With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, love is looming in the Binghamton air. The red- and pink-hearted holiday is emblematic of a fairytale type of love, except in this day and age that kind of love is oftentimes found through the swipe of a picture on a screen. The dating apps listed below are some of the most used platforms and can be the perfect way to start a fairytale romance.
Hinge
Hinge is the perfect app for those looking for lust, love or anything in between. It’s an app used for those looking for more than just a hookup or one-night stand. The app is designed in a way where you can tell many things about yourself, add loads of pictures and even include what you are looking for in a relationship. The app’s prompts allow you to showcase your personality virtually and let it shine through rather than just photos. You are also able to see who has liked your profile, and while it limits the amount of likes you can give, it is the perfect app for those who want more of a dating experience.
Tinder
One of the most well-known apps out there is Tinder. It is one of the better dating apps for those looking to casually hook up, have flirty conversations and, in some cases, even long-term relationships. It is an app that helps people ease into other apps by making it really easy and fun — swipe right when you like someone and left when you don’t. When you do find a match, the app tells you through a celebratory “It’s a Match” and their profile pops up. Though most of the app is based on the pictures put up, there is also a bio, link to social media and a brief explanation of the type of relationship the person is looking for.
OKCupid
If you are looking for Mr. Perfect, OKCupid might be the perfect dating app for you. The profiles are wildly in-depth and through answering a series of questions, they give you reasonable match percentages, as to how well you two would get along based on the questions. You can also use the filters provided by the app if you are looking for a specific height, religion, ethnicity or even zodiac sign. It still has the fun swiping aspect like Tinder, but brings everything deeper with more of a profile and deeper questions.
Coffee Meets Bagel
This is one of the lesser-known dating apps out there. This app is not overly time-consuming and simple to use. At noon, you get sent five “bagels” per day and these “bagels” are your matches for the entire day. You have a choice whether to like or pass the “bagels” that you are sent, and if the matches like you back, then you have the ability to send messages and start a conversation. Much like OKCupid, this app has a height preference that you can set it to. The good thing about Coffee Meets Bagel is that you can’t simply scroll through the app for hours on end and the profiles are more in-depth.
Bumble
Bumble, much like Tinder, is more of a dating app for those looking for shorter-term relationships or casual hookups, but can be used to find longer-term relationships as well. What’s unique about the app is that it lets women take the lead rather than the men. Instead of receiving texts you simply don’t want from another person, women are the only people allowed to reach out first. Another unique thing about this app is that if the person doesn’t respond to your message within 24 hours of you sending it, the match is deleted. This app is very unique in many ways, but is still a good way to find the perfect match.