6 Apps to Help You Get Back into Dating After the Pandemic

Bumble is best for users who want to build connections, romantic or otherwise. And in a post-COVID world, Bumble is committed to directly engaging with tricky topics like determining the vaccination status of a potential partner, or practicing safe sex amidst the pandemic. ^[5] Bumble was founded by one of the co-founders of Tinder, so the apps share a lot of features, but Bumble has a few important distinctions. Bumble allows women to get in the driver’s seat, which makes Bumble less of a “meat market.” In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contact with matched male users, while in same-sex matches either person can send a message first. But not every Bumble match is about romance or sexual attraction. Bumble has three distinct options for matching with others:

• With Bumble Date, match with others who are looking for love.
• With Bumble BFF, match with people looking for friendships.
• With Bumble Bizz, match with people looking to expand their professional network.^[6]

Pros (✅) and Cons (❌)

• ✅ Video chat
• ✅ Inclusive and safe app
• ✅ Empowers women to make the first move
• ❌ Profiles are less detailed than some other apps
• ❌ Some users are only looking for friends with their friend-finder options

Membership/Pricing

• Free. You can swipe right or left on as many profiles as you like. If you match, you can talk to as many people as you like (assuming the woman messages first in a heterosexual couple) and use one extend per day (add 24 hours to the messaging function).
• SuperSwipe. Pay individually to “super like” one of your matches to let them know you’re very interested. Each SuperSwipe costs $1.99, or $3.99 for two. ^[7]
• Spotlight. Pay $5.99 to have your profile boosted to the top of others' feeds so more people see your profile. Spotlights are also sold in discounted bundles, with a pack of 15 costing $30 total. ^[8]
• Bumble Boost. See everyone who has right-swiped you, extend your matches by 24 hours, and rematch with expired connections. One week of Bumble Boost costs $5.99, while a month costs $9.99.
• Bumble Premium. Access to unlimited Advanced filters, access to who has swiped right on you, ability to extend time on your current matches, ability to rematch with users who have expired, unlimited swipes, one Spotlight per week, and five Super-Swipes per week. Premium's weekly rate is $12.99, while its monthly rate is $22.99.

Hinge is the perfect antidote to a year of mindless swiping. Many of us spent the pandemic mindlessly swiping on dating apps. Who can blame us? But if you're feeling the fatigue, and you are looking for a serious relationship, Hinge is the app for you. “Designed to be deleted,” Hinge is all about finding you the right person so you can delete the app as soon as possible. Hinge’s extensive profiles are aimed to match like-minded people looking for serious dates and relationships. Hinge separates your information into three categories: Virtues, Vitals, and Vices.

• Virtues include facts about you: where you work, where you went to school, your religious beliefs, your hometown, and your political beliefs.
• Vitals include stats about your physical and emotional attributes: your height, if you have children, your eye color, and your future family plans.
• Vices include how often you engage in smoking, drinking, or any other drug use.^[9]

Pros (✅) and Cons (❌)

• ✅ Robust profiles
• ✅ Multiple ways to like profiles
• ❌ No desktop app
• ❌ No video chat
• ❌ Limited likes for free users^[10]

Membership Pricing

• Free. With the free version of Hinge, you can view profiles, send likes, and message with other users. The number of profiles you can like per day is limited.
• Preferred. This upgraded version of Hinge will allow you to see everyone who has liked your profile, unlock more in-depth matching preferences, and use unlimited likes. Hinge Preferred starts at $9.99/month. ^[11]

OkCupid is particularly popular with singles in their 30s and 40s. Still, you can find almost any age on the platform. No matter your age, OkCupid is an ideal place for open-minded individuals in need of a like-minded support system in the wake of the global pandemic. OkCupid matches individuals based on their answers to a series of personality and lifestyle questions. As the first free dating site, OkCupid also maintains a robust desktop version, in addition to its popular app.^[12]

Pros (✅) and Cons (❌)

• ✅ Free with great features
• ✅ 20+ sexual orientations and 12 gender identities to choose from
• ❌ With the Basic version, anyone can join and message so you could run across some trolls or people who aren’t serious about dating ^[13]
• ❌ A more casual site, not good for someone looking for commitment
• ❌ Expensive subscriptions relative to competitors

Membership/Pricing

• Free. Without paying anything, you can make a profile, read/send messages, and search for matches.
• Basic. The first upgrade level allows you to use unlimited likes, define your own “deal breaker” when it comes to relationships, and eliminate advertisements. OkCupid Basic costs $11.99/month. ^[14]
• Premium. The highest tier of OkCupid allows you to see everyone who has liked your profile and reveals all the questions on your match’s profile, not just the ones you’ve both answered. ^[15] OkCupid Premium costs $39.99/month.

Since 1995, Match.com has been connecting singles both online and in-person. The platform will soon transition back into hosting their “Match.com events” which are in-person (completely optional) events for users, paused because of COVID. If this still sounds like a little much, you can always stick to the digital world, using Match.com’s great Discover page. The Discover page allows you to find people near you, people with similar interests, or mutual matches. Match.com’s users are known to be a little bit more casual, so that’s something to keep in mind when searching. ^[16]

Pros (✅) and Cons (❌)

• ✅ Nice for serious or casual dating
• ✅ Popular, so a lot of potential matches in populated areas
• ❌ Auto-renewal on subscriptions can be turned off, but be sure to keep on top of it
• ❌ Profiles less in-depth than some other apps ^[17]

Membership/Pricing

• Free. With this option, you'll be able to create a profile, post photos, conduct searches, and send likes to other members.
• Standard. Receive and reply to messages from other Match subscribers, see who has viewed your profile, see who has liked your profile, and remove members you're not interested in. Match.com's Standard plan requires a minimum 3-month commitment, starting at $31.99/month. ^[18]
• Premium. Turn on Email Read Notifications, receive one Profile Review per year, as well as one Boost per month, plus everything that comes with Standard. Match.com Premium starts at $34.99/month for 3 months.
• Additional Features. You can pay to add these features to any subscription package:
• Private mode allows you to restrict your profile only to individuals you have previously communicated with.
• Reply for free allows you to reply to paid subscriber emails.
• MatchPhone lets you invite someone to connect using the "Talk & Text" button on their profile page over the phone. This feature will generate a phone number to communicate with if they accept the request. ^[19]

Kippo is the modern dating app for gamers. Created in response to COVID in 2020, Kippo embraces the geeks, gamers, and dorks of the world. With so many of us turning to our devices for support over the last year, Kippo empowers that passion while helping users to find like-minded partners. Kippo’s fun cartoon graphics and mission to connect people over their shared interests of video games and fandoms make the free app fun for younger people. The app further sets itself apart with its innovative card deck system, which allows you to add cards to your profile representative of your personality type, zodiac sign, gaming play style, and more! There’s not a lot of data out on Kippo’s success rate, but if you’re a gamer and want to connect with others who enjoy gaming, this app is perfect for you.

Pros (✅) and Cons (❌)

• ✅ Creative and innovative dating algorithm
• ✅ Great for younger people to connect over shared interests
• ✅ Great price for the premium subscription
• ❌ A very new app, so people may be looking for serious or casual relationships, it’s hard to say
• ❌ No video chat
• ❌ No desktop app