Dating apps have provided a great way for people to connect, but along with the positives, the downside to dating apps still looms large - users aren't necessarily safe when they are meeting new people.

Dating app users can become easy targets for sexually predatory behavior. The question of security in online dating has once again entered the news headlines, thanks to the conviction of Stephen Port, a UK man who was accused and found guilty of killing four men he met through gay dating apps.

Port met his victims by catfishing them through various dating apps including Grindr, posting fake profiles and avoiding using any real details about himself, encouraging them to meet in person before drugging their drinks. 

Recipient
eHarmony

For the Top Pick - Match System Editor's award, the recipient in 2016 is eHarmony. Since 2008 eHarmony has been our award pick for the top online dating service with the best automated matching algorithm. No other dating company has put the research resources into ensuring their members are matched with a compatible partner. Several years ago it was reported that eHarmony spends over $3 million a year on researching matchmaking, which includes 6 full time PH. D. Researchers (see Story). As you can see eHarmony values quality or quantity when it comes to matches.

Dating app giant Tinder is trying to maintain its huge lead in the online dating market, and is also looking for new ways to monetize. In late 2016 the company launched Tinder Boost, a new paid feature to help users “skip the line” and be more prominently featured to other users. This comes after the success of the launch of its premium paid service, Tinder Plus.

Tinder Boost provides a unique advantage to its users. The new feature places its users at the top of searches for 30 minutes, giving them up to 10 times more profile views than the standard method. While Tinder Boost is activated, other relevant, potential matches within the area will see your profile before anyone else’s. This could make a huge difference in your chances of connecting, since competing among Tinder’s 50 million users can be quite challenging. It’s easy to be overlooked, especially if users are mindlessly swiping.

Tinder Boost also offers a built-in timer that lets people see how many minutes are remaining, so you can take full advantage of the thirty minutes you get.

Recipient
OurTime

The dating service OurTime is the recipient of the Editor's Top Pick - Senior Award for 2016. OurTime is accessible via their dating app (for Apple and Android) and website at OurTime.com. The service is designed for singles who are 55 or older and are looking for love.

A basic membership is free at OurTime and takes only a few minutes to complete. From there you can either continue on and finish all of the profile, or start searching on the dating service for people that spark your interest. You will be able to view their profile's and pictures but will only have limited communication options unless you upgrade your membership.

Bumble made it easy to swipe for dates. With BumbleBFF, it also made it easy to swipe for friends. Now, with the launch of BumbleBizz this past summer, the app hopes to work its magic on the job market.

Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe told the Observer that BumbleBizz will be “the hyper-local version of LinkedIn, but with really clear connections versus missed opportunities.”

The format is familiar to anyone who has used Bumble or BumbleBFF (or really any other swipe-based dating app). Users can create a separate BumbleBizz profile and indicate preferences like location and industries of interest. The same swiping mechanism is used to make matches, except in this case, those matches are potential connections and mentors for on-demand networking. And, as is famously the case for the dating app, female users have to make the first move.

Do you typically meet a first date for coffee or drinks, not wanting to commit to anything more until you know you hit it off?

Turns out this might not be the best strategy for finding love. Dating app Coffee Meets Bagel recently surveyed more than 1,000 couples who met through its app to see what made their first date so successful. The company then surveyed more than 6,000 singles to compare their thoughts about first dates, and found they don’t often agree. Here’s what we can learn.

Following are nine findings that increase your chance of first date success: