Without a doubt, dating in 2016 is an art form. If you’re single and looking for love, you know where the scene is. It’s online. (Unless you’ve made it onto The Bachelor, in which case, bravo.) But whether you’ve been on 100 Tinder dates or zero, it’s a tricky little business. There's such a grand variety of dating apps to choose from — where do you even begin?
While there is no official handbook or rule guide, most dating apps operate more or less the same way. You download the app, create a profile, add some of your favorite pictures, and write a short bio. If you make a match, you can commence Instagram- or Facebook-stalking to learn more — at least that’s what we do.
We're here to help you with that first step: Figuring out which dating app is worth your homescreen space in the first place. There's no reason you should have to do all that leg work when we can do it for you. So, each month we'll test drive the latest dating apps and report back on what's worth your time.
Ready to find your match?
The App: The Grade
The Pitch: “Make the Grade or Be Expelled”
Our Experience: If you don't like being judged, this is not the app for you. The Grade is, naturally, all about grades, as in, the app uses a grading system for you to judge and be judged by other people on the app.
But the app is very user friendly and easy to navigate. Once you grant it Facebook access, it loads up your profile with information, and gives you a “Grade Pending” next to your name until you've entered enough data to be assigned a number.
So, how do you get a good grade? The letters are assigned based on how many people "like" you (how many swipe right), how responsive you are to messages, the quality of your messages, and the anonymous feedback you receive from other users. The higher your grade, the better your chances are of meeting someone you like.
Why have this grading system in the first place? The goal of this app is simple: #NoMoreCreeps. The app tries to eliminate things such as X-rated messages and pictures, matches with people who don't respond, and matches with people who are already in relationships. The Grade holds users accountable for this type of behavior — and if you get an "F," you get kicked off the app. However, if its algorithm does expel you unjustly, you can go on its website and appeal.
Other than that, the app is kind of like Lulu, which lets users anonymously comment on guys, so other ladies can see from the comments whether a guy is worth their time. You can review your friends who are on The Grade by clicking on the “review your friends” icon, and pressing "yes" or "no" when asked if they are a “quality person.” You also have the option of adding or editing a full review.
Photo: Courtesy The Grade.
The App:Score
The Pitch: “The Ultimate Matchmaker”
Our Experience: Score has an interesting premise: It keeps your image blurred out until someone else "scores" with you. Half of the personal information that you fill out in the app — your profile image, and up to three additional images — is hidden to casual browsers unless you match up.
Here's how it actually works. After setting up my profile, I was presented with bachelors nearby. Their faces were blurred, and I could only see their usernames, location, age, height, gender, and something they like (i.e., humor). Then, I pressed a red, “Let’s Score” icon, which led me to a list of categories to choose from, as shown in the image here, and I answered five questions in whichever category I chose. From there, the app matched us based on the compatibility from our answers.
The questions are generally light and fun, which makes it seem more like a game of compatibility rather than a dating app. The questions are quirky, like, “You just got to Moscow. First thing you do is: (and here you choose one) Free Pussy Riot. Photograph the Kremlin. Find the dude from Borat.”
If you have two or more of the same five answers in common, you unlock each other's profiles.
Photo: Courtesy Score.
The App:Sochat
The Pitch: “Chat with Everyone”
Our Experience: Sochat is an app that’s all about chatting with those who you know, along with some you don’t know. It's a messaging service first, and a dating app second.
After requesting access to your phone contacts and Facebook friends, it automatically adds them as your friends on Sochat. Chatting via Sochat is different than, say, iMessage because of its in-depth GIF integration. “Magic Words” (specific keywords) let you send videos or songs, and you can create events and polls within different groups. You can also see who is currently online, and see who is nearby, which is where the dating aspect comes into play.
If you see someone nearby who you think is cute, tap on their profile — and then you can tap a heart emoji-emblazened button that says “like,” or the blue hand waving button next to it to say, “hi.”
