It’s not a stretch to say that Tinder revolutionised what it means to date online. While the shift to online dating was already in full swing, it was relegated to web browsers, with websites like Plenty of Fish and eHarmony taking the reign as the one-stop-shop for people looking for love amongst the digital landscape. The app was released ten years ago on…*checks calendar*…September 12, 2012 making today Tinder’s 10th birthday.
In 10 years, Tinder set the pace for what it means to online date, but it does share the mantle with other, popular dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. Tinder’s interface was pretty novel back in the day: A series of cards with images of other people on it where you swipe right if you’re into the person and swipe left if you want to see someone else. You then repeat the process until you match with someone and fall in love (that last part is very optional).
You’ll see the shades of Tinder all across the app store, but there are a lot of dating apps I never knew existed. So in honour of Tinder’s 10th birthday, here’s 10 dating apps that tried or (or still are trying to) change the game.
OfftheGrid
Have you ever matched with someone on a dating app only to discover they’re just visiting the town you live in? OfftheGrid apparently makes it more apparent that the folks on this app are just passing through. TechCruch reported last week on the emergence of the app. OfftheGrid appears to be both platonic and romantically focused, with users able to post photos of their travels and arrange meet-ups with other travellers. I can’t see a world where this doesn’t end horribly.
Spoonr/Cuddlr
It was fun while it lasted! SPOONR is now closed! Hugs 💔
— Spoonr App (@spoonrapp) January 18, 2017
Spoonr was originally called Cuddlr, and was an app that sought to connect geographically nearby people to start cuddling with a launch in September 2014. That is not a joke. Kate Bellamy in Metro News put it perfectly: “Cuddlr is about spooning, a completely innocent (or so the creator would like to suggest) way for people to find someone within a local radius that would like to meet up to share a hug. It sounds like hell.”
Her
If you’re familiar with Grindr, you may be familiar with its counterpart Her. The app is tailored for queer women seeking to find their next relationship.
The Right Stuff
The countdown begins… @RyannMcEnany pic.twitter.com/75WQ79B8Bc
— The Right Stuff (@daterightstuff) August 10, 2022
Last month, The Right Stuff was announced by Ryann McEnany — the sister of Trump era White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. The Peter Thiel-funded app is a dating app for Conservatives only, with no ability to list pronouns and plenty of white people in their branding. If you haven’t heard of this one, that might not be the worst thing.
Pure
Pure brands itself as “anything but boring,” where users can post personal ads that highlight their wants, needs, and deepest desires.
Coffee Meets Bagel
I have only heard about Coffee Meets Bagel once in my life from a college friend who was steeped in the dating scene on our campus. The app will send a user a “Bagel” once a day at noon, which is generated based on an algorithm that measures Facebook friends, and they have 24 hours to decide whether they will match or pass with them.
CougarD
CougarD is an app that is exactly what it sounds like: An app to help younger men meet older women.
Ayala
Tinder is interesting in that its reputation has shifted away from serious dating and more towards casual hookups, and Ayala is looking to take that even further. Ayala’s primary aim is to coordinate one night stands.
Tuned
Tuned is less of an app for those looking for love, and more of an app for those looking to stay in love as a pandemic began to sweep across the world. Tuned was launched in April 2020 in an effort to foster connection between couples. Despite this, the app is slated to shutdown in just a few days on September 19, a little over two years after its launch.
3Fun
3Fun is a dating app for couples looking to bring a third person into their relationship. The company describes itself as “[t]he leading online dating app for couples and singles looking to connect with like-minded people with similar desires,”and the app claims to boast an impressive 10 million downloads with 2.5 million active users.