3 Apps For Guaranteed Dates This Autumn
The season will be changing soon which I always believe makes a great time to start fresh. If you’re on the market for dating this autumn, wouldn’t it be great to have someone to watch the leaves fall with?
Remember, dating apps are normal now (all stigma aside). Kind to think about it, many of my friends have met their current girlfriends and boyfriends through dating apps and are doing pretty great. If you’re feeling dating app fatigue lately from too much Tinder, Bumble and Happn, then here are some apps guaranteed to get you a date this autumn.
1. Whim
Personally, this app is one of my favorites and what I would consider a very new type of dating app concept compared to the bunch. What makes Whim so unique is each user chooses a few days that they are “free” to meet up for a date.
Right off the bat, this feature alone caters to a more serious user base which will certainly work in your favor if you’re someone really trying to meet someone new. Without swiping through hoards of people, you can browse and find the people you want to meet with. If you and a user are interested in each other, Whim will set up the time and place to meet based on the available days each user specified. The next step is meeting up in person and honestly, it’s just that simple.
Pros:
- Whim is a 100% free to use app which makes now a great chance to try a new service.
- Simple to use, barely takes anytime to set up a profile and only requires a few minutes a day.
- Choosing dates to meet before meeting someone caters to people serious about meeting for a first date
Cons:
- Once a match is made, you will be asked to exchange phone numbers to carry on conversation outside of the app. Although many serious daters will see this as a huge advantage for committing to a first date, an enormously large percentage of the online dating pool tend to find this feature a bit strong and are very careful about who they exchange numbers with.
- Having to choose dates to meet before you match with someone makes for very strong commitment. Sometimes it’s hard to really know your schedule even a few days in advance. If your someone like me who hates committing to plans with strangers far in advance, it may be a bit much at times.
- Limited user base. If you are someone who is living in a remote area then you probably will not have many users or possibly none near you. Whim is only in the USA and cannot be used in other countries (for now).
2. Dine
Dine is an app that will seriously get you first dates. It stacked up pretty well when I squared off 4 different dating apps in Los Angeles. The results ended up being very interesting.
Similar to Whim dating app in a sense that Dine also focuses heavily on getting users first dates, Dine’s concept is a little bit more laid back and completely centered around people meeting up at either restaurants, bars or cafes.
When setting up a profile, each user specifies three restaurants/bars/cafes to meet at for a first date. Every day, users get introduced to a limited amount of users near by where you can send direct “dine requests” to users you would like to meet for a first date. A match is created when a user accepts the dine request which means essentially you have both agreed to meet for a first date.
Pros:
- At the time of a match, the restaurant to meet up at has already been agreed and decided on. Having this worked out before the match is made really goes a long way in coordinating the first date. (Note* dine also has a calendar feature to take things a step further)
- No swiping, games or sensory overload that remotely feels like Tinder. Instead, you directly ask people if they want to go on a date with you. At that point it’s pretty simple, a user either accepts or declines heightening your chances of actually meeting for a first date without the loads of matches who either ghost or have 100’s of other options.
- Most users on Dine are serious about meeting for a first date which means there is a high chance in meeting for a first date.
Cons:
- Not all people (especially men) want to meet for a first date over dinner. Although changing with the times, most men feel pressured into fronting hefty dinner bills for someone they just met and many girls would rather not meet a technical stranger over a 2-hour dinner (that could get awkward maybe?). However, choosing a coffee or drink date is a simple solution to this issue.
- Dine is a completely free app to use, but getting the best experience will cost you a monthly premium membership that allows you to message any of your matches without restriction. Free users will be required to use roses to open of a match’s conversation which then takes a few days to regenerate with daily use of the app.
- Only in the USA and Canda (for now)
3. Coffee Meets Bagel
Although Coffee Meets Bagel is what I would consider to be reaching dinosaur status, this is still a very unique concept. They were one of the first apps during the second wave to differentiate from the Tinder cult.
Each day at 12:00 in the afternoon, male users get introduced to a limited number of “quality matches”…aka bagels. Users can then either like or pass on each one of these matches. Then, women will get a special (curated) list of the men who liked them.
Pros:
- Feels refreshing after Tinder fatigue. The concept is very engaging, especially for women.
- Women get more quality matches delivered directly to them instead of having to patiently navigate through a jungle of inappropriate men.
- Higher quality of users will essentially lead to a higher rate of getting dates.
Cons:
- This app is a little unequal towards men in a sense that is prioritizes the woman user’s matches and experience over the male’s. However, with with steady and consistent use of the app, this can work in the male’s favor as well.
- Having a finite number of matches for the day can leave you with no one of interest. Coffee Meets Bagel’s preference features could use an overhaul to increase the quality of “bagels” a bit more. (mainly a woman user issue.)
- The app will require you to buy “beans” to message making this app a bit restricted at sometimes.
Conclusion
Although these three apps I mentioned have very different concepts that are unique in their own way, the main similarity between them is that they all strongly focus on getting users first dates. With all the dating apps out there these days, it’s good to find a few that work for you, as in get you out on a date. Good luck, happy hunting.
