Dating apps have become the quick and easy route towards scoring a date – all from the comfort of your own home.
With social media on the rise, it’s no surprise dating apps have become more prevalent than ever. Here are the UK’s top dating apps for finding your potential new ‘bae’.
Tinder
It is undeniable that Tinder has become one of the most popular dating apps. It promotes itself as “a cultural movement” where swiping left or right can determine your next love interest. The app focuses mainly on pictures (shallow, I know), so expect plenty of selfies, six-packs and cute puppy photos intended to impress.
Price: The app is free, but has the option of purchasing Tinder Plus. This includes exclusive options such as unlimited right swipes, extra super likes, hidden advertisements, and so forth.
Best for: Unlimited options. Tinder is overflowing with choice and variety as over 50 million users have signed up to the app. Dating has never been easier with millions of potential dates right at the tip of your fingertips.
Mared Gruffy, a City student, describes Tinder as her favourite dating app. “I’ve found guys on Tinder to be more confident. I am never looking for anything when I’m on dating apps; I’m just a bit bored and curious to see who’s out there.”
Advantages: Tinder is great for boosting your ego – strangers liking your photos with a quick swipe, matches complimenting your appearance and plenty of alcohol-infused dates. What more could you ask for?
Success Story: It might have taken a while, but university student Rob Hakimian took his casual date to the next level, all with the help of Tinder.
“I actually met my girlfriend for a Tinder date in November 2015. I really liked her then, but she wanted to just be friends. Jump to nearly three years later and I’m still desperately swiping through Tinder. Somehow, I see a match at the top of my conversations I didn’t recognise.
“Thinking it was a new match, I sent a text and had a weird feeling of déjà vu. It took me a moment, but I then realised we had been on a date three years before. We decided that since neither of us had had any luck in the three intervening years, we might as well meet up for a date again. And now, here we are in bed happily together 14 months later.”
Bumble
Bumble is no longer confined to dating – it also has a best friend and networking function. The app was created to “empower users to connect with confidence”, and encourages women to put themselves out there.
Price: The app is free unless users want to activate the ‘Boost’ option. The premium feature allows users to rematch any expired matches, preview the people who have already matched them, purchase unlimited features, and promote an extra 24 hours to connect with a match.
Best for: Equality. Bumble defies the unspoken rule of dating – that men must make the first move. Although men can show interest by swiping right on a profile that catches their eye, women are forced to send the opening message.
Advantages: Bumble creates suggestions for chat up lines to use, from cheesy compliments to basic personal questions, the app ensures you’re not anxiously thinking of what the perfect introduction could be. This can be extremely useful for females that struggle to spark up the conversation first.
Success Story: Ruth Walker, Senior Digital PR and Outreach Manager, found success on Bumble – in the shape of a large diamond ring.
“I met my fiancé on Bumble. I was terribly nervous about my opening line, so I sent a GIF of the Titanic breaking in two that said, ‘Well, that’s an icebreaker.’ It worked, we chatted and met up about a week later, and immediately I knew I’d met someone special. We’re getting married next March.”
Hinge
Hinge is more interactive than other dating apps and doesn’t focus solely on pictures. The app was created with “the design to be deleted”; enhancing real connections among its users.
Price: Hinge is free but has a ‘Preferred Membership’ that lets users see who has liked them, set advanced preferences, and send unlimited likes throughout the day.
Best for: Relationships. Hinge allows personality to shine and promotes real connections between people. The app encourages users to answer three questions about themselves. Potential matches can like your answer, and it gets the conversation flowing.
Advantages: The app becomes your own personal matchmaker and suggests potential love interests based on an intriguing algorithm. It saves you swiping through hundreds of profiles to find a match and encourages meeting up.
Success Story: University student Lydia Spencer-Elliot’s Hinge date went so well that she completely lost track of time:
“The last Hinge date I went on lasted seven hours. I stupidly arrived with an empty stomach and went on a glorified bar crawl. Eight pints later and he chaperoned me into Franco Manca and from what I can remember, the dinner went well. We’ve been seeing each other for about three weeks now.”