The first app that comes to anyone's mind when you talk about dating apps, and even hookup apps, is Tinder. You most likely have friends who have tried the app and got something out of it, either a fling or a relationship, and sometimes you might even know they did.
Plenty of people meet and are on Tinder for various reasons, whether that be casual relationships or serious dating, hoping to meet their next boyfriend or girlfriend. Tinder is a melting pot of (sometimes) exciting people that you can talk to and never would've imagined are living in your city.
Once you join Tinder, you'll be surprised at who's on there. It's almost like a game if you're not taking it too seriously and just going along and seeing who you match with, or you can take it as an opportunity to get to know someone and hope it leads to something more.
Whatever your reason for being on Tinder, there are a few things you should know before you sign up. Just because it may be the most well-known and one of the most-used dating apps on the market doesn't necessarily mean it's right for you. Since Tinder first blew up, there's been plenty of competition in the dating app scene that there are other apps you should consider. But how does Tinder stack up against other popular dating apps?
Here's what you need to know before going on your first swiping spree.
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One of the benefits of Tinder is how easy it is to use. Even if you've never used it before, when you first download and open up Tinder on your phone, you'll know how to navigate the app. It's similar, yet more simple, than some of your favorite social media apps we all use.
Tinder also has a great look that makes it sleek and chic, which is a contributing factor to its success. Everyone knows the Tinder colors, and you're probably visualizing them in your head as you read this sentence. It's essential for any good app, dating or not, to have this connection with its users and creating a great interface design that makes it easy to use and effective.
Tinder has that. You'll find no trouble getting started and figuring out what every button does and where things are, which is a plus in trying out a dating app for the first time. It also makes it easier to find people you'd be into by refining your match results, like distance, age, etc.
As with any dating app, Tinder has the basic membership option that is free to you when you sign up, or you can choose to upgrade your membership for premium features. Currently, Tinder has two options that you can upgrade to; Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold.
But before we get into premium membership pricing and details, let's discuss the basic features you get with the free version of Tinder, and if they're good enough or not to meet someone so that you don't need to upgrade.
When you first create your profile, you get all the basic features like unlimited swiping (although limited likes), messaging, feed, which features your matches' activity, editing your profile photos and description, and modify 'Discovery' filters.
These are all the necessary tools you need to get a conversation going with someone and share some things about yourself with other Tinder users. You get to preview some of the premium features by unlocking things like Rewind, which lets you go back to a profile you might've accidentally swiped left on, or Super Like, to get someone's attention better, as you swipe through for the first time.
For the most part, the free version of Tinder is more than enough to start meeting people and talking to them, as messaging is free and not limited. Most people will ask to take the conversation out of Tinder, or if they don't, you can continue to message them within the app. However, if you're looking to use Tinder seriously and want to find the best potential dates and want to find your next girlfriend or boyfriend, you may want to consider trying out the premium memberships.
Alright, so as I mentioned, there is Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold; so, what's the difference?
Both memberships unlock all the same features essentially, except you can't see who likes you with Tinder Plus. In each membership, you get unlimited likes, can Rewind your last swipe, get 5 Super Likes per day, 1 Boost each month, and Tinder's Passport feature that lets you swipe when traveling around the world.
Tinder Plus starts at $19.99 for one month, or you can subscribe for 6 or 12 months at a discounted rate, and Tinder Gold is $29.99 for one month, or at a discounted price if committing to a more extended membership.
People are pretty honest on Tinder, so you won't have to waste time trying to figure out what the people you swipe on want - unless they have an empty bio.
If someone wants nothing serious, they'll state that. If they want "someone to chill with," whatever that means, they'll write that. If they want a relationship, they'll say that too.
Tinder users usually also give you easy conversation starters by what they put in their bios. Anyone with a good Tinder profile will likely have something you could ask them about. Also, the Feed feature on Tinder is a great source to find something to talk about. You can see what your matches have added and use that as a conversation starter.
You can also add GIFs to your page which is cool, and shows you off better than a picture could. Adding your favorite boomerang of yourself to your porifle is super easy, and they make your profile more eye-catching.
One thing I wish Tinder had is a feature that is found on some other dating apps, which lets you filter results for what people are looking for. That is, you can select an option in your profile, like you would your gender or sexual orientation, but you're choosing what you're on Tinder for. It's an easier way of letting people know what you're looking for, i.e. hookups or serious dating, and people can choose what kind of people they want to see.
Also, it can be hard to talk to people on Tinder. As previously mentioned, a lot of people do take Tinder very lightly and can sometimes use it as just an ego boost to see who they match with. They might not be interested in talking at all, or they never reply back after the first message. It takes some trial and error to get something going, sometimes.
All in all, Tinder is one of the top dating apps for a reason. You're likely to find more people on this app than on one of the more obscure hookup or dating apps, even if they have better features because it's so popular. It's a great tool to meet people in your area and start dating around and try the world of online dating.
But, if you're not into it for dating, you can still find plenty of people looking for casual flings and to just go with the flow. Tinder is your best bet if you want to dip your feet into the pool of online dating because it's reliable, functional, and has a large user base.
I give Tinder 4/5 stars!
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