A Guide to Dating Apps and Their Different Functions
The stigma of online dating is behind us, so why are people still hesitant about signing up for the variety of services offered for singles seeking a relationship? Many of the most widely-known apps are the ones that advertise on television, like eHarmony and Match. These are the same websites that were around when a social stigma still existed around finding dates online. These websites, still impressed into the minds of consumers, may be the reason people aren’t participating in fresher takes on online dating, like Bumble and Tinder.
What is Tinder?
Tinder is easily the most popular app among young people. It became the most successful app to target the mobile phone market, and is owned by Match Group, the same people behind Match. Even though the companies are owned by the same company and Match is older, Tinder became a successful app by making online dating the norm.
Users of Tinder will experience a streamline experience. All a person has to do is sign up, upload a few pictures, and fill out a short bio. After this process, users will begin “swiping.” Swiping is when a user of Tinder swipes right(like) or swipes left(dislike.) This is how Tinder sets up matches between possible partners. When two people swipe right on each other, Tinder notifies each person and then allows them to instant message each other. Instant messaging is otherwise turned off in the app.
If you have tried other dating apps, but you have been bombarded by contacts you don’t find attractive, then Tinder may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Tinder vs. Bumble
Bumble took the Tinder model and reinvented it in order to make a more friendly experience for women. Tinder can be filled with men looking for hook-ups and one night stands, and while a lot of women are on Tinder looking for the same thing, many aren’t. Bumble uses nearly the same process, but it has one major difference. Women are the only ones who can make the first move. When both individuals like each other, instant messaging is only turned on for women, allowing them to make the first move.
Bumble is designed for the woman who is looking for a real relationship and not the woman who is looking for a hook up. Men who join Bumble do it for mostly the same reasons.
If you find Tinder too forward, or if you are a woman who is tired to swimming through an inbox full of unwanted solicitations, Bumble is the perfect app.
POF
Plenty of Fish, more popularly known as POF, is one of the most open ended apps on the market. Most apps have pay to date features, meaning a user can unlock additional features with a monthly subscription or one time purchase. While POF still has features like this, it is offered as an add on and not a necessity.
For example, Tinder doesn’t show you who likes you until you like them too. POF, on the other hand, POF easily displays a picture of who likes you and moves them to the front of your suggested matches. POF also shows every person that views your profile.
POF also features a nearby tab, allowing users to browse singles by distance rather than relying on the system to show possible matches.
Craigslist Survives Backpage
Personal ads are a great way to find dates online, but honestly, there is only one options now. Backpage used to be a great place to find singles in the local area, but the website has recently been taken down by the federal government as an investigation of its founders began.
However, Craigslist is still up and running and remains a great way to find singles. Unlike other methods of finding singles online, this is completely decentralized, meaning there is no third party involved in matching singles together. People simply post that they are looking for a partner, sharing any information that they want. Anyone that sees the personal ad can contact the original poster and see if things work out.
Backpage may be gone for now, but Craigslist is still an internet elite when it comes to finding a partner online.
Zoosk
Sign up is quick and to the point on Zoosk. Answer a few different questions, upload a picture, and you are thrown directly into the app. The entire sign-up process on Zoosk takes around 3 minutes.
Zoosk features a carousel mode, which is similar to Tinder and Bumble’s main feature. This app allows allows people to go through a search pool. One of the greatest features on Zoosk is the ability to customize searches and save your criteria. This enables you to essentially pool together potential dates based on different criteria. For example, it is possible to have a search query saved for singles nearby and have them separated from individuals who may be a longer distance away.