Love is an inevitable part of our daily lives and if there is something the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us, it is that love has gone technological. There is no barrier to when and where you can meet your Mr. Right.
Most of us at some point, were or are still looking for companionship – or at least momentary closeness since we all want to feel loved. The beauty of technology, however, is that you don’t need to go far and wide to meet the right person of your dream, all you need to do is to get yourself on the right sites or apps.
I will be giving a list of safe dating apps you can use to connect to real people, irrespective of the sex or location.
- Badoo
Badoo is a dating app that shows those who live and work near you. You can find people through different criteria, including age, location and gender. Badoo offers you the opportunity to chat with people nearby and you can also view their pictures.
The app also has an ‘Encounters’ feature, that allows you to swipe through different people’s photos and either say yes or no. If there’s a mutual yes, then both users receive a notification.
Based on the British Broadcasting Corporation report in 2015, Badoo app was the most downloaded dating app in Nigeria.
Badoo is available for both android and apple users.
- Tinder
Tinder is a location-based dating application available worldwide.
The app is very simple, it displays pictures of those around you and do the swiping thing as well, just like on Baddo. When there is a match, Tinder would notify you and you can then begin to send messages to one another.
Tinder is also available for both android and apple users. this app is perfect for you if you like to keep things simple.
- Zoosk
Zoosk is an international dating app that has a user base of over 26 million as of December 2014. The app is available in 25 languages and in more than 80 countries.
Zooks has features such as “behavioral matchmaking engine” that uses a smart algorithm to identify users’ behaviours, and it matches users according to patterns of behavior to help produce more accurate matches.
Zooks also has another feature called “photo verification service” that aims to ensure that users are not using photos that show them in a flattering light, ensuring that fake profiles are not uploaded.
Arguably, Facebook might not be a dating site as such; but obviously Facebook has been a great dating tool for many, and many testimonies as have been recorded of how some many have found their ‘LOML’ on it.
In fact, Reuters reported that as of June 2014, Facebook had 15 million monthly active users in Nigeria. This is a good number, compared to the 90 million internet users in Nigeria as at then.
However, each day, more and more Nigerians are joining Facebook and using it for sharing content, talking with friends and dating of course.
- Okcupid.com
Okcupid is an international dating app that matches you with who you say you want. So while filling in your profile, you get to select the type of profiles you want to see.
You must have specified what kind of relationship or buddy you are looking to get while registering on Okcupid; either friendship or long term relationship, gender, and sexual orientation.
OkCupid features multi-choice questions just to ensure that you get the right match on its platform.
- Trueflutter.com
This particular platform is peculiar for its audio feature. It’s audio bio helps you know how a person sounds and what they like even before you connect with them. It helps you filter the type of people you want.
Trueflutter helps you know the height, educational level, interests, nationality, and even the availability of users before you try to connect with them. It also has features that help you select and decide who sees you.
- Bumble.com
Bumble app is safe and really good for women. if you as a woman love to make the first move, then Bumble is for you. You get to chose who connects with you by reaching out first to the person.
Bumble has the display feature that brings the profile of potential matches to your display and you get to swipe left if you are not interested and right if you are interested.
Unlike most other apps, rather than making you pick a gender, Bumble asks what you identify as.
- Match.com
Match.com allows users to set up their online profiles, upload some of their pictures and do some online flirting with “winks”.
Users can have new matches delivered to them on a daily basis. it also has comprehensive features like the ability to view who has seen your profile and liked your pictures, although this can only be unlocked by Match.com subscribers.
Match.com also has a Voice and video snippets on profile which also makes it peculiar.
The dating app also has a phone-based service, called Ask Match, that brings you in touch with a dating coach for advice.
- Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish is one of the most popular dating platforms. it allows you to join and message for free. However, to be able to access the advanced features, you might have to pay a certain amount depending on the type of subscription.
The dating app has more inclination towards a relationship emphasized dating, i.e., the bios in it are much more in-depth. So, if you are looking to be in a serious long term relationship, then Plenty of Fish is the best place for you. Also, the app interface is very clean and simple to use.
It is available for both android and apple users.
- eHarmony
eHarmony is a long time player in online dating, and is even the first service to push an algorithmic system for giving its users the best dating experience.
When you create an account as a user, you have to traverse through a “Relationship Questionnaire” which is for generating a personality profile. This profile aids in matching the users.
eHarmony serves you a selection of matches daily, giving you an option to connect if your interest is mutual.
These platforms have been carefully selected so feel free to explore.
Make sure to do a background check before you go on a date, to ensure that you are not falling into the wrong hands. You could make use of the NAPTIP website.
In Nigeria, The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has created a website where you can do a background check of sexual offenders as well as report them.
Happy dating, may your sweet desires be met!
