If you’ve never been sent into a panic stricken frenzy because you accidentally swiped right on that rude guy from your gym you hate (or if that sentence makes no sense to you…) then congratulations, you have miraculously missed out on the prime of the Tinder craze. However, no millennial with wi-fi access is immune to the allure of these oh-so-addictive dating apps. More and more are popping up, so if you’re over Tinder, go ahead and indulge in one of these other increasingly popular apps.
1. Bumble
“The woman has to say something first within 24 hours or the connection disappears forever”
Known as the feminist Tinder, this app is definitely geared towards pleasing women both aesthetically and logistically. In fact, this app was co-founded by one of the original co-founders of Tinder, Whitney Wolfe, who left the company after a highly publicized sexual harassment lawsuit.
How it works: You browse profiles, swiping right for someone you like, and left for a pass. After both people have swiped right to each other for a mutual match, only the female can begin the messaging conversation. She only has 24 hours to initiate a chat before the match expires, encouraging the connection to play out quickly rather than sit idly.
Pros:
– Because the woman has to initiate the chat, this helps avoid the influx of aggressively sexual messages you receive from strangers on Tinder
– The “Sadie Hawkin’s Dance” vibe is cool and shakes up the typical gender roles associated with dating
Cons:
– For shy gals it can be a little intimidating to bite the bullet and send that first message. And if you don’t, that match is lost forever!
– That being said, as soon as the first message is sent there is not much to differentiate this app from Tinder. After the initial back and forth flirtatious message or two, conversations tend to fizzle out without the users actually making plans to meet in real life.
2. Dine
“More dates, not swipes”
Recently featured by Apple as one of the best new apps, Dine aims to get you on a real-life date as soon as possible. A common complaint of Tinder users is that they waste time chatting to people that they never end up meeting, and this app does everything to prevent that.
How it works: It’s easy to create a basic profile, where the app will pull photos from your Facebook page based on popularity. This means you don’t have to agonize over which photos you look best in, let the Internet tell you! Browse restaurant/bar options (with Yelp ratings included) and choose 3 where you would like to go on a date. You will then receive 2-5 matches per day, and be able to see which locations that person chose for a date. If you’re interested, you can then request a date with one of your matches at their chosen location. If they accept, a chat box will open where you have the option to send a template message (Hey, when are you free this week to meet at “restaurant”?).
Pros:
– Having the chosen restaurant visible in the chat screen helps keep the conversation focused on the meetup
Cons:
– It’s new, meaning the pool is a little on the small side, but give it time!
3. Coffee Meets Bagel
“You only want to spend time on relevant, high-quality matches”
How it works: You are only connected with a network of (Facebook) friends of friends, and you receive only 1 match per day at noon. This forces the user to think things through slowly about a significant connection, rather than encourage the careless novelty of the swipe-swipe-swipe mentality.
Pros:
– Because it’s friends of friends, you avoid the “catfish” situation and having to worry about the extent of weirdos lurking on Internet dating apps.
– Bonus! They often give you a free gift, usually a free or discounted drink, providing a little encouragement to follow through with a real life meet-up.
Cons:
– It could be a blessing and a curse that it only connects you with friends in your circle. This could make for an awkward run-in at your next friend gathering.
– If you love the real time atmosphere of swiping and chatting, the wait for your daily match could be agonizing.
4. Happn
“Find the people you cross paths with”
This app could also be named “Stalkr”, as it pairs you with people who are within a 250m radius from you, and even shows you how many times you’ve crossed paths.
How it works: It uses GPS tracking to show you a list of people near you. It tells you if and how many times you’ve been near each other and at what location. It also shows you their photos, name, age and profession. Click the red heart to express interest, and if the feeling is returned, you have a “crush” and the messaging can begin. However, you don’t have to wait for the internet gods to grace you with a mutual like, you can send a “charm” to contact someone directly.
Pros:
-It’s convenient for arranging dates, as you probably live or work in the same area as your matches.
-The charm feature is cool, you don’t have to wait for a mutual like, make sure you are seen by your crush!
Cons:
– The 250m radius is kind of creepy and means that it really only works in a densely populated urban area
– It doesn’t build a strong foundation for serious dating and lends itself well to hookups (or maybe that’s a pro!?)
5. How About We…?
“Everything starts with an awesome date idea”
This innovative app is designed to connect people through out-of-the-box date ideas.
How it works: Users advertise themselves based on a proposed date idea by completing the sentence “how about we…”. This gives you something to talk about in your introductory message and also gives you some insight into the interests and hobbies of your prospective match. Members can connect through their date ideas, or you can simply browse photos. If you see someone that catches your eye, you can click on the “I’m Intrigued” button on their profile, like swiping right on Tinder.
Pros:
– Although its premise is online, the app is all about getting people to spend time together offline. You can chat to members, but meeting up in real life is encouraged.
– The app is super easy to use, and aesthetically pleasing
Cons:
– It seems like people are trying to outdo each other with ridiculously adventurous date ideas. Where’s the app for people who love to Netflix ‘n Chill!?
– There’s no compatibility test, which makes navigating the dating pool a bit overwhelming
