The best dating apps for iPhone

Dating is a very important social event that practically every human being experiences, or at least hopes to experience, at least once in his or her lifetime. It is also incredibly difficult to meet people after the age of 18 when your social circles are blown away with your graduation caps. Those in their early 20s can still survive the dating game, but it doesn’t take long for our social options to dwindle.

Luckily, in the age of technology, it is easier than it was a decade ago to find that special someone. Whether you are looking for your life partner, want to send sweet nothings to your current love interest, or just want to hook up, we’ve got a list of what we think are the best dating apps for iPhone…

Tinder

Tinder may be the most popular dating service in the App Store right now. It took off like wildfire shortly after it launched and now boasts millions of users across the world. Users find dating matches by location instead of interests. It started out as a great way to meet up for a quick romp in the sheets, but has quickly gained a reputation for being a way to connect with people in real life that you may already know through friends via Facebook. It’s still a great way to hook up, but it can also lead to long lasting relationships. This app is available for free.

Match.com

This dating service is huge, probably the largest in the country. You will almost definitely find someone for you with the many millions of users on match.com. This site builds possible connections by matching you with others who have similar interests. Once you find someone that fits the bill, you can send a “wink” to begin a correspondence. You can chat with potential dates, look at photos of matches, and even find people nearby that you might want to meet. This app is available for free.

HowAboutWe Dating

Sometimes, you just want to do something specific and wish you knew someone else who wanted to do the same. With this app, you can find that person by posting a date idea. Maybe you want a companion to see the latest rom-com. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try ice-skating and want a friendly tutor to show you how. Post your idea, “How about we…” and see who else is interested. This app is available for free.

eHarmony

For those who are looking for a serious relationship that will potentially lead to marriage, this is the service for you. My mom met her second husband using this service and she has been married for 10 years now. Similar to Match.com, users are connected to others based on compatible interests. Finding your soul mate could be as easy as entering a list of your favorite movies. Once you’ve filled out an in-depth questionnaire, the wedding bells will be ringing. This app is available for free.

OkCupid

From my personal experience, OKCupid was the first dating service that made dating services cool. I have many 20-something and 30-something friends who have successfully found all manner of dating companions from this service. After building your profile, send your face and personality out into the world and see who likes you. If you see someone with a cool profile, like them back. After that, it’s up to you how far you take things. You can chat in-app, filter match options, and see what people think of you without getting caught. This app is available for free.

Let’s Date: Fun & Easy Social Dating

This iOS dating service takes a page or two from Tinder by allowing users to approve or remove potential dates with just a swipe. It also requires that you have a Facebook account with at least 50 friends for a year. So, it is quite a bit harder to make up your online persona just to be a jerk on a date. Once two people approve of each other anonymously, Let’s Date will notify both parties involved and even suggest a safe place to meet for the upcoming rendezvous. This app is available for free.

Coffee Meets Bagel

I can’t count the number of times my single friends have asked me if I have any other single friends that they would be interested in. When on the spot, I can never think of anyone. This app makes it possible for my single friends to dig through my contacts in order to meet up. That is, users log in through Facebook and the app lists friends of friends that also use the service. If your old high school buddy is an acquaintance of a pretty single woman he forgot he knew, you’ll be able to ask her on a date and your mutual friend can be the conversation starter. This app is available for free.

Pure

This is one of those dating services that seem to be dedicated to the great hook-up. In today’s world, a one-night stand is more common than it used to be and services like Pure help facilitate that kind of meeting. If you want to meet up with someone in your area, post your request. The request will be visible to other users for one hour. If someone in the area likes where you are headed, you will be connected via chat and be able to arrange the location with no fuss or muss. This app is available for free.

Twine

Most dating services allow you to remain anonymous until you find someone you are interested in. This service allows you to remain anonymous while you are getting to know someone and you are the one who chooses whether to reveal your identity to your suitor. The app also makes conversation starting easier with the “ICE Breaker” feature, which suggests topics that it recognizes as a common interest between two parties. This app is available for free.