If you press “hi,” that person will automatically get a chat request, which they can ignore or reply to. You also have the option to “swipe chat,” which transforms the app into an iteration of Tinder, where you see one picture and a short bio of an individual, which you can then swipe right or left on. If the person likes you back, you get notified that you’ve matched.
Overall, my favorite feature on this app is its GIF integration. You can access a wider variety of GIFs organized by category, search GIFs, and see which ones you have recently sent, along with ones that you like and can collect for later use.
Whether you’re looking for a fun, new messaging service, or to meet new people and potential dates, Sochat does a pretty good job of combining them all into one easy app.
Photo: Courtesy SoChat.
The App:Zoosk
The Pitch: “More Singles Who Are More Your Style”
Our Experience: Zoosk is your standard dating app, but it does have some interesting features. After setting things up and answering questions about my body type, if I have children, and my education preferences, I created a password, a display name, and answered a bunch of other optional questions to complete my profile. Then came security: I had to verify my phone number, as well as my pictures, which the app did by opening the camera and asking me to stare ahead, then turn my head to the right and then to the left. Extra points for countering fakes and scam accounts!
There are three sections at the top of the app: "Carousel," "Browse," and "SmartPick." I pressed "SmartPick" first, which shows you people with similar interests. The "Carousel" shows you profiles picked at random — you can then select “yes,” “no,” or “maybe” based on their profile pictures and age. The "Browse" section shows full profiles, including how far away they are from you, plus the last time they logged in.
To boost your profile (and — the app claims — get an average of three times more views), you can pony up 100 coins of Zoosk's in-app currency system. You get coins by paying to become a member: a one- month subscription is $29.99, a three-month subscription for $59.99, and a six month subscription for $74.99. Kind of steep!
The benefits of subscribing include being able to chat with other members and connect with singles who have been chosen for you using their "SmartPick" algorithm. Personally, these perks do not seem worth the price of the membership.
The main perk of the app is being alerted when someone has viewed your profile. But you can get that for free on so many other apps, why pay if you don't have to?
Read on for the dating apps we tested last month.
Photo: Courtesy Zoosk.
The App: Dine
The Pitch: “More dates, not swipes.”
Our Experience: Dine is all about matching you up — with a focus on getting you out on that first dinner date. It's perfect for foodies looking for a partner with similar taste buds.
After your typical set-up process, you are asked to select from a list of restaurants that you like or would like to try out and your favorite cuisines. The app uses that information to pair you up accordingly. Having similar taste in food is a major plus (and obviously the cornerstone of any healthy relationship?).
Typically, if someone were to suggest a dinner first date, I’d be taken aback. I’d rather get drinks — a date option with less pressure on both parties. But Dine will have you rethinking that mentality. The first date venue is already chosen, which takes out some of the pressure and adds an element of safety, as well.
Dine is very much about keeping the old-fashioned idea of chivalry alive and well, which is where a “my treat” feature comes into play. If one party is willing to pick up the tab, the "my treat" icon is highlighted, so there's no post-meal payment confusion. If you see someone you like, you can send him a wink so they know you’re interested, but it's up to him to ask you out. Once he does, you can freely message one another.
The app also has a fun “dine with friends” feature, which basically sets up a double date. And to keep things fresh, every day, the app's restaurant options change and new picks are presented, so you’re not left choosing from the same Japanese joint over and over.
Photo: Courtesy Dine.
The App:Align
The Pitch: “Injecting soul into mobile dating.”
Our Experience: Align is all about astrology dating, showing you profiles whose signs are compatible with your own. The L.A.-based app, which launched in May of 2015, is now also available in NYC and the Bay Area.
Here’s how it works: Connect to Facebook and put in your birthday. Based on your sign, you are presented with a list of characteristics to choose from. You have to choose six that you identify the most — I chose silly, food, drink, stubborn, goal-oriented, and warm.
