Best dating apps 2021 evening standard


The best dating apps to use in 2021
After a year in which nighttime safety has been talked about more than ever, SafeDate does what singles have been asking for for years: it makes sure your friends, housemates or family have your back, by sending them your location and alerting them when you get home (it’s not strictly an app itself – you use it alongside your chosen dating app, whether it’s Hinge, Bumble or OKCupid).
The best dating apps to use in 2021
The Evening Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The new apps to try in pursuit of the perfect match
Shutterstock / Dean Drobot
Katie Strick , Senior Feature Writer & Editor @ katie_strick 1 June 2022
The upsides of dating in January? It’s a new year, so that park crush you’re hoping to come across on Happn is probably just as desperate as you are to quit boring WhatsApp conversations that never goes anywhere and actually meet someone to couple up with.
Plus, Covid continues to bring a rush of new dawn daters: one in five UK Bumble users say they’ve joined after ending a committed relationship as a result of the pandemic - and post-Christmas breakup season means there’ll be more singles online than ever. If you want to meet them, start finding a friend to buddy up with: new double dating app Jungle promises to be the fun (and safer) new Hinge alternative for 2022.
Jungle isn’t the only new dating app on the scene. Londoner Sanjay Panchal has launched the world’s first anti-ghosting app (finally!); everyone’s talking about Victoria, the exclusive new members’ club of dating apps; and video dating app The Sauce has just announced it will plant a tree for every match - add that to your new year’s resolution list.
So which app to commit to? From the TikTok-style dating platform for Gen Z-ers to the app that matches you on personality compatibility, this is your virtual dating encyclopaedia.
Jungle: for double dating
For 2022 you no longer have to choose between dating and going out with your mates - Jungle lets you do both at the same time. The app’s creators say they spotted a surge in Hinge, Tinder and Bumble requests for double dates so decided to build a platform that does all the hard work for you.
The benefits of doubling up? It’s safer, less awkward, and eliminates those evenings wasted with someone you’re never going to see again – at least you’re guaranteed a fun night out with your wingman or wingwoman (and have a story to laugh about together afterwards).
Bonus feature: for a small fee you can have your profiles rated by dating experts. Will 2022 be the year men realise topless pictures aren’t as attractive as they used to think?
Download on iOS
Victoria the App: for meeting fellow creatives
The Soho House of dating apps. Victoria the App describes itself as “a private global community centred around curated experiences” and insiders are already saying the social networking app is the perfect platform for meeting fellow creatives, whether it’s through art, culture or powerful conversations.
Membership doesn’t come cheap – subscriptions start at £74.99 – but the USP is you’ll be invited to IRL events with likeminded people (Victoria says it’s values are kindness, acceptance and positivity). Kate Moss’ half-sister Lottie Moss and Brooklyn Beckham’s ex Hana Cross both attended the launch party at Marylebone members’ club Home House in October.
Download on iOS
Snack: for video-flirting
Read More
Thursday: new dating app only works on one day of the week (yes, you guessed it. )
10 things you need to know about Bumble and its founder as the dating app soars on IPO
Tinder meets TikTok. Snack promises to rid your feed of stale selfies and misleading prompts – its app is all based around the way Gen Z-ers really connect in 2022: via video.
Upload clips from your camera roll or answer a selection of Snack’s video prompts ( “My childhood dream job was. and my current profession is. ”), then let Snack’s algorithm do the matchmaking. Instead of swiping left or right, potential matches’ profiles will be displayed in a vertical feed. Just like or reply to their videos to get the conversation started. You’ve perfected your Zoom face by now – get recording.
Download on iOS
So Syncd: for matching on personality-type
It’s the age-old dating question: do opposites attract or is it better to go for someone who’s the same type on paper? So Syncd believes it’s a combination of the two – and claims to have found a compatibility formula that works, with proven results (see: the site’s successful love stories catalogue).
The science-focused app is based on the 16 personality types theory, using a free five-minute test to determine your personality type and then matching you with others who are compatible. It promises to pair couples who have just enough similarities to understand each other and just enough differences to create a spark.
Download on iOS and Android
The Sauce: to swipe sustainably
Sick of swiping? Here’s an incentive that’ll make Greta proud: this month, video dating app The Sauce announced it will plant a tree for every match - an important step towards its mission of becoming a carbon neutral company.
“This is an issue we care about greatly and we’ve spoken to thousands of our members who are also hugely concerned about the dire environmental trajectory we are on,” says co-founder Sachin Karia. “We found a truly great partner in onHand, a company that places community at its core, makes volunteering effortless and accessible and is helping businesses to engage in and fight the climate crisis.”
