Finding a long-term relationship, or even a date, is not left to the fated stare from across the crowded bar anymore.
Dating apps put the single world at your fingertips and even let you stay in a certain niche. There are dating apps for every religion, interest and even age range. I chose the top three apps off the Android Market and, much to my significant other’s dismay, signed up to see how the world of mobile dating worked.
Choosing the top three apps was my way of making sure I had the largest range of people. I also made sure to choose apps that were not based on a specific demographic.
The first app I chose was the Plenty of Fish app, and it was the one that sketched me out the most. Like every application and website, these ones require basic information like a birthday, email address and a zip code. POF requires some unexpected information as well, such as income level and whether you own a car. I have to say that being required to select my income level and other non-essential information was the most off-putting factor with this app.
While POF does have a website in addition to the app, it requires more information of daters such as an email address and a phone number that is kept private. The website is a little bit more difficult to navigate because of some extra options for upgrades and ultra matching which aren’t given much explanation.
After entering all of my (fake) information and perusing the POF app for three days, my profile was viewed five times, and I received one message. Not bad for having no pictures listed, right?
While POF is mainly geared at finding compatible and long-term relationships, the second app I looked at is more of a casual dating scene. DateHookup is an older app on the Market, and the setup makes it look like you’re running an old Windows version without the glitches. This site was pretty much as anonymous as you can get. Names are only usernames, and email addresses are private. Most of the other questions were optional as well, but the more information you provide, the more features the site gives you access to. The extra features I found were mainly focused on the ability to send personalized messages instead of generic ones.
Entering less information on this app, I still managed to get two profile views and one message, although the content was more, shall we say, non-committal. I found more profiles, and the message I received, were focused on casual hook-ups rather than getting to know me personally. With a name like DateHookup, I should have expected content along those lines.
The final app I tried before hanging up my hat in the world of dating apps was Zoosk, one of the most popular dating apps. Zoosk is the most personal dating app I came across in my search; it requires a name, personal information and picture. It’s easy to keep track of interactions on the app as well. One of the features this app had that the others didn’t was the ability to import your information from Facebook. Linking information from social networks allows the app to look at your friend list and find people who also use the site. In the time I was using the app, I got eight profile views and one message. The message was simply asking to get to know more about me as a person, things like my interests and hobbies.
While each of the apps has its own merits, the one that served its purpose best was the Zoosk app. It was streamlined, Facebook accessible, and got the job done. The important thing to keep in mind when using mobile dating platforms is be prepared to put your personal information out there. Do you have a favorite dating app? Tweet me @techsass and tell me about it.
