Dating Apps You Will Actually Want To Use In 2024

Dating Apps You Will Actually Want To Use In 2024, From Bumble To HER 

From the standard ‘swipe right’ apps, to personalised platforms that match you with likeminded farm fanatics. 

Let’s face it, online dating is a bit of a minefield, no matter whether you’re newly single, prefer to meet someone in a bar rather than them sliding into your DMs, on the search for a short-term romance or a long-term relationship.

The pandemic made dating less accessible, but as the world has reclaimed freedom following a lockdown-stricken world, there's more opportunity to start over again, pick up where you left of and feel comfortable reaching out to people, as a way of forming deep connections, finding love and fostering healthy relationships.

There’s a lot of choice when it comes to navigating the dating app pool and, as we all know, finding romance is a bit more complicated than a simple swiping right (or left) of the thumb on Tinder. Now you have to construct witty profiles on Hinge or make the first move on the app Pickable. There’s one for country-lovers, one for creatives and there’s even exclusive apps for A-listers (which prove more difficult to get on that finding love itself). But not all apps are exclusive to romantic matches with platforms like Bumble having a business buddy and BFF networking feature to boot.

According to Bumble's latest research, 2024 is set to be the year of 'self' in dating, with more than half (57%) of women surveyed (25,000) going into the new year with a clear view of what they want from their romantic lives. After all, it's better to do the work on yourself first and figure out what's right for you before getting into a relationship, right?

Dating apps are a bit of a necessary evil, for those of you who struggle to find the time to meet someone IRL. Like most things in life, it’s not one-size-fits-all. Tinder might be a bit old school, but thankfully, there’s plenty more fish in the sea when it comes to dating apps (and love, we hope).

Here are the best dating apps in 2024 you need to download:

1. Original Dating 👉Apps link

If you're looking for something a little bit different from a dating app which actually                guarantees that you'll meet people in real life, then the Original Dating app may just be for

you. Unlike its competitors, this app focuses on virtual and in-person speed dating events and parties, where attendees can expect to meet 15-20 people per event. Simply sign up to the app, register for events (entry starts at £10) and allow the app to do the rest of the match-making work for you.

2. Plenty Of Fish 👉Apps link 

As we're faced with more and more dating apps, it can be difficult to decipher which ones are worth investing money into. A major plus of Plenty Of Fish is it allow users to message any and everybody on the app without matching or subscribing, making it the place to be for those who want to chat with others users without the usual added costs. 

3. Elate 👉Apps link

Dubbed as the ‘anti-ghosting dating app’, Elate was launched in response to research that showed ghosting is the number one thing people hate about dating apps. It allows you to connect with three people in the hope of building strong and genuine connections, rather than amassing a list of potential matches you never speak to. If somebody you’re speaking to has moved on to somebody else, Elate will send you a friendly message letting you know, meaning you’ll hopefully never be in doubt.

4. Snack 👉Apps link

Best described as an amalgam of Tinder mixed with TikTok, video-based dating app Snack has introduced a feature designed to weed out serial ghosters. It works by ‘deprioritising’ profiles belonging to users with a poor track record. ‘Singles get reported when they ghost too frequently, so the more you ghost, the less your profile gets seen,’ Snack explains.

best dating apps to download now 2024 

5. Lex  👉Apps link

Lex pulls on the history of queer personal ads and, as such, uses the tagline ‘text first, selfies second.’ Users get a 34-character heading and a 300-character body, with the option to link to an Instagram profile. The entire thing is based on the Instagram account @personals, which posts text-based, user-submitted modern-day personal ads to its feed.

best dating apps to download now 2024 GETTY IMAGES//GETTY IMAGES

6. Open 👉Apps link

As its name suggests, #Open is an app built on the concept of non-monogamous dating. For anybody who’s into polyamory, ENM or who just prefers to approach their love life with an #Open mindset, this app’s for you. The paid version of the app allows users to see who likes you first, gives you 15 Sparks a month to send to the ones who really catch your eye, and allows you to swipe using power grid access, where you can view multiple likes at a time. Oh, and they also host IRL community meet-ups, meaning you can meet your potential future lovers in-person too.

best dating apps to download now 2024

7. Raw 👉Apps link

Meet the BeReal of the dating world. Designed to recreate the feeling of seeing somebody for the first time, Raw enables users to take ‘unfiltered’ pictures to connect with potential matches. It will be these ‘Raw-thentic’ images that people swipe on, rather than a curated selection of other photographs you may have spent time gathering and honing.

‘We’ve had enough of fakes, filters, and ghosting. That’s why we brought back what matters most in dating: love. Rather than relying on carefully curated and potentially misleading photos, we ask users to post daily back and front camera photos,’ says Raw co-founder Marina Anderson.

dating apps.

8. Tinder Uni 👉Apps link

Launched in October 2022, Tinder Uni has arrived to transform the dating scene on campus. The app is different to Tinder insofar as it only enables current students to access the feature by verifying members through a user's university email address. '2022 is a record year for students going to university and with nearly three quarters of 18-25 year olds saying that they’re ready to mingle, it makes Tinder Uni the must-have partner this semester,' says Laura Wilkinson-Rea, Senior Director of Comms, UK at Tinder.

best dating appsTAPDAT

9.TapDat 👉Apps link

Before you eye roll at its name, hear us out for a second. TapDat unapologetically launched earlier this year as a pro sex hook-up app focussing on honesty, communication and consent. 'TapDat is on a mission to break down barriers, remove stigmas and make casual sex safer than ever,' reads its press release.

TapDat is free to use and works to provide users a safe space to connect with like-minded people who are looking to enjoy themselves.

When you sign up, you're shown a grid of people to connect with and can choose to view their profile to find out more about them, from their age, body type, and relationship status to kinks, interests, and even information on when they last tested for sexually transmitted infections.