The 7 best dating apps in 2022

Android is full of great apps to help you with just about anything, and dating is no exception. Dating apps have come a long way since their earliest incarnations. Although swipe matching is still the norm, many offer additional features such as quizzes, chat rooms or video calls. Some even remove the swipe, offering other ways to indicate interest. Either way, dating is basically in the palm of your hand.

Whether you’re looking for something casual or a serious relationship, there’s a dating app to suit your needs. However, it is worth trying two or three at a time to find the one that works best for you. We’ve saved you the search by rounding up the best dating apps for Android, so you’ve got

OkCupid

OkCupid is a great choice if you’ve just entered the world of dating apps. While most other apps encourage serious or casual relationships, OkCupid feels like a middle ground between the two. Rather than sending you random people until something clicks, it will ask you a series of questions and try to find matches based on your answers. It’s still great for casual encounters, but there’s enough depth for something more.

While OkCupid’s swiping system encourages quick judgments rather than deep thinking, you’re more likely to meet someone with similar interests than apps like Bumble or Tinder. Unfortunately, although it’s free, it locks the best features behind a subscription fee; don’t be surprised if you don’t find success with the free version.

Clover

Clover does not present itself as a dating app; instead, it’s a “singles app”. Clover wants you to find new friends while looking for a date. It includes features that seem more at home on Instagram than a dating app, like live streaming, group chats, and events.

People who like to go out in person to meet a potential date will love what Clover offers. While swipe to match is still a feature, the social aspects of the app add a bit of variety to the experience. However, it has a smaller user base than other dating apps, so it may work better with another app.

eHarmony

While apps like Tinder and Grindr pioneered the modern dating app, eHarmony has been in the online dating industry for over 20 years. Rather than casual relationships or online mixers, eHarmony’s mission is to build genuine relationships. Although his claims that he has the most advanced matching system are difficult to verify, it is true that he puts a lot of effort into finding compatible people.

eHarmony kicks you off with its compatibility quiz, which is the heart of its matching system. You’ll receive a personalized personality profile, which can help you learn more about your character to spot similar traits in others. Profiles are more detailed than you’ll find on other apps, so you’ll waste less time guessing if someone is a match for you.

Coffee meets bagel

Coffee Meets Bagel is similar to casual dating apps like Bumble, but with a unique twist. Every day at noon, Coffee Meets Bagel will send men a curated group of matches based on their profiles. At the same time, women receive a group of matches that have shown interest in them. It is only when they respond in kind that a match is established. By eliminating the swiping experience from the equation, Coffee Meets Bagels offers a targeted approach to dating.

However, while this unique system is useful, it doesn’t do anything revolutionary beyond that. A 7-day chat limit to encourage dates is nice, and detailed profiles are helpful, but it won’t drastically change the game for you.

Bumblebee

Bumble is similar to Clover in that it presents itself as more than just a dating app. There are three distinct modes for Bumble, Dating, Friends, and Business. The latter two seem more gimmicky than anything else, but its encounter mode offers some unique features that help it stand out from the crowd. For heterosexual matches, women must start the conversation within 24 hours and men must respond within 24 hours to establish a match. For other matches, it just depends on who starts the conversation.

Beyond that, Bumble isn’t much different from Tinder. Although it tries to be more than a dating app, you’ll find that casual dating is the norm here. If it suits you, it should be your first choice, especially if you are a woman.

Hinge

Hinge’s tagline, “Designed to be deleted,” is catchy, albeit ambitious. His goal is to help people find genuine matches, so if you’re only interested in casual dating, give him a pass. Like many dating apps, it offers a questionnaire to fill out your profile, but it’s more in-depth than others. Hinge will ask you questions about religion, politics, and future plans, so you can quickly resolve those awkward questions.

One of the best features of Hinge is its matching system. Rather than swiping, you’ll like or comment on a specific part of someone’s profile. It helps to start conversations with mutual interest.

tinder

Tinder is one of the original dating apps, following the methods pioneered by Grindr. There are no thoughtful quizzes or complex algorithms here; instead, you are presented with a list of potential partners one at a time. The only way to match is with a generic Like, which, while simple, makes starting conversations a bit awkward. There’s also little incentive for detailed profiles, so you might have a hard time figuring out if someone is a good match.

However, while Tinder has some significant downsides, it’s simple to use and has one of the largest user bases of any dating app. Just be aware that using it can be frustrating at times and its incessant advertising of subscription levels can get annoying.

Find the dating app that’s right for you

The most important thing when using a dating app is to set your expectations before you dive in. While apps like Hinge or eHarmony encourage genuine connections over casual matches, you’ll only benefit from these extra features by knowing what you’re looking for. The world of dating apps can be stressful and humiliating, but a little self-awareness goes a long way.