Valentine’s Day 2021 sees a unique challenge for people’s dating lives. Pandemic-hit 2020 drove us all back to the confined spaces of our home, and meeting new people and going on dates became a challenge. With Valentine’s Day 2021 around the corner, it might be a good time to check out some dating apps. Here are five dating apps that could help you form some new connections and friendships. We have narrowed down to these apps based on app store ratings and reviews of the apps.
OkCupid
OkCupid calls itself the ideal dating app for someone looking for a long-term relationship. The time to set up the profile is time consuming, but Anukool Kumar, Marketing Director, OkCupid India explains why, “The process of making a profile on OkCupid is deliberately time intensive where users have to answer a minimum of 15 questions. The algorithm considers your responses to questions, your preferences, interests and hobbies, and your profile to find you the people you’re compatible with.”
The Passport tab in the app lets you discover users from across the globe and form connections. With its user-friendly interface, OkCupid is a must have on your device if you are looking to meet new people this Valentine’s day.
With a free account, you can see your potential matches, send and receive Likes, and exchange messages. You can gain access to features like ‘Read Receipts’ and boost your account by paying around Rs. 85.16 per ea to Rs. 427.99 per ea.
Tinder
This dating app is one that most of us have probably used. Launched in India in 2016, Tinder became popular as a dating app very fast. Tinder goes with the tagline – ‘Match. Chat. Date’. This pretty much defines the platform. Although Tinder is dubbed as the app for hookups and casual dating due to its swipe-and-select feature, we at Gadgets 360 have come across couples who’ve met through Tinder and got married. So, we won’t pass any general judgements on Tinder and this could be the place where you find the true love of your life this Valentine’s Day.
While the basic features on Tinder are available for free, upgrading to Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold gives you access to premium features including unlimited Likes, ‘Passport’ feature to chat with singles anywhere around the world, and ‘Rewind’ among other features. Tinder Gold comes for Rs. 582.13 per month.
Hinge
Hinge is a smartphone dating app that is a break from the swipe culture as it gives you multiple ways to let someone know you are interested in starting a conversation. You can either like their picture, or respond to a Hinge prompt that they’ve answered. The prompts include topics like ‘a life goal of mine’, ‘my most controversial opinion’, and so on.
Hinge has added a new feature called ‘Roses’. Roses are similar to Super Likes on Tinder. You only have a limited number of Roses (one Rose per week) and can use it to indicate your special interest in the other person.
You can use Hinge for free with limited features or upgrade to ‘Preferred Membership’ for Rs. 1,650 per month. The Preferred Membership gives you features like unlimited likes, extra preferences of people, and the option to immediately match with anyone who likes you among others.
Bumble
Bumble is another app that lets you do all-things-socialise – you can find a BFF, make a business connection, or find a date by choosing the respective option on Bumble. In heterosexual matches, only the female users can make the first contact with the male they’ve matched with. The likes you make on Bumble last only for 24 hours and disappears after that. Bumble could be the ideal app to find a new connection, date, or a friendship on Valentine’s Day 2021.
With Bumble Boost, users can see everyone who swiped right, rematch with expired connections and extend matches by 24 hours among other features. Similar to Super Likes or Roses, Bumble has a feature called SuperSwipes that tells a potential match that you are confidently interested in them. Bumble Boost comes for Rs. 450 a month.
Grindr
Grindr is one of the most popular dating apps that specifically targets the LGBTQI community. While you get the basic features on Grindr for free, you will have to upgrade to Grindr XTRA to access the premium features including, the option to see who is online, and selected photos. Grindr XTRA comes for Rs. 570 per month. You can also access the explore/global mode and use premium filters with Grindr XTRA.
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