Let me guess. You’re super busy, constantly on the go and don’t have time to look for love, right? Am I a digital mind reader? Not at all. I’m just a matchmaker who’s very aware of what it’s like to be single these days. After all, I’ve been there too. I know what it’s like to be too busy to hang out in places where you could meet other singles and not even have the time to search that dating site you subscribe to. But thanks to dating apps, you don’t need to actually be at your computer to search for love. All you have to do is download the apps to your phone and cruise for dates during that ten-minute taxi ride or that five minutes you’re waiting for your late lunch meeting to show up. Here are five dating apps for quick and accessible dating.
Grindr
This is an all-dude dating site that’s location based. It knows where you are and connects you with other men who are logged on that are closest to you. Basically, it’s like a gay geotargeting booty call. Of course, it’s not just for bootycalls, and I know more than one couple who met on Grindr and made it work long term. There’s a new version of Grindr out for the straight set. It’s called Blendr. Take a look and see if geotargeting some booty can lead to a long-lasting relationship. And remember, my rule here still stands. If you want it long term, don’t sleep together until you’re monogamous.
Zoosk
Zoosk has over 50 million members. So you’ll at least find variety on this dating app. It’s a super-quick profile setup, and most users only have a profile picture up and very minimal supplementary information. So it’s all very picture-based. But is that really any different than a pickup at a bar? Not really. Use this app for quick meets with other singles who are looking for very low-threshold initial chats. Where you take it from that chat is totally up to you and your internet connection.
HowAboutWe
Here’s what I love about HowAboutWe — it puts the fun back into dating. HowAboutWe is focused on the actual first dates. As in, HowAboutWe go on a cupcake tour of your favorite neighborhood? You can learn a lot about a person by the first date he or she suggests, and it’s a great way to be inspired to do more than just a first-date drink, which can get so snoozy. You’ll generally find more active and adventurous folks on this app, which I think is a fabulous thing.
CoffeeMeetsBagel
Here’s a new kid on the dating block. CoffeeMeetsBagel is different in that it doesn’t let you search the database. Instead, each day at noon, a match is sent to you. And you decide to like or pass. If you both like each other, then you’re given an anonymous text line to text back and forth a few times before you exchange actual personal contact info. And the whole CMB system is hooked into the Facebook API, meaning that it only matches you with someone you have a friend in common with. So there’s always a third party to do a little background check. Pretty cool, right?
Match for iPad
Match is an old standard in the online dating world. And it’s pretty much exactly what you think. Lots of users, lots of variety, lots of searching. There’s nothing fancy or new here, but as someone who practices the time-old craft of matchmaking, I can tell you that tried and true is often the way to go.