Instead of having to sift through endless matches that miss the mark, Align gives you a neat-and-tidy roundup of just five matches per day. You also get a detailed report explaining how you two galactic lovebirds would get along. If both people choose to align, you'll be able to exchange messages.
The app presents your matches in a unique way — they appear in the form of circles, varying in size, orbiting around your profile. The larger the circle, the more astrologically compatible you two are.
If you don’t like any of the matches for that day, don’t worry, they refresh at midnight.
Photo: Courtesy Align.
The App:Sniffr
The Pitch: “It’s a dog-meet-dog world.”
Our Experience: If you are a dog owner (or a dog lover), Sniffr is for you. The app targets those who truly know the value of the statement made famous by Frederick II, King of Prussia, “Dog is a man’s best friend.”
A major deal-breaker for me personally is meeting someone who hates dogs. On Sniffr, you automatically know you have a shared love with everyone on the app right away (and that's one less potentially awkward question-and-answer section of your date).
When you open the app, you have to make two profiles: one for you, and one for your pup. Then, once you give the app to access your location, you can find bachelors, bachelorettes, and pooches nearby. If you see a furry friend you like, you can "sniff" their profile to show your interest — you and your pet could find a new playdate or a new real date.
Photo: Courtesy Sniffr.
The App: Clover
The Pitch: "Swipe less, date more."
Our Experience: After connecting with Facebook, the app asks for some basic information such as your age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. It feels a little like filling out doctor’s office paperwork, but most of it is optional, so there’s no pressure to answer. From there, Clover lets you filter people by their relationship intentions (friendship, a hookup, or a serious relationship.)
The app doesn’t waste any time. Right away a bachelor appeared, taking up my entire screen. He was online, and lived in the same borough as me. “Javi, 26/male/straight. Brooklyn, NY.” Before I even looked through his pictures, I had a short bio in front of me, which was convenient.
I’m not going to lie, this app has a lot of unique capabilities, such as an on-demand dating option that chooses the place and time for a date with your in-app match. But what really got me excited was the “20 Questions” game, which lured me in to find compatible matches based on my answers. If you’re browsing someone’s profile, you can see their answers to these questions, and see how many you answered the same. (My match Javi and I answered 13 questions identically.) 13 out of 20 sounded pretty good to me, so I proceeded to swipe left to see more pictures of him. You can upload up to 100 pictures in the app. From there, you can “heart” or “X” a match, or send him a message. Anyone can message anyone, whether you’re a match or not, which could be good or annoying, depending on your personal preference. In the app's chat feature, you have the option to share videos, images, and audio clips, and control who can see if you’re online, and your location.
You can manage your busy new dating life within an hour of downloading Clover with its Prospects feature. This lets you manage and track your matches, people you’ve liked, people that have liked you, and those you passed.
This app, surprisingly, made me excited. You can’t say that about most dating apps.
Photo: Courtesy Clover.
The App: Quickflirt
The Pitch: "Speedy online dating for the restless."
Our Experience: Quickflirt is a hookup app. It connects to your Facebook, and then asks you to upload your main photo. After a brief tutorial, I pressed the app’s little funnel icon to filter my feed to specify what gender and age group I was interested in, and location.
I liked that the app offered a ‘Safe mode’ to keep things from getting creepy (or unsafe). There are three safe mode options: off, basic, and full. When set to off, you can be contacted by all members; when set to basic, you can be contacted be everyone except people who've been flagged as suspicious by the app's safety team; and in full, only trusted members can get in touch with you. I want to feel like I’m in a safe space when online dating, so I set it to full.
Below that, you can customize advanced parameters. Here, you can choose to see who is near you, who is online now, and new members. The app also gives you the choice to choose between three different interfaces. You can see potential matches on a grid, scroll through them one by one, or tap the map and see where people are in relation to your location — handy if you don't want to end up across town.
