It’s 2017 and everyone knows the only way to meet people is online. No one really wants to start up a conversation IRL in a coffee shop. And we get it, that’s weird and awkward and requires too much effort. Also, what if the person you want to talk to doesn’t respond, or worse, respond in a negative way! Sticking to apps is much safer. This way you get to know the person a little before you actually choose to meet them in the real world.
There’s a lot of apps to choose from though, and while they’re all designed for dating you’re much more likely to succeed if you pick the one that was designed with your goals in mind. So here’s a brief summary of the best dating apps for 2017 that will make it easier for you to pick the right one for you.
1. Tinder
Tinder is probably the best known dating app. It was originally meant to help singles find love, but now it’s mostly used for casual hookups and one night stands. It’s a bit superficial since you mostly judge people on looks by swiping left or right, but nonetheless it remains the most popular app among 20-somethings looking for dates. When signing up for Tinder you gotta understand that the chances of finding true love and a meaningful relationship are slim, but hey, it’s not impossible, some people have gotten lucky.
2. Coffee Meet Bagel
The tagline for this app is “meet your everything bagel today”, which is quite amusing, don’t you think? Anyway, this funny named app is known as the complete opposite of Tinder. Instead of showing you tons of selfies every day, it only shows you one person a day, who’s supposed to match with you based on all the other preferences, interests and criteria you’ve put in. And if you don’t like that one person, you’re going to have to wait another day for the app to show you the next person. It’s a slow process, but it’s meant to be better in terms of matching you to people you’d actually be seriously interested in.
3. Bumble
Bumble is a great app for ladies who want to be in charge of who they talk to. You won’t be spammed by douchebags here. The only way to start a conversation on Bumble is for the lady to make the first move. And since the guys who register here know these rules, they’re usually into the idea of romantic dates and dinners. So you know, if you want to find a keeper, Bumble is a great choice.
4. Tastebuds
If you choose your friends and partners based on their music tastes – you’ll appreciate this app. The way this particular app works, is by comparing your interests and music tastes with those of people nearby. You can either choose your favorite bands in the app, or just scan your iPhone music library. Tastebuds will match you up with people with similar tastes, which is convenient not only for dating, but also for finding friends and people to go to concerts with.
5. Hinge
If you’re one of those old fashioned people that cringes at the idea of telling people you met your partner online, you should probably try Hinge. This app doesn’t show you any real strangers and instead matches you with friends of your friends. So technically it’s people you might’ve already met, or could potentially meet at the next friend gathering, a night out or a birthday party. This way, if you really want to, you can tell people you met “through friends”.
6. Her
Her is an app for women who want to meet and date other women. It’s kind of like a female version of Grindr. It used to actually be marketed as Grindr for girls at first. It’s a great place to meet lesbian, bisexual and queer women whether you want to find a partner or just a group of friends to hang out with.
7. Grindr
Grindr was probably the first app of it’s kind and we’re pretty sure it inspired the creation of all the other similar apps that are on the market now. It’s an exclusively male app, so it’s only for gay and bisexual men looking to find a partner. It works by showing you profiles of men who are in close proximity to you, who are also scrolling through the app at the time. So basically if you match, you can meet up pretty quickly
8. Happn
Happn is an interesting app that shows you profiles of people you’ve actually crossed paths with in real life. Very convenient for those times when you find yourself in a coffee shop or a cafe crushing on a barista, but feeling way too nervous to make the move. This way, if they have the app you’ll be able to find them. If you both like each other on the app you become a crush and can start a conversation and even send each other songs through the app.
9. Tindog
Tindog app has a very amusing concept. It’s basically an app for dog owners. Here you’ll find pet owners who live in your area and love dogs as much as you do. This way you’ll always have someone to go walk your dog with, potentially fall in love with, while at the same time providing your fluffy four-legged friend with a new play mate.
10. Pure
Pure is kind of like an Uber for dates. You post a request for a meeting that lasts for a certain time, for example for an hour. If someone responds and takes you up on that, you can decide whether you want to meet up and click agree or decline. It’s a really quick way to find yourself a date, as it cuts to the chase pretty quick. It’s a great app for those who don’t have a lot of time to waste.
11. Spark
Spark is a cool app that works not only with the internet but also with bluetooth. It’s perfect for those occasions where you’re on the subway or just some place where there’s no signal and you find yourself making eye contact with a handsome stranger but are too scared to start up a conversation. In most cases these scenarios end with people waiting too long to pluck up the courage and one of them leaves. Well, with Spark, that doesn’t have to be the case.
12. Grouper
Grouper uses your Facebook profile to match up three guys and girls, or you know, a group of people of the same sex if that’s what you prefer. The matches are based on your interests, job, age, education, etc. You get to pick your wing women, and the app selects the partners and a place for the meet-up. It also arranges a round of free drinks for the group. This way it’s less pressure and more fun. And even if you don’t find a date, you are very likely to widen your friend circle for sure.
13. Raya
If you dream of dating a celebrity Raya is the place for that. However, getting onto this elite app isn’t easy. You have to be successful, gorgeous and have at least 5K followers on Instagram. We’re also pretty sure fame and money plays a role, but that’s not really a must. If you actually get lucky enough to be approved for this app, prepare to be starstruck. Apparently celebs like Elijah Wood and Cara Delevingne are quite fond of this app too, so you might see them there.
