Oftentimes, we find ourselves lacking the courage and confidence required to befriend a stranger; especially when we have amorous feelings towards them. Extroverted people may still have it easy but the rest of us get twitchy even at the thought of approaching someone. But now, there’s a solution to this problem, and that is, mobile apps for hooking up! Whether you’re in search of a one-nighter, or wish to go on a casual date, or are looking for a more fulfilling tryst, our list of 15 quality hookup apps will surely act as the initial stepping stone in finding yourself a partner.
13 Best Hookup Apps For Android & iOS
1. Tinder
Launched in 2012, Tinder was one of the first location-based apps to appear in the online dating microcosm and we’re pretty sure that it isn’t alien to you. It’s most outstanding feature, “swiping”, gained momentum so quickly that some people from the Generation X are also aware of it. “Swiping” basically refers to the act of rejecting (swiping left) or liking (swiping right) a potential match chiefly on basis of their photos. This actually makes things a lot easier because you don’t have to spend your energy poring over tons of profiles on a single page. When someone swipes right on you in return, it turns into a match post which you can begin a conversation. Since you can only log-in via Facebook, it also shows whether you and your potential match have any mutual connections. Tinder also let’s you integrate your Instagram account so users can get to know you better. If you want to read more about this app, then you should check our Tinder app review. The app has paid subscriptions called Tinder Gold and Tinder Plus which offer additional benefits such as Super likes, Rewing, Tinder Boost and Unlimited swipes. If you don’t need these, you can use the app for free. Though the app primarily serves as a dating/hookup app, its uses are now multifarious, including business networking and friendship. Also check out how you can use tinder without Facebook.
2. Bumble
Bumble is another location-based dating app which quite interestingly, was founded by Whitney Wolfe, soon after she co-founded and departed from Tinder. Similar to Tinder, Bumble requires you to be registered on Facebook in order to create an account. You then have to upload your photos and add details such as your current workplace/job role/college. Features include “Backtrack” which is practically the same as “Rewind” from Tinder, enabling you to undo an unintended left swipe. Bumble also has a unique feature known as the BFF mode under which, you can seek platonic relationships (friendships) with same-sex users. While Bumble works just like majority of the dating apps, it sets itself apart in that, only women can initiate a conversation with their male-matches in case of heterosexual swipes. Girl power! So fellas, stay on your toes as the matches would disappear if you don’t respond within a 24-hour time period. While the app is free to download, you can avail a paid subscription called “Bumble Boost” for added features such as “Busy Bee”, “Rematch”, and “Beeline”. You may also like these best hookup sites.
3. Happn
How many times does it “happn” that you bump into your crush or a total stranger and wish that you could somehow get their digits to take things further? That sinking feeling that you might never get to see them again, its terrible isn’t it? Well, Happn is an unusual dating app which actually let’s you connect with someone you’ve already rubbed eyeballs with. How it works it that the app will track your location throughout the day and show profiles of potential matches who you’ve crossed paths with (within 250 meters) at some point in the day. It’ll also display the number of times you’ve unknowingly encountered the person over a period of time. Rules of chatting are quite similar to the two aforementioned apps. You can like or dislike a profile and begin chatting only once your “like” has been reciprocated by a prospective match. However, if you wish to bend the rules, you can do so by getting “Charm coins” which can be purchased from within the app. These coins will help you let your potential match know that you’re interested in them. Setting up a profile is easy and can be done via a Facebook account. Aside from dandy integrations such as Facebook and Instagram, Happn went a step ahead and partnered with Spotify to allow users to understand each other’s taste in music. You can also add your interests, profession, and what you’d like to do on a date, on your profile. Check out our Happn review to know more about this app. You may also like best music downloaders for Android.
4. Coffee Meets Bagel
Commonly abbreviated as CMB, this app too totes on Facebook for account registration and is mainly targeted at professionals. Unlike the apps which work on a quick “like” or “dislike” type concept, Coffee Meets Bagel gives one profile suggestion a day (in the form of a “bagel”). But this has its own set of cons as well. The bagel that you receive may not be in alignment with your preferences or interests. Also, they may be miles away from you. To boot, the one bagel a day concept could prove to be frustrating in the long run, especially if you’re an active user. But don’t worry, you can skirt around this issue by availing the “give & take” feature, by earning 385 beans. Much like Bumble, the app only permits females to make the first move. However, the rules differ if you’re part of the LGBT community. You’ll have 24 hours to either accept or nix your bagel after a careful scrutiny of their profile. Once you have a match, you’ll get 8 days to chat before you decide to meet in person. After that, your chat window will no longer remain active; irrespective of whether you strike a conversation or not. This rule sort of encourages you to meet the person face-to-face instead of keeping them on the hook that eventually results in a futile connection. CMB has a very useful feature to help users break the ice, i.e. it contains pre-curated questions that one can answer and add to their profile. That said, one major drawback is that you’ll be asked to give a reason for passing up on a profile. That means, if you disliked on basis of their looks, the person will be notified with “unattractive” as the reason for rejection, deeming you shallow.
