Long gone are the days of heading to the bar and crossing your fingers. Now you can find others who are down just to hook up by scrolling through potential baes at lunch, or on walks with your dog—all thanks to the power of dating apps.
The internet’s latest contribution to the boning rituals of humans has brought connection to our fingertips, quite literally. So for the gals and guys looking more for a Saturday night lover than a Sunday soulmate, here are apps that could help get you lucky.
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The best hookup apps
1) Tinder
Free on iOS and Android
Among the first and most widely used dating apps on the market, Tinder is quite adamant about its goal of fostering genuine human connections versus one-night stands. But, I mean, c’mon. Everyone knows Tinder is very, very casual in its approach to dating, even Vanity Fair.
Pros: Everybody’s on it. Tinder gives you a huge range of local options, which means choices are endless if you live in a larger city. Also, there is no “rejection,” because you only know if somebody matches with you.
Cons: Again, everyone’s on it. Thus it’s difficult to avoid the embarrassment of running (swiping) into somebody you know. Also, it’s supposed to be more of a dating app, so men tend to be more subtle—which is good if you’re down to get drinks first, but not so much if you’re in a hurry.
Screengrab via Tinder
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2) Pure
Free on iOS and Android
Pure takes away the tedious texting and courtship rituals often required on other dating apps. The service erases the user’s info every hour, and prides itself on anonymity much like Ashley Madison. You no longer have to worry about photos lingering on the internet, and everyone on the app is looking for an instant hookup.
Pros: Privacy—and assurance that matches are looking for the same thing.
Cons: For women especially, safety can be an issue. With total anonymity, there isn’t much time to vet potential candidates.
Screengrab via Pure
3) Down
Free on iOS and Android
Down finds your Facebook friends and friends of Facebook friends and gives you the option of letting them know whether you want to bang or if you’re in it for something more.
Pros: At least you kind of know they’re real people.
Cons: The app gives you everyone on Facebook as an option, even if they have yet to join the app. Swiping through your Facebook friends for sex is also somewhat confusing (Do I actually find that barista from my old neighborhood attractive, or am I just bored?) and masochistic (you’ll probably run into this person sometime in the future).
4) Feeld (formerly 3nder)
Free on iOS and Android
Always wanted to have a threesome but never had the people to do it with? There’s an app for that. Feeld combines the ease of swiping through a dating app with the notion that three can play. You log in through Facebook, choose the composition of your group (2+1 or 1+1+1), and swipe away.
Pros: It works like Tinder, so the platform is fairly straightforward and familiar. You now also have the option to change your name after logging in with Facebook.
Cons: It was so much like Tinder (especially in its name 3ndr), that the app is suing the company. But any implied naming similarities have apparently been remedied in the rebranding.
5) Mimitate
Free on iOS
Mimitate epitomizes everything 2016—it’s an app that combines selfies with Netflix. Guys take a selfie and post it along with what they’re watching. If a girl likes the picture and the show, she responds with a selfie copying his, opening up a chat.
Pros: Like Bumble, Mimitate eliminates unwanted advances for the ladies, because they have to respond with a selfie first to open up a chat. Plus, it’s an ingeniously ironic twist on “Netflix and Chill.”
Cons: Men post dick pics frequently. Also, perhaps your selfie-taking is distracting from bingeing the new season of Orange Is the New Black.
6) Whiplr
Limited free use iOS and Android
Whiplr caters to the kink(ier?) community, getting beyond the small talk and into the nitty gritty of specific fetishes. Right from the start, it matches you up with different fetish communities and a variety of choices, such as Just Curious, Objects, and Behavior.
Pros: Like Pure and Feeld, it skips the preliminaries and gets straight to the dirty stuff. Whiplr also allows you to delete any photos you send someone (unless, of course, they do screengrabs), just in case you change your mind.
Cons: Free use is limited, and a monthly subscription can get pricey. There’s also a decent amount of users who read 50 Shades of Grey and decided it was a great way to get into women’s pants—and then there are those who just watched the movie and want to get their feet wet.
7) Disckreet
$3 on iOS
This app acts as a password-protected locker for all your sexy photos. If you’re looking to get laid, it’s always useful to have a few choice pics. It’s a great way to send nudes and film yourself having sex while reducing the risk of having your private shots leaked.
Pros: Extremely private, your photos are stored behind two passcodes and also encrypted. The photos and videos can only be viewed when both partners are signed on.
Cons: It’s based on photos, so not the best for those who aren’t comfortable sexting or posing for risque pictures.
8) Her
Free on iOS
A dating app for lesbian, queer, and bisexual women, Her can be used to foster a lasting relationship or to quickly get some with a lady. The app lets you know the location of similar-orientated women, both close by or worldwide.
Pros: Allows you to discover fellow LGBTQ members near you—as well as the ones who are DTF.
Cons: Her is set up as a traditional dating/friendship app, so it may not always be the quickest route to sex if that’s all you’re looking for.
