Ah yes, dating; a social practice that has evolved and changed rapidly over the years and especially with technology. There are dating sites for everyone from Christians, to dog people, and smokers; there’s even a dating site for farmers. However, in the world of dating apps the most well-known include Tinder, OkCupid, EHarmony, Grindr, and the like. Yet, most of these apps require swimming through a barrage of silliness, especially for women. If you’re looking for a different way to meet people, these dating apps each take their own unique approach.
Coffee Meets Bagel
Apps like Tinder force you to make split-second decisions about whether you’re interested in someone or not, but that’s not always how attraction works. Coffee Meets Bagel slows down the fast-paced dating world by offering you one match (‘bagel’) a day who you share mutual friends with via Facebook. You have 24 hrs to like or pass on your bagel. If it’s a mutual connection, the conversing begins.
Bumble
Notably the most popular on our list, this app was created by a former Tinder executive who left the company less than happy. She went on to create Bumble, seeking to make online dating more enjoyable for women by making it impossible to receive unwarranted messages. With Bumble, a match has to be mutual. The woman then has to initiate the chatting within 24hrs of the match, or it’s gone.
Happn
Have you ever wandered into a coffee shop, seen a cutie in the corner, and left never to know who they are? Happn shows you the profiles of the people who you cross paths with. Like Bumble, both parties have to mutually show interest for the chatting to begin, but you can also send a Charm so they’ll take notice. Say goodbye to missed connections.
Align
Are you an astrology buff? Do you check your horoscope daily and ask everyone what their sign is? This is the dating app for you. You choose from sign-specific traits and emojis to let people know who you are and receive a constellation of matches each day. Unfortunately, it’s currently only available in Los Angeles, New York City, and the Bay Area.
HowAboutWe
This app is free to begin with membership fees thereafter, but if you’re the type of person who is tired of boring dates, HowAboutWe could be the dating app of choice. Instead of focusing on personal interests, HowAboutWe has you suggest a date and what you would like to do. HowAboutWe promotes itself as the app to get you a date tonight.