Personally, Quickflirt was not for me. It’s advertised as the Fast and Furious of dating apps, and that’s exactly what it feels like. Within minutes, I had received a few flirty messages so, uh, "flirty" that I was slightly taken aback. If you’re looking to step up your sexting game, or want a fun fling, this might be the right place for you (but it's definitely not for me).
Photo: Courtesy Quickflirt.
The App:Match
The Pitch: #1 in dates, relationships, and marriages.
Our Experience: When we think of Match, we typically think of our high school gym teacher on an old iMac (the one with the see-through, colored back) scrolling for potential matches. When it launched in 1995, Match.com pioneered the online dating world. Now in 2016, it's dropped the ".com" and is trying to prove it’s still a hip place to find a date.
But it’s still old school, in a way. When you download the app, instead of connecting to Facebook or Instagram, you're prompted to answer a series of 29 questions to fill out your profile. The nitty gritty queries range from “How often do you drink?” to “Tell us about your ideal date.”
After that, it’s standard procedure. You tap on Discover, and the app uses your location to show a stream of bachelors or bachelorettes that match your preferences and location. You can ‘like’ them by pressing the thumbs up icon, or send a message right then and there. This is different from most dating apps now — you don’t have to wait until there’s a match to strike up a conversation. Downside: All the annoying unsolicited messages. The app does show you your daily matches, and lists what you both have in common.
Overall, I didn’t feel like I would find someone on here — it felt like an older community to me (but if you prefer an older partner, this is definitely where you should hang). It's still worth a try, though.
Photo: Courtesy Match.
The App: Just Say Hi
The Pitch: "Chat, date, connect, and mingle with people around you now."
Our Experience: Just Say Hi is interesting because your profile is a video. It’s basically video chatting strangers (potential matches) instead of browsing a typical online profile. The idea is that while a picture is worth a thousand words, a video can communicate way more about you and your personality. It sounds silly, but I like the idea of knowing what someone’s voice sounds like before meeting them.
After filling out some basics, you then upload a video (bet you didn't see that one coming). Instead of filming one on the spot, I decided to upload an old video of me singing along to some of my favorite T-Swift songs, along with a random video of me and my goonsquad friends.
After completing my profile, I browsed other peoples’ video profiles nearby, and around the world. The profiles were fun to watch. Usually, it would be a guy saying something like, “Hey my name is Logan, I’m 26 and from New York. Come say hi!” If you see someone you like, it’s standard procedure: like, heart, etc. If they like you back, then you can chat with one another. There is also another way to meet people: through the app's group chat feature. Here, you can browse a variety of chat rooms AIM-style circa 2005. Since it is a video based app, you feel like you're really meeting people from all over the world. There is a USA chat, a variety of international rooms, one for new users, locals, and…a roast room? Intrigued, I immediately tapped it. The chat room is true to its name, with a message that pops up saying, “Warning: Do Not Enter." This room is for people who like to be insulted and laughed at. It’s fighting room with rude people. Enter at your own risk!” I like to think I have thick skin, so I went in anyways. After browsing through though, none of the messages were that malicious.
While the app itself is free, you have to pay to see your fans. For $2 you can unlock fans for seven days, and for $6 you can unlock fans for 30 days.
Photo: Courtesy Just Say Hi.
The App:DivorceForce
The Pitch: Learn from others. Ask questions. Share your experiences. Meet new friends.
Our Experience: This app is for those thinking about getting back into the dating game following a divorce (that, for better or worse, could be a lot of us at some point, considering the divorce rate in the U.S.). The app is an empowering and resourceful place, featuring educational articles, current divorce news, forum discussions, lawyer ratings, and much more — just what you'd need if you'd come to the conclusion your high school sweetheart wasn’t such a catch after all.
If you don't want to create an account at first, you can 'go incognito' to view content anonymously, which is cool and welcoming. I tried this out first. It took me to the ‘Discussions’ page, where I was presented with a pleasantly laid out list covering topics such as advice on choosing a lawyer, mediation, child support, and getting back in the dating game. Cool, right? A little blue box labeled, ‘What to do first’ can guide you if you don't really know where to begin. If I were going through a divorce, I would have to say that this page was incredibly informative, educational, and helpful, filled with discussions and articles. Most of all, it felt like a really safe space.
