Dating is no longer the conventional “boy-meets-girl” rom-com that it used to be. Mobile and online dating mean that we don’t have to wait around for Mr. Right to make his appearance; we can search for him ourselves! But this new way of finding your man isn’t always easy to navigate, so we’ve rounded up the best new dating apps, how to use them and how much they’re going to cost. Don’t sit around waiting for Prince Charming this fall, collegiettes; be sure to take the first step by trying to find him online with one of these hot new apps!
Hinge
Price
Free on both Google Play and the App Store.
How it Works
Let’s be honest: we all Facebook stalk our friends (and their cute friends). Hinge is a “friends-of-friends” dating app that gives you the possibility of meeting that boy you’ve already Facebook stalked (twice!). Hinge will send you a new set of potential matches from your friends’ friends, and all you have to do is “favorite” the guys you would be interested in. Then, you will appear in his next set of potential matches, and if you’re both interested in each other, Hinge will set up an introduction via email or even allow you to message each other on the app itself.
You don’t even need to worry about rejection, since all of your favorites will remain totally anonymous unless you favorite each other. Unfortunately, this app is only available in the D.C. area, where it was launched earlier this year, and in New York. But if you do live in either of these areas, then it’s available on both Google Play and on the Apple App Store.
OkCupid Dating
Price
Free on both Google Play and the App Store.
How it Works
Cupid had to come into it somewhere, didn’t he? The successful online dating site has developed an app version, which is already proving to be just as successful. Patti Feinstein, America’s Dating Coach, loves this app because she thinks it’s “innovative, smart, interactive and fun.”
OkCupid takes a more scientific approach to finding your next partner, using math to find your matches. Essentially, the app asks you to answer about 25 questions (such as, “How important is it for you to make physical contact when showing affection for someone?” or, “Would you ever consider dating someone who doesn’t like children?”), rate how important these questions are to you and how you would like a potential partner to answer the same questions. You’ll need to create your own profile with a little bit of information about yourself. Then it gets technical: Cupid gets his calculator out and does the math to come up with your potential matches.
The best part about the app is that it has a “locals” feature that allows you to check out who’s around you who might want to meet up for a quick coffee or a drink. You just need to send out a broadcast saying where you are and how long you have, and local singles will be alerted: all you have to do is wait! Even better, when you leave your app on and you’re out and about, you will receive live notifications if there are any good matches for you nearby.
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HowAboutWe Dating
Price
Free on both GooglePlay and the App Store.
How it Works
Instead of building a profile or searching through other peoples’ profiles, you post a date idea using the format “How about we…” and simply wait for a response! You can describe your ideal first date, or if you don’t want to put yourself out there, you can search through other people’s date ideas until you find one that you would enjoy.
This app puts dating back in the spotlight as the main focus of a relationship: it’s all about amazing first dates that might lead to second dates (or even third, fourth or fifth dates). We think this is a really cute idea because it allows you to choose your match based on something you enjoy, rather than a guy’s physical appearance or answers to a specific set of questions.
Let’s Date
Price
Available only on the App Store for free.
How it Works
This iPhone-only app will be a real winner with you Instagram lovers. It allows you create an Instagram-type photo based on info from your Facebook profile. Let’s Date is meant to be one of the simplest dating apps available at the moment, so it’s perfect for anyone looking for a no-fuss, quick dating app.
Let’s Date asks you to create your own “dater card,” which is basically your dating profile, but to do this you use information from your Facebook account. The card gives you a snapshot of a potential match and his or her details on a card that closely resembles a baseball card. The app gives you a stack of these cards to flick through, and you let it know whether you’re interested in the person or not. If you’re interested, you hit “Let’s Date,” and if you’re not, you cross the person out with what looks like a big red pen. The lucky guy gets a notification that someone has chosen him (it won’t mention that it’s you), and your card sneakily gets put near the top of his stack. If he also likes the look of you then the app opens a conversation for you both. Simple.
No matter what approach to app dating you want to take, there are a variety of options, and most of them are free. Don’t wait around for your perfect man to find you—take the proactive approach and use these new dating apps to find him first. Good luck, collegiettes! If you do get a first date by using any of these apps, make sure you read up on what guys think of first dates, and if it isn’t a good date, here’s how to get out of it!