two spot is none other than OKCupid. While OKCupid (and another few of the dating apps on this list) was around as a website first, it is now one of the best dating apps out there. One of the main distinctions about this app and other dating apps out there is, you don’t need a Facebook account to use it. The way you get started on this app is also quite different than Tinder.
Whereas on Tinder you simply start up with a few photos and a bio and are then left on your own to find potential matches, OKCupid does a bit more for you right off the hop. You start by choosing a username and then setting up a fairly lengthy and comprehensive profile (which you can also link to your Instagram if you so choose). The app gives you a bunch of different questions to answer to better understand your personality, and the app even allows you to give the answer that you would like your potential matches answer to be.
This then creates a compatibility score that reflects how compatible you will be with each potential match, based on those questions. There are also various different options such as making your answers to the question public and also assigning them a value based on how important they are to you. For example, if you really want someone who is easygoing, you would assign a high importance to a question in that area. After creating your profile, you are ready to start swiping through potential matches to see who is interested in you, and vice versa.
That kind of comprehensiveness allows you to know much more about your matches before even talking to them, which can be valuable in deciding who to strike up a conversation with. That in itself is one of the big problem with the apps that don’t tell you much about your match. You can end up wasting a ton of time talking to people that it will just never work out with.
Using the menus, you can easily browse through your matches and even your potential matches in the area and check out their photos, details and of course, their compatibility scores. However, there are a few issues with the app. Being that OKCupid uses so much information in profiles, it can be a bit clunky to maneuver through profiles. You can tell the app was created to support the website, whereas apps like Tinder are only an app, which means they are a tad easier to use on a mobile device.
Even still, this app is a great option not only for the fact that you get to know much more about your potential dates, but also because it is very popular and no matter where you are, you should be able find a boatload of possible matches. Also, the app can be enjoyed for free, which is fairly surprising to some based on the comprehensive nature of this dating app.
However, like a number of the dating apps you will see on this list, there is also a subscription feature. It is called the “A-List” and it lets you do things like browse profiles invisibly, see you liked your profile, store more messages and get a more advanced search options and filters. This is available from a 1-month package for $9.99 to a year long package for $39.99.
But even if you don’t opt for the paid version this app is one of the best dating apps out there. There are some negatives like any app, but the fact you learn a fair amount about your matches before even chatting with them can really help in terms of being more selective with who you talk to and who you decide to pursue romantically. There is nothing worse than wasting a ton of time talking to people who just end up ghosting you, and this app helps make sure that happens much less frequently.
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While the idea behind this app is a tad creepy at first glance, it is perfect for the hopeless romantics out there. When you open the app, it shows you a list of the app users that you have crossed paths with in real life, using GPS coordinates of course. We have all had those people we see in public, wish we could talk to, but are too shy or too busy to, and this app could help you right that wrong.
You can check through all the people you have crossed paths with and what the location was (and how many times), and also do a number of other things on the app. You can “like” each others profiles and if both profiles like each other, they will each be informed that the other have liked them, which can then start a conversation.
While this idea of people knowing when are where you meet, the app says that they are completely safe and confidential, and no one will know where you are or can track you. Your location isn’t tracked and reported by the app and your location is always invisible to other users. This is definitely a different take on the dating app and is ideal for those situations where you see someone you’d like to see in public, but decide not to talk to them for one reason or another.
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This app really took off in 2016 and it was probably the most talked about dating app, along with Tinder. The reason for this is because of the fact that Bumble turned the world of online dating on its head. This is because, normally, men are the ones to initiate the contact most of the time. While this isn’t always the case, it usually seems to be the case.
But on Bumble, it is up to the woman to open the conversation and make the first move. Once a match is made, she has 24-hours to send a message to her male match and he has 24-hours after that to respond. In addition to that, the app is also designed to limit the offensive and inappropriate behavior that often takes place on these datings apps. Seeing as it is communication through messages and not your phone, people often will act in a way that they wouldn’t in person. The app has a robust reporting system that seems to stop people from using inappropriate behavior.
The app is completely free and has gained a ton of new users and popularity over the last few months. This, plus the fact it is a more respectful place to chat makes it a great option.
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This app is all about getting you quality matches. Many of the different apps suffer from the same problem, and that is the fact that after a little while, you will have a graveyard of matches that either never talked to you, or the conversation died in minutes. Coffee and Bagel helps to try stop this massive waste of time.
Every day at noon, you will receive some potential matches selected by Coffee and Bagel for you, no more swiping. Men will get curated matches by the algorithm and the app, while women will get shown men that have already liked them and are serious about getting to you know. This helps to stop the ghosting and wasting time on people who aren’t serious about chatting and getting to know each other better.
Over time, the app actually gets to know you and what you like, so the quality of your matches will only improve over time. The app also helps with the initial chat as they provide you with a few icebreaker questions to get the great conversation rolling.
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Plenty of Fish is another dating app that is a spinoff from a popular dating site. The name is a clever play off of the “There are plenty more fish in the sea” phrase. And on this app, that really is the case. This app boasts nearly 100 million members, making it among the biggest dating apps on the planet.
As there is so many members, there are tons and tons of people you can potentially match with. The app uses a smart algorhythm and allows you to see your matches and send an unlimited amount of messages for free. If you want access to some premium features, it will cost you $38.99 for three months, $59.99 for six months and $89.99 for 12 months.
