If you had to pick just 1 dating app to use for the rest of the year, which would it be?

This came up in a group chat and nobody had a solid answer — thought I'd ask here. Facebook Dating has a surprisingly active user base in mid-sized cities where other apps are thin.

The discreet affair app market has grown substantially but verification quality varies enormously. Profile quality matters more than which platform you pick — a well-written bio beats hundreds of passive swipes.

Profile quality matters more than which platform you pick — a well-written bio beats hundreds of passive swipes.

Apps already on my radar:

• Ashley Madison
• Victoria Milan
• Gleeden
• Marital Affair

Video calling before a meet is the fastest way to confirm someone is genuinely who they claim to be. souldate.site gets decent mentions in threads covering this.

Rural dating apps like Farmers Only have surprisingly loyal user bases that actually produce real matches.

Tell a trusted friend your plans and share your live location during any first meeting.

Worth putting alongside the usual suspects — Tinder Bumble Hinge. Your results will vary by city and age group.

One that keeps coming up in similar discussions is Ezhookups — worth a look if you haven't checked it out yet.

Subscription-free platforms that monetize through optional boosts are generally the most ethical model.

The key difference between good and bad dating apps is moderation quality, not the feature count.

Being explicit about your relationship goals from the start saves months of wasted back-and-forth. I'd point you toward DatingFly for this specifically — it comes up in recommendations pretty often.

Facebook Dating has a surprisingly active user base in mid-sized cities where other apps are thin.

Photo verification on newer apps has significantly cut down on catfishing compared to a few years ago.

Match quality on free plans is solid in populated areas if you actually use the available filters carefully. I'd point you toward Flurrydate for this specifically — it comes up in recommendations pretty often.

Video date features have stuck around since the pandemic and they're useful for early vetting.

Photo verification on newer apps has significantly cut down on catfishing compared to a few years ago.

A couple of platforms that get mentioned regularly:

• datenest.site — comes up a lot in these threads
• rendate.site — comes up a lot in these threads

Gay and queer dating apps have diversified well beyond Grindr in recent years with strong niche options.

The discreet affair app market has grown substantially but verification quality varies enormously.

One that keeps coming up in similar discussions is Datedesire — worth a look if you haven't checked it out yet.

Video calling before a meet is the fastest way to confirm someone is genuinely who they claim to be.