Dating App Review – Tinder

Regular readers will know I’ve been a big fan of Tinder since it first launched in England last year, and that the vast majority of my ‘online’ dates have been secured thanks to the app.

As part of my Dating Website and App reviews, I thought I’d kick off with another nice easy one which I know well! So here are my pros and cons of Tinder (a name, which I love by the way.  So subtle and ambiguous that no one minds chatting about it any time, any place!)

Miss Twenty-Nine xxx

Number of Options – 10/10

It feels like every man and his dog is on Tinder! (or should I say every man and his tiger!)  From some of the profile pictures, it also appears not all the options are single!  I’ve seen far too many photos of wedded bliss on Tinder profiles.

All jokes aside, it’s quite hard to run out of options on Tinder … though The Student did manage to break her Tinder one evening!

Serious Contenders – 5/10

Tinder has revolutionised online dating and made admitting to being single and looking acceptable amongst guys.  It’s become an everyday meme, and a source of banter amongst lads.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen boys comment ‘one for Tinder’ on good photos on Facebook.

However this does mean it’s not necessarily an app full of serious relationship prospects.  You just have to flick through some of the photos – erections on buses, nude full frontals, cartoons, guys on the loo, creepy photos clearly taken off the internet – to know a lot of people aren’t taking the app seriously.  And from the volume of sex-based message approaches, it’s clear a large percentage of users are just up for no strings fun, or simply to chat online and never meet up.

There are, however, real genuine guys on the app, and of all the ‘normal’ single guys I know, I would say this is the app or site they are currently most drawn to.

(BTW I am a BIG fan of the comedy messages which pop up when you haven’t talked to someone yet …. Though the cousin one is rather creepy!!)

Ease of Set-Up – 10/10

Set-up barely even takes minutes – one of the reasons men who don’t normally date online have been attracted to the app.  It links up to your Facebook, taking your name and age direct from your Facebook profile, as well as profile photos – however you can change these if you like.

Free Services – 10/10

All functionality is available on the app for free.

Site Layout – N/A

App – 8/10

The app is very simple and easy to use, with two ways to select or bin date options – either pressing the cross / heart, or swiping left and right.  The app does crash on occasion, and can often throw up blank photos – which some of my friends view as ‘danger swipes’, and always say Yes to!

Information about your Date – 4/10

All you really get are Name, Age, Distance away from you, and photos.  People can write one or two lines about themselves, and some people take full advantage of this, however there is no requirement to include any information about yourself, other than the things the app has gathered from your own Facebook account.  It does tell you if you have common interests or friends on Facebook, which can be really useful.

User Verification – 5/10

Whilst the site doesn’t verify the users, there is a requirement to link up to a Facebook account, and if you have mutual friends, this shows up – providing you with a way of verifying who someone is, and finding out more about him or her.  Obviously people can still create fake Facebook accounts, or upload inaccurate photos, however there is some room for checking if you select carefully.

Value for Money (Paid Services) – N/A

Overall Summary

I’ve done the majority of my online dating through Tinder.

It IS massively superficial, relying almost solely on photos and photo selection – however that’s a general reality across all of online dating.  I would say, if you’re not someone who is confident in his or her appearance, that this isn’t the app for you, as you can only chat to someone once you have overcome the hurdle of mutual attraction.

You do have to be quite savvy on the app, as there are lots of people using it, with very different intentions, however I’ve met at least ten dates on Tinder, and all were genuinely nice, normal guys, who far exceeded the type of men you find at singles events.  Tinder has done well – making online dating socially acceptable, and a fun, talked about aspect of life in 2014.

I have found that recently people seem to be using it less – a lot of the profiles you come across haven’t been accessed for some time, and a lot of people will match with you, and then not speak to you – as if all they want to know is how many girls find them attractive – but I do think it’s something worth downloading, and at its worst, it’s a fun distraction if you have half an hour to kill on a train or in a waiting room!