With such a large number of possible dates available to chat with and meet for free, this is one of the best options on this list if you are looking for love.
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Match is one of the pioneers in the online dating industry that is now responsible for many relationships and even marriages. In fact, Match even claims to be the app that is responsible for the most marriages and relationships of any online dating service.
Match works by streaming you some potential matches near you throughout the day for you to check out. There is also a Mixer option that allows you to see a number of different people in a really short time. While the service is still used by more people on the website than the app, the app is still a fantastic way to reach the millions of people that use Match.
If you want a reliable service that has been doing it forever, this is a great option for you. It has been proven many times as one of the best, so why not give it a try?
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Zoosk has been around for quite a while in this space and bolsters a user base of nearly 40 million people to potentially date. The app itself also works hard to make dating easier for you. First of all, Zoosk has personalized Smartpicks, which are introduced to you based on your likes and preferences in a person.
There is also a very cool photo verification system on the app. Too many times people don’t really look like they do in their photos, and this system makes sure that is not the case. There are also a few different ways for you to meet people such as quickly matching or searching for what you like.
The app is available for free, but there is also the option to pay for other features such as seeing who viewed your profile and more. While it may not get talked about as much as some of the other apps on this list, it is still a good option!
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Hinge has been around for a while, but recently went under some new changes that make it more focused on relationships than ever before. If you have used Tinder before, the idea of Hinge will be very common to you as the apps are fairly similar. However, there are a few big differences too.
This app uses your Facebook friends and friends of friends for a lot of the matches, but the app also has another very cool feature that is a great idea. In a Tinder-like interface, the app will ask you a few questions and will ask you to swipe right for yes and left for no, and these answers will help connect you to other like-minded people.
The app may not have quite as many possible matches as some of the other apps, and you can only add photos from your Instagram and Facebook profiles. Despite these few negatives, the app is still a good option and even lets you select what kind of relationship you are looking for, so there will be no surprises for you or your matches.
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Of all the different and unique apps included in this article, this app might be the most unique of them all. Tastebuds is the dating app that uses your own personal music tastes to see the compatibility between you and others. There is also a lot of flexibility in terms of how you create your profile.
There are a couple questions to answer in your profile and you can make your answers as long or as short as you want. As you could expect, most of the questions relate to asking about music. Once you create your profile, you can begin to search throughout the profiles of possible matches.
The interface of this app is extremely simple and it is nice to see an app that doesn’t rely on looks like many of the other apps on this list do. While many people do use this app for dating, there is also a portion of the users that like to use it to find concert buddies or friendship.
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This is the first and most popular dating app to be targeted at the gay and bisexual male market is none other than Grindr. As a result, it has many people that use it on a daily basis. This app is available in around 200 countries, making it far and away the leader in its space.
Most dating apps are inherently geared more to heterosexual people, so it is great to see something like Grindr become popular. It can also be hard to make connections in person as you may never know if someone is homosexual or not, so this app takes the guesswork out. While it has a bit of a reputation for being for hookups, there are a ton of people who use it to look for something more serious.
If you are a homosexual or bisexual man, this app is definitely worth a download as you will be instantly connected with many possible dates in your area.
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This app has been described as the dating app for geeks, by geeks. This app has thousands of users who just might share your geeky interests! No matter how obscure your interest may be, this app will be able to use its own algorithm to find someone who shares it.
Instead of simply swiping through people and hoping they might share your similar interests, this app will make sure they do. This also makes sure you have something in common with your partner, which can help in breaking the ice.
Again, it is nice to see something other than people’s looks bringing them together. And while sharing a similar geeky interest doesn’t automatically mean you guys will hit it off, that can often be a good indication.
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While many dating apps are fairly superficial, Sapio prides itself on being the most intelligent dating app out there. Most focus on the looks and hobbies of the people, but Sapio looks to the intellect of a person, not only physical attraction.
The app works by having several different open-ended questions provided to users, which can foster some solid conversation beyond the boring stuff that normally exists on many dating apps. Answering these questions also gains you more exposure to those who may share similar interests as you.
While it is definitely unconventional, this is a great looking app that does what it says, and makes online dating about more than just looks.
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While most dating apps can go from meeting to relationship extremely quickly, this app is all about making it a gradual process. This app starts every day out with a question of the day that jump starts conversations with your matches for that day.
You can see other people’s responds to this question as well, and can even heart their responses, which will notify them that you liked their comment, There is also a Connect icon that allows you to start a conversation if both of you want that.
While the app is fairly simple and doesn’t offer any crazy algorithm or bells and whistles, some people prefer that simpler method anyways.
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While many apps will have a singular idea that makes them very easy to use and understand, this app is different. The app offers a ton of versatility and variety, which can be a lot to deal with, but also helps you know more about your possible matches than almost any other app out there.
This app lets you filter people by a wide range of criteria such as location, what type of relationship you are looking for or more. There are also a lot of ways to match up interests, play 20 questions to learn about each other and much more. The app is free, but some of the crazy amount of features in this app require a subscription to access.
This app really is one of the biggest and feature-heavy dating apps out there and there is so much you can do to make sure you are speaking with the right person, and the person that you want to get to know better.
Copyright @2024 TechJunkie
Copyright @2024 TechJunkie
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