When you make an account, the experience is more customized. You choose topics to follow (parenting, custody, new relationships), selecting your gender, your location, and your name. For those currently going through a divorce (or contemplating the idea), the app suggests creating a new email account to protect your identity. This app cares about you! 10 points for DivorceForce!
With an account, the app had much more to offer. You can connect with people and filter by all sorts of granular topics ranging from gender and age to topics followed. Overall, the experience seems pretty great. You can meet people who are going through or have gone through a similar situation, and also connect with people on a romantic level, without any stigma about having been previously married.
Photo: Courtesy DivorceForce.
The App:Raya
The Pitch: "An exclusive dating and networking platform for people in creative industries."
Our Experience: Unlike most dating apps, Raya screens applicants through their Instagram account before rejecting or accepting them into the app. Based on their Instagram presence (and referrals from existing users) an anonymous committee votes on whether to let you in or not. Sounds kind of brutal, huh? So, why all this screening you might ask? The goal is to create a niche where like-minded people can connect.
Raya is serious about this vetting process — which makes the app quite exclusive. Since launching in March, it has been known as the dating app for celebs. According to Page Six, spotted Raya users include Joe Jonas, Kelly Osbourne, Moby, and that new SNL cast member...So if you get in, always swipe right! (PSA: Be careful. If you’re caught leaking pictures or screen grabs of app users, they’ll kick you right off!) But(there's always a but), Raya doesn't come cheap. Accepted users have to pay $8 a month. In my opinion — totally worth it.
Raya's premise and design differs a bit from most other dating apps. To kick-start your profile, you have to choose a song and then curate a slideshow to go along with it. When making my profile, I chose Carly Simon's classic, "You're So Vain." Conversation starter, right? They also show you who your mutual Instagram friends are. But since the app is known for its exclusivity, there aren't that many people on it. Running into my brother as I was swiping felt kind of funny, until I saw his bio: "I'm a guy with a big, throbbing vocabulary. I like girls with tight, neat grammar." When I confronted him about it, demanding that he change it immediately, he responded with, "What! It was a really popular Whisper post!"
Overall, I love Raya. You never know who's going to be on there! But if you don't make the app's rigorous selection process, no stress — there are plenty of other options for meeting boys and girls with your phone.
Photo: Courtesy Raya.
The App:Happn
The Pitch: "Find the people you've crossed paths with."
Our Experience: See someone you like on the street? Are you always on the same train as him or her, but never had a chance (er, the bravery) to chat them up? Let Happn help you out.
Like Tinder, Happn connects to Facebook for your basic information, pictures, and to be able to tell you if you have mutual friends with someone you've liked. From there, it works like this: You scroll through the app and if you see someone you like, you can heart them. If they heart you back, voila. It's a match and you're both notified.
However, you also have the option to "charm" them. This is a feature most dating apps do not have and allows you to let someone know that you like them, even if they haven't liked you back...yet. You receive a "charm sent" notification and if the receiver does not send a charm back within 24 hours, you get your charm back. For females, the app is completely free. But, for men, sending charms is going to cost you.
Where the app gets its namesake is its location awareness. A profile will have "now" written up at the top when you are crossing paths with that person within 250 meters (see train cutie above). I am a fan of the proximity factor, because chances are you'll have more in common with the stranger that frequents the coffee shop by your apartment than the guy who lives two hours away. From what I can tell, it's got a decently wide pool of users (here in New York, at least), so even if you've seen that passerby a dozen times, you won't be stumbling on their profile every time you open the app.
Photo: Courtesy Happn.
The App: Double
The Pitch: "Don't date alone. Take a friend!"
