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Looking for the perfect dating app? These apps let you customize your match preferences and the dates you go on. You’re in control of who and how you meet. Here are the top six dating apps that give you the freedom you need.
The Coffee Meets Bagel app requires that you and potential matches must ‘like’ each other before you’re allowed to chat with each other.
If you’re new to online dating or dating in general, most swipe-happy apps like Tinder can seem overwhelming, especially with the number of possible matches. Coffee Meets Bagel, in comparison, is simpler. You can start slow with a few matches per day as CMB users are only allotted a few curated matches to browse.
In hetero matches, the men are shown curated matches, and the women are sent “bagels,” which are matches that have shown an interest in them. In same-gender matches, everyone gets a few curated matches to browse.
Coffee Meets Bagel is free to download and use. There are premium features that can be accessed with a CMB Premium subscription. These include the ability to see all your likes, get unlimited suggested profiles, set relationship goals, boost your profile, and more.
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You can join communities on HER to meet like-minded people and keep up with the latest news on your favorite topics.
HER is an inclusive dating app for queer women. It is not only a dating app for lesbians. HER includes those who identify as lesbians and other LGBTQ individuals who identify as female or non-binary.
HER also functions as a social media app for queer women, as it allows you to share status updates, links, and videos. You can also see local queer events.
For $14.99 per month (it’s cheaper if you prepay for the year), you can get HER Premium which unlocks Incognito Mode, more search filters, the ability to see who’s online right now, and zero ads.
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When using the Hinge app, you have to answer three writing prompt-style questions.
What We Like
Fun, thought-provoking profile question prompts.
Ability to hide certain questionnaire answers.
If you’re willing to put in the effort and you want a serious relationship, Hinge might be the app for you.
Of the dating apps on this list, Hinge may be the most traditional as it requires photos and questionnaire answers. Hinge is a minimalist app. The main focus is on your photos and responses, forcing you to put thoughtful effort into your profile.
Hinge is free to download, with Hinge+ available for premium features. Paying members can see everyone who likes them, send unlimited likes, access enhanced recommendations, and get priority likes.
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On Happn, you can announce to your fellow Happn users what you feel like doing in order to meet people with similar interests where you are.
Most dating apps and sites allow you to narrow down your matches by location, but Happn’s entire focus is on your exact location and whether you’ve crossed paths with a potential match.
As you go about your day, if you happen to cross paths with another Happn user, their profile shows up on the app’s timeline. If you’re interested, send a secret like and they’ll only find out if they show an interest.
The app is free to download. You can upgrade to premium if you want a long list of additional features: See who liked you, send SuperCrushs, send unlimited likes, hide specific profile items, remove ads, and more.
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Bumble allows you switch modes from dating to business to friendship all with a swipe and a tap.
Bumble is for ambitious multitaskers who want to date, network, and find their new best friend all in one app.
The app allows you to find all of those people by letting you toggle between three modes: Bumble BFF, Bumble Bizz, and Bumble Date. Use the BFF to search for new friends and the Bizz mode for career-related networking.
In Date mode, women must make the first move in hetero matches. For same-gender matches, either person within the match can initiate a chat, but it must be done within 24 hours. Otherwise, the match expires.
Bumble users can also access premium features through Bumble Boost or Bumble Premium. Boost provides unlimited swipes, five Super Swipes per week, and the option to undo swipes. Premium has lots of additional options, including unlimited advanced filters, and Travel and Incognito Mode.
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You can add videos to your Badoo dating profile.
Badoo is a global dating app with millions of users. It helps you find local matches, but its most notable qualities are its video chat and live stream features. With Badoo, you can video chat with matches, post videos to your profile, and live stream via the app to earn tokens that give you access to premium services.
Badoo is free to download and use. The premium option lets you see who liked your profile and who added you to their favorites, plus the ability to undo swipes and more.
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