That’s not The Sauce’s only USP. The app says it’s on a mission to get rid of “dry dating” by offering video profiles, so you feel like you’ve already met someone before you actually do. Profiles feature short video clips so you can see each person’s energy - their voice, their laugh, how they dance - basically all the intangible qualities that build an attraction in real life. 95% of first dates lead to second dates
Download on iOS and Android
POM: to meet fellow music-lovers
Match according to your music tastes: POM stands for Power of Music, and it’s a smart idea. The app uses an emotional algorithm to create a ‘profile’ of users from their imported music library, such as Apple or Spotify. Along with asking you six seemingly random questions, it’ll then collect your data and analyse it, including the type of music you listen to, when you listen to it, your emotional reaction when you listen to music and what it says about your character.
The app was founded by Vihan Patel, 22, who first made the connection between dating and music when he accidentally sent a playlist to the wrong girl at school. After bonding over the playlist, they then went on to date for a couple of years. Could your love story be the next?
Download on iOS and Android
SafeDate: to send your friends your location
After a year in which nighttime safety has been talked about more than ever, SafeDate does what singles have been asking for for years: it makes sure your friends, housemates or family have your back, by sending them your location and alerting them when you get home (it’s not strictly an app itself – you use it alongside your chosen dating app, whether it’s Hinge, Bumble or OKCupid).
Just add your date plans into the app, choose your Safe Mates from your contacts and set a safe time to check-in after your date finishes. Your mates will only get notified if you don’t check-in, so you don’t have to worry about sending them constant notifications.
Download on iOS 
Playdate: to meet other single parents
If you’re one of the 2.9 million single parents currently living in the UK, Playdate wants to be your matchmaker. The app is the first in the country aimed at single parents and wants to help them overcome the challenges of dating when you have children by matching members with others in their area and suggesting child-friendly restaurants, cafes and bars to meet at if the first few dates go well.
The app has also thoughtfully partnered with babysitting app Bubble to provide users with instant childcare solutions - there’s even a special discount for Playdate members.
Download on iOS and Android
String: to hear what your match sounds like
The dating app for voice-note lovers. String launched this year as a way to make dating during self-isolation more personal. Rather than sending strings of robotic one-liners, the app lets you put a voice to your matches’ pictures by sending each other voice-notes. No texting is allowed: you can either react with an emoji or send one back.
For extra audio points, Spotify is now integrated into the app so you can add your favourite song to your profile.
Download on iOS and Google Play Store
Feeld: for exploring your identity
This one’s for singles and couples and it’s more about helping you find your next hookup than anything too serious. You might just find out more your own sexual identity, too – users say Feeld has helped them discover polyamory, meet best friends through threesomes and changed their perceptions of gender forever.
The casual sex up is based on your location and lets you choose from more than 20 sexualities and gender identities to find a partner interested in the same sexual experiences as you. You can also pair profiles with a partner if you’re already in a relationship, or create group chats. Go wild.
Download on iOS and Android
Profoundly: for personality over pictures
Profoundly
Profoundly helps you open a conversation with interesting questions and entertaining icebreakers. Only when you’ve chatted enough will it unlock your match’s photos - the 2021 edition of Blind Date.
It’ll match you with people nearby who have similar interests and lets you send anonymous confessions to Facebook friends so you can finally tell that guy from school you always fancied him.
The app has more than 12 million users and more than 40 million messages are exchanged every day.
Download on iOS and Android
Badoo: to meet anyone
Your pals might tell you everyone’s on Hinge but Badoo is the biggest dating app in the world. The app was launched by Russian tech entrepreneur Andrey Andreev in 2009, three years before Tinder, and it now has more than 500 million customers, operates in 190 countries and is available in 51 different languages.
The app recently launched Private Detector, a safety feature which uses AI to detect the sending of unsolicited dick pics, giving users the choice to either open and view this content, or avoid it altogether. It’s proven to by 98 per cent accurate.
Download on iOS and Android
Friended: to found love on friendship
Friended might be designed for making friends but many of its success stories have turned romantic. “I found my soulmate on this app,” says one happy user. “You guys changed my life. My girlfriend and I would like to thank you for your hard work for it joined us,” says another.
The app works by matching people through fun games, personality quizzes and icebreakers - psychologists say these help create honest one-to-one conversations. Scroll through other users’ thoughts, opinions and interests and once you see someone or something you relate to, you can direct message them and chat more about it.
Download on iOS 
Thursday: to switch off six days a week
Thursday wants to eliminate all the elements of dating that have made it start to feel like a chore: the evenings spent swiping, the conversations fizzling, the admin of planning your week around possible evenings your match might like to go for a drink. After 13 months spent staring at screens, “lockdown has made dating stale”, say co-founders George Rawlings and Matt McNeil Love, listing the reasons for launching their new dating app. Thursday’s solution? Bringing the thrill back - hopefully - by only making the app available for one day a week (yep, you got it).
The app also wants to minimise admin and make dating “proactive” again. All matches and conversation disappear at midnight, so you have to act quickly and be a bit spontaneous if you want to secure a date (to boost safety, members are verified using a passport or driving license and will be booted off the app if they are reported once. Though geography plays a part in suggestions, precise locations are not shared).