5. Grindr & Blendr
You’re probably wondering why we’ve clubbed two apps under one. Well, that’s because they both founded by the same person, Mr. Joel Simkhai. Grindr was created back in 2009, specially for gay and bisexual men who’re looking to meet other men in their locality. Being first of its kind, the app garnered massive attention and within just a few years amassed close to 2.4 million users per day, across the globe. Although it is largely a free app, it does offer a paid subscription called “Grindr Xtra”. With this plan, you can get additional features such as no advertisements, up to 300 profiles, unlimited user blocking, and quick swipes. You can even add specific preferences in terms of height, weight, body type, age, and ethnicity. While Grindr has been greatly acclaimed for enabling gay men to mingle, it has also been in controversy for serving as a passage to solicit drugs. Since Grindr went onto becoming so successful, the founder launched Blendr, which is an app mimicking Grindr’s modus operandi; only, it caters to all segments of the society, especially heterosexuals. The app encourages like-minded people in the same area to connect for various purposes, be it for discussing your hobbies, interests, or even business. And of course, you may also seek casual relationships if you so wish.
6. Her
HER is yet another dating app with a difference. It is mostly aimed at lesbians, bisexuals, pansexuals, and eccentric females. The app works as a hybrid platform, serving as a means to both, social networking and dating which is quite refreshing from the otherwise “hookup or buzz off” kind of concept. The design is very minimalistic with even the profiles containing only the essential information. The profiles are shown in a collage-like format with clear pictures, unlike most other apps. This has its downside in that it doesn’t allow you to focus on one profile at a time. However, it saves you the time taken to swipe each profile, so you can quickly select who you wish to connect with. Our only complain with the app is its interface. Users have reported a multitude of issues such as a message being sent multiple times, lack of an “interests” section, inaccurate location tagging, displaying profiles of trans-men, etc. HER as an idea is brilliant but it still has a lot of room for improvement as far as functionality goes.
7. Just Be Wild
If you want a no-nonsense app that promotes cutting to the chase and keeps things transparent from the very beginning, check this app out. “Wild”, as the name suggests, is mainly focused on providing a medium for singles seeking a relationship with no strings attached. However, you can also find something serious if you get lucky. You can also set your selection preferences using filters like intention, age, location, interests, ethnicity, height, and body type. It currently has over 65% users whose photos are verified so chances of encountering bots become far lesser. Unlike Grindr or HER, Wild caters to everyone irrespective of their sexual orientation. All the good stuff aside, you’ve got to pay a hefty $20.99/month if you wish to get the extra features, including advanced filters, unlimited swipes, and the ability to see who liked your profile before even matching. If you’re wondering how the app works, it works exactly like Tinder or say, Bumble; except it has received a lot more positive reviews in comparison.
8. OKCupid
Well, most of us have at least one friend who is always trying to set us up on a date; this friend is basically your cupid. OKCupid is basically the digital version of that kind of friend. The app looks for your potential match based on factors such as your lifestyle, shared interests, religion, location, etc. In fact, you even get to answer a few pre-selected questions while creating a profile and also pick options that you’d ideally want your partner to pick. This will aid in gauging compatibility. What’s more? OKCupid can be accessed independent of a Facebook account. Finally, an app that gives you the freedom of creating a detailed profile with your own unique user name. However, you can link it to your Facebook and/or Instagram account if you wish to do so. Also, if you think that filling in these details is too time-consuming, you may simply tap on “Quickmatch”, a feature that enables users to select profiles based only on photos. While most interface-related aspects can be compared to that of Tinder, OKCupid still has a lot to work to do. There are some major bugs; for example – when you exit to go back to the main page with all the profiles listed, it will take you back to the very top. Also, while a detailed profile is nice, it also means that you’ll have to do a lot of scrolling. Lastly, there’s no restriction on who can message you given that Facebook authentication is not required, so beware of creeps. Check out our OkCupid Review to know more about this hookup app.