9) Wingman
Free on iOS
Traveling alone can be a bit dreary sometimes, but Wingman was created to help users meet interesting people throughout their travels. Once a user is connected to their terminal or aircraft’s Wi-Fi, the app collects potential matches who are en-route. The “Tinder for airplanes” claims to make flying “suck less,” and yes, that pun is open to interpretation.
Pros: The interface is detailed with a picture and description of the user, listing their name, age, occupation, and a short customizable biography.
Cons: The Daily Dot does not condone any actual Mile High Club activity on a standard aircraft, but if you get away with it using Wingman, kudos to you.
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10) Coffee Meets Bagel
Free on iOS and Android
First seen on the TV series Shark Tank, Coffee Meets Bagel is a dating app that makes it easy for people searching for that special someone to find a match, presenting users a handful of pre-selected matches every day at noon. Women have the final say if they want to talk to a suitor, and LGBTQ members have their own specific process where both genders will receive their potential matches.
Pros: The man makes the first move, and the woman has a final say in choosing who she wants to move forward with.
Cons: The matches are called “Bagels,” which seems like an odd thing to compare women, or matches, to. Or maybe that’s what turns you on.
11) Happn
Free on iOS and Android
The theme of Happn is in its name, where users who happen to cross paths also match. The app is a great way to meet new people who frequent the same bar or gym as you and make those moves you never had the guts to do in the first place.
Pros: The interface is simple, and privacy is a key value in the app. Users will never receive messages from others unless the like is mutual, as well as your location.
Cons: Mutual matches can easily build up over time, and the app doesn’t prioritize the matches you cross paths with the most.
12) CasualX
Free on iOS and Android
CasualX brands itself as a Tinder and Craigslist alternative for one-night stands, with users looking for hook-ups, friends with benefits, swinging, extramarital affairs, and anything else sexual without the emotional attachment.
Pros: Users can get a casual hook-up fairly easy without any strings attached. The app is also organized, easy to use, and provides security features.
Cons: Users have to upgrade to message a potential match.
13) Whim
Available on iOS
Created by a Stanford graduate and an ex-OkCupid Labs employee, Whim is a progressive dating app that eliminates the pesky and not-so-sexy small talk that comes with dating apps. Users create a profile and select the days they are free to meet up with potential matches; once users match with each other, Whim picks a specific time and place for the two to meet up.
Pros: The app cuts out the awkward waiting period for a reply message and sets up dates for you.
Cons: If you want to get to know your match personally before you meet up, this may not be the app for you.
14) Bumble
Free on iOS and Android
Created by a team of women who wanted to change the dating app scene, Bumble is a straightforward and well-organized app where women make the first move. The app is targeted toward finding your perfect match, but that doesn’t stop users from dropping in a few sex puns and flirty one-liners to get in your pants.
Pros: The user base is plentiful and it’s totally up to women to make the first move. Other than in your bio, your opening line is a great opportunity to be straightforward about who it is you’re looking for (and how soon can they get here)?
Cons: The app can occasionally show profiles that are idle or inactive by a user.
15) LGBT+ Amino Community and Chat
Free on iOS and Android
An LGBTQ social networking app, this app gets the conversations going. The app isn’t your average dating app per se, but it connects you with other people who are interested in the same trends and like the same things online as you do, making the connection even stronger for a better happy ending.
Pros: The app lets you join groups and talk to people in your city and beyond. With both video chat and call features embedded in the app, you can easily flirt to your best ability from near and far.
Cons: The user base can lean toward those under 18, so be careful who you chat with.
16) Grindr
An app created exclusively for gay men, Grindr shows users in your surrounding area who are looking to hook up. You can customize your profile and describe what exactly it is you’re looking for to streamline the process of finding your beau for the night (or longer). Don’t be surprised by profile pictures that include everything but faces. It’s all part of the fun.
Pros: The majority of guys on Grindr aren’t looking for safe conversations. It’s easier to skip the formalities and move on to more exciting topics.
Cons: The app has ads, and some of them can be tacky or lengthy videos.
17) Wild
Wild is created for those seeking a no-strings-attached relationship. The app lets users create a profile describing what they are looking for– hookups included– while keeping their identity safe. Once a user matches with someone their pictures are viewable between the two. The app also has a filter search tool that narrows the selection down to those looking for the same type of relationship they are.
Pros: The app verifies user’s photos so you know you aren’t being catfished.
Cons: The app is only available in select major cities on iOS, so Android users and seekers in small towns are out of luck.
18) Sweet Pea
Sweet Pea sets itself apart from other dating apps by putting security, identity, and customization at the forefront of its mission. The app offers privacy settings, unique icebreakers, and lets users disclose their gender identity as well as filter their feed to the gender they’re seeking.
Pros: The app lets you choose from 30 different gender options when creating your profile, users can add video to their profiles, and 10 percent of the app’s sales go to domestic violence charities.
Cons: Users on the app for free are limited to what they can do across the app, and it costs $12 for a month for a “VIPea” subscription.
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Editor’s note: This article is updated regularly for relevance.
