Choosing an app
Dating apps without swiping
Just One A Day is not open yet. Where this page describes it, it describes how it will work when it opens.
Most dating apps show you a stack of people and ask you to decide about each one in a second. That is swiping. This page says what it tells you, how the best-known apps in the UK show you people, and what Just One A Day does instead.
What a swipe and a like tell you
A swipe costs nothing, so it tells the other person very little. Somebody who likes everybody they are shown and somebody who likes one person a week send the same signal. Several of the apps below limit how many likes a free member can send in a day, and sell more of them.
A match tells you that two people both swiped the same way. It does not tell you that either of you will write, or turn up.
How the best-known apps show you people
Tinder. You swipe right to like somebody, and if they like you back it is a match. Paying lets you send unlimited likes.
Source: Tinder's help centre.
Source: Tinder's help centre on subscriptions.
Bumble. You swipe right in the People tab to show you are interested, and there is a daily allowance of likes.
Source: Bumble's help centre.
Hinge. You like a particular part of somebody’s profile, such as a photo or a prompt, and can add a comment. Hinge also suggests a “Most Compatible” person, who expires after 24 hours. Free members can send only a limited number of likes a day.
Source: Hinge's help centre on liking.
Source: Hinge's help centre on Most Compatible.
Source: Hinge's help centre on subscriptions.
Feeld. You go through profiles in the Discover tab and like or dislike each one, or skip it for now.
Source: Feeld's help centre.
OkCupid. You are shown one person at a time, and drag their card right to like them or left to pass.
Source: OkCupid's help centre.
What one person a day changes
Just One A Day shows you one person a day, and there is no like button. With each person you can write to them, ignore them, or dismiss them for good. Writing is the only way to show interest, so interest always comes with words attached.
Nobody can be shown to everybody. However popular somebody is, at most 5 people are shown their profile in a night, so attention is spread out rather than piling up on a few.
Where it comes out worse, said plainly:
- On the first day there may be nobody for you. Just One A Day is new, and it only shows you people who match exactly what you asked for. If that is nobody, it says so.
- There is nothing to browse. If you enjoy scrolling through people, you will not like it.
- You cannot see who liked you, because nobody can like you.
- You get one person a day whether or not they suit you. Some days it will be somebody you would have passed in a second.
Every rule that limits a member is on one page.
How these claims stay true. A program reads every source on this page each day. If one stops saying what we say here, this page comes down until it has been checked again.
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