Our Experience: This app is brand-spanking-new, making its New York launch just before Valentine's Day. As its name would suggest, Double is an app for double dating. You can double up with a friend and your profiles will appear side by side. Then, instead of browsing for one potential match, you're looking at two. You and your wingwoman choose a couple together, using the same swipe left or swipe right navigation we are all too familiar with. If your pairs make a match, then you enter a group chat. From there, you all can decide whether or not a double date is in the cards.
Double aims to take out the awkwardness and stress that seems to be synonymous with first dates, because this way, you go with the support of your friend. Going on a date with a pal makes the whole situation much more comfortable — and safer — and much more likely to actually happen. And despite being brand-new, when I signed up, I already had four friends using the app in NYC.
One thing that was slightly confusing was the matching process. When scrolling through prospective bachelors, the app shows you two side-by-side. (In the same way as it shows my profile next to my friend Zara's.) If I click to X one, both are technically swiped left, and vice versa. What if I like one of the guys, but not the other? Then what? And if I only liked one of the two guys paired together, chances are my friend will, too. So, then what? Do I convince my friend to take one for the team and go on a double date with me even if she doesn't like her match? And then there's the general issue of who gets who once you do actually meet your matching pair. (As it turns out, it only takes one person from each pair to like the other for a match to be made.)
Since the app is still so new, I haven't quite figured it out yet. But my "doubler" and I were just matched with another duo, so we'll update you on how it goes.
Photo: Courtesy Double.
The App:Tinder
The Pitch: "Friends, dates, relationships, and everything in-between."
Our Experience: With Tinder, you create a profile that is connected to your Facebook account. Tinder will never post anything on your behalf, but it lets you know if you have any mutual friends with the bachelor or bachelorette on your screen. You can make the pool of applicants more manageable to sift through by filtering age, gender, and location. The trademark feature of Tinder is how you go through matches by swiping right or left to like or pass (but you can also Super Like with the blue star on the far right).
The thing with Tinder is this: It feels like a game and matches come in quick. Once you match, if you decide to utilize the messaging feature (which everyone does), it turns into an exercise in creative writing. Due to the nature of online dating, my experience and the experiences of my friends has led me to believe that "Hey, what's up?" isn't going to get a response. You need something catchy from the get-go, a conversation starter. Openers that work: "Does your onesie come in other colors?" "Do you have any free time this weekend to babysit my poodle?" "What a funny group of mutual friends we have!"
If all goes smoothly, you might get to level two, which I call "exchanging numbers." Now the conversation has moved from a carefree flirtation in your Tinder inbox to an actual name and number in your address book. After that, it's pretty standard procedure. You aggressively stalk his or her social media accounts and then decide if level three, meeting IRL, is worth it.
There's a reason that Tinder is the dating app du jour; it's tried-and-true. The app boasts ten million matches to date and a high school friend of mine counts herself as one of the successes in that bunch. (She met her fiancé on Tinder about three years ago, one thing led to another, and their wedding is in April. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!) If you're a Facebook user and haven't tried it yet, it's worth some experimental swipes.
Photo: Courtesy Tinder.
The App:Bumble
The Pitch: "We're changing the rules of the game."
Our Experience: Bumble is the Sadie Hawkins dance of the dating-app world; if a match happens, the only way to chat is if the girl makes the first move. Conversations begin on her terms and hers alone. If the female doesn't say anything within 24 hours of connecting with someone, that person disappears and the connection is lost. If a connection with someone of the same sex is made, each has one day to spark a conversation before the connection is deleted. If the 24-hour mark is approaching without a message, matches can request another 24 hours.
It's definitely an ego boost thinking, Ha, he is waiting by his phone for me to text him and there's nothing he can do about it! (We watch a lot of He's Just Not That Into You rom-coms around here, so it's nice to envision the tables turned.)
Another fun Bumble feature is backtracking. Say you by mistake swiped left or right too soon — no worries! Just shake your phone and it'll take you to the previous profile.
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