Best and worst of dating apps: Advice from a serial swiper

I spend 90% of my time at the office, at home, or in traffic, so the chances of meeting someone organically in person are slim.

Approaching Valentine's Day, I made dinner plans with my dad. Then it dawned on me: my soul mate would probably not randomly fall through the ceiling, and I would have to put myself out there if I wanted to meet someone.

Thus, I decided to go back to dating apps.

Starting is intimidating, but it's not my first rodeo - I have some hilariously horrific stories to tell - so I have learnt how to approach it.

Here's what to expect from Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, and a few of my personal stories to round off this comprehensive review.

TINDER

When it comes to dating apps, Tinder is usually everyone’s first stop. It is the blueprint for the swipe-right dating formula that seems to have taken over modern-day digital dating.

Over the years, I have downloaded Tinder several times when I want to get an idea of what’s out there.

Pros:

Tinder is, in my opinion, the most convenient of the apps. Within 10 minutes of deciding you want to have a look, you can find yourself swiping left and right.

Setting up your profile takes minimal effort, and you can decide whether someone is a 'yes' or a 'no' almost instantly.

Tinder is the most popular dating app with the most variety, so finding a match is almost guaranteed, which means you can sit and swipe away until something sticks.

Cons:

With Tinder profiles requiring very little effort to set up, some people put very little effort into their profiles, not ideal for finding love.

On Tinder, you don’t have to be too specific about what you are looking for, which may lead to mismatches.

I once connected with a man who revealed, after a few days of talking, that he was looking for a surrogate - he thought I looked like I’d carry well! I did not stick around long enough to see if he meant that as a compliment.

Final judgement:

If you are just looking to chat and meet up with someone, Tinder will give you options.

However, if you are looking for love you might have to sift through a lot of weird interactions and unsavoury messages to find it.

Overall, I’d say it is great for beating boredom, and seeing what the options are if you are not 100% sure what you want.

BUMBLE

Bumble appears to shift the norms of online dating, by letting women make the first move where that expectation is usually on men.

For many women, this also saves them from unsavoury opening messages.

On Bumble, only women can send the first message and make the first move. For people of the same gender, either one can start the conversation.

Once you match, you have 24 hours to start a conversation or the match expires, so it does encourage you to swipe with purpose.

Pros:

Bumble encourages women to take charge, which can be a refreshing change of pace.

Sending the first message can be intimidating, but luckily it offers you prompts and games to get the ball rolling. However, I found matches to be more receptive to a personalised first message.

Even a very basic Bumble profile will have more detail than most Tinder ones, so you get a better idea of what you are getting into.

Bumble also gives you the option to compliment a person’s profile which can convey a more genuine interest than simply swiping.

Cons:

I find the app is a bit too rigid. With one person responsible for messaging first, and only 24 hours to start a conversation, it can be a lot of pressure.

You also have a limited number of likes that take 24 hours to refresh, so your chances of matching with people are slightly reduced.

You might have a better chance of finding a real connection on Bumble than on Tinder, but you have to be prepared for a more restrictive dating structure.

Also, Bumble seems to be better suited to heterosexual connections, so if you are like me and want to meet men and women, you might have better luck with a different app.

HINGE

Hinge boasts that it is an app designed to be deleted; it wants you to find love when you use it.

Your profile is detailed - mine took about 30 minutes to set up - and digs into everything important for starting a relationship.

Pros:

Hinge breaks away from the mindless swiping of standard dating apps by letting you see someone’s full profile before you make a choice. It feels a little less superficial than other apps.

To increase the chances of a match, it also allows you to see everyone who likes you, which can be quite reassuring.

When you have a few potential matches and conversations, the app will send you prompts to focus on those rather than continuing to swipe.

Cons:

You need to know what you are looking for otherwise the app can be frustrating.

Your likes are limited per day, and you get one rose (which supposedly increases your chance of a match) per week.

Final judgement:

This app does everything it can to try and lead to the perfect match, but it will constantly tempt you to subscribe for more benefits.

It is great if you are taking your online dating seriously, but I find it is not as “fun” to use as the others, probably because that is not the point.

Even though this app is supposed to help you find 'The One', I still had some very weird experiences, including a match saying they are already in a relationship but 'my friend thinks you’re cute', and people desperately hunting for a 'unicorn’ for their relationship (surely there is an app for that?).

If you want to try your hand at online dating, there is something for everyone. The trick is to know what you want and go all in on that.

Whether you want some fun, in which case I recommend Tinder, True Love (see Hinge), or something in the middle (like Bumble), be authentic about what you want and the apps will help with the rest.