9. Pure
Pure is another dating app that does not want you to find a partner purely based on their physical appearance. Instead, the app pushes you to build a connection based on your likes and dislikes. “Pure” was created to help people connect in a time-restricted manner, somewhat similar to Bumble and CMB. You have to create a profile along with your photo to which fellow users will reciprocate with either “interested” or “not interested”. If there’s a mutual acceptance of profiles, you can begin chatting. But here’s the catch –all the correspondence, including messages and attachments, will vanish an hour after you match. In fact, even your photo and profile will disappear from the platform. If you wish to go back and chat with your match, you’ll have to recreate your profile. Why you ask? Well, Pure’s creators are greatly concerned about safety and security. They believe that with a system such as this, users can be rest assured that none of their personal data will ever be at the risk of being exposed. It is also beneficial in that it builds up the pressure to take an action sooner instead of delaying the face-to-face meet. Check out our Pure review to know more about this hookup app.
10. Hinge
If you’ve always been apprehensive of talking to complete strangers online, Hinge is a great place to start. The app entirely banks on your Facebook friends list for the purpose of suggesting potential matches. In other words, it’ll pull up profiles of friends of friends who share common interests. This means that the person you connect with is indirectly a part of your social circle. So as far as safety is concerned, you’re good! On the surface, Hinge looks like a Tinder clone. However, in reality, it is far more superior by virtue of features such as asking a bunch of questions to users while creating a profile. But there’s a difference. Instead of typing a drab paragraph in a text box, Hinge displays questions in a flash-card format that you either have to swipe right or left, just like you would on someone’s profile. We must admit, this make it a lot more fun! Once you get a match and genuinely feel attracted to him/her or develop a certain liking for the person, you can go ahead and dig up all the information you want from your “mutual friend”. Moreover, since your match is more likely to be an acquaintance, it is very unlikely that you’ll encounter vulgar pictures or annoying creeps. Here’s the big caveat – Hinge is a platform that is better known for finding more meaningful connections. So if you’re just looking to get laid, you may be out of luck. That said, you can still specify your intention on your bio to avoid any disappointments.
11. Plenty of Fish
In case you’re unaware, Plenty of Fish, aka POF, has the same ownership as that of apps such as Tinder, OKCupid, and Match.com. All the apps we just mentioned are running quite successfully; so one thing is for sure, POF guarantees quality. While it works the same way as almost every other dating app there is, a feature that stood out for us is that POF allows you see your matches and message them for free. Unfortunately, this is valid for a limited time-period of 30 days after which users will need to subscribe to a paid plan. POF offers a 3-month subscription at $38.99, a 6-month subscription at $59.99, and an annual subscription at $89.99. These sums aren’t little! Hence, we’d suggest that you first test the app using the free version/trial period and then upgrade only if you like the experience. Although POF is mostly awesome, users do have a few grouses with regards to the app’s profile filtering algorithm. Many of them have reported to have been matched with fake profiles or scammers, rendering the app useless.
12. SKOUT
Launched as far back as in 2009, SKOUT is considered to be one of the first dating apps to labor the point of user location. Though it may not be as popular as Tinder or Happn, it has made it to this list for having possessing exclusive features. You can purchase and send virtual gifts, see who checked out your profile, save your favorite users, and receive updates from potential matches nearby you. Moreover, SKOUT can be accessed by teens but the good thing is that its teen and adult audiences are separated. What’s more? The app is available in about 180 nations, in over 16 different languages! There are additional premium features such as the “Travel option” or “Shake to Chat”. However, these can only be unlocked with a paid subscription. You may either opt for a monthly plan, priced at $9.99, or a three-month plan, priced at $24.99, or simply pay up $24.99 at once for an entire year. If you’re looking for something different, definitely give SKOUT a try.
13. Whiplr
For all the kinky people out there, Whiplr can be your top pick as it is primarily aimed at users who wish to let their deepest desires come to the surface (think: 50 Shades of Grey). We’re referring to fetishes; and yes, there’s absolutely nothing wrong to have one, or more. Unfortunately, Whiplr has often been labeled as the “Tinder for Debauchees” but don’t worry, its a lot more than just that. Almost every app on this list involves swiping right/left, waiting for a match, hoping to communicate, and finally meeting the person. But on Whiplr, you get to explore your sexuality mainly through the in-built messenger because such fantasies don’t call for real-life meetings. There’s no pressure of meeting someone so you don’t have to worry about any of it occurring for real. Fetish websites, clubs, and events have been around for a while now. Why not try something new that ensures greater safety, security and convenience? The only disappointment is that similar to most other apps, Whiplr too has in-app purchases for extra features Download Whilpr APK (Official Website) To Conclude: The present generation wants more for less. These apps for hooking up provide for a quick and easy method of finding new partners or building new connections to suit different needs. You can download one or more of these apps and continue with whichever you like the most. You can check more best apps for different purposes on our blog Dreamy Tricks. As stated earlier, most of them have in-app purchases for accessing premium features. While that can be annoying for some, its important to remember that there are no free lunches. Also, while we hope that you have fun using these apps, beware of bots and fake profiles as they’re present in almost every dating app. Happy swiping!
