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Are you a Scorpio? Do you only date Geminis? If you plan your love life according to astrological charts, there’s a new dating app for you called Align.

Align works as you might assume – asking for your birth date and a few personality traits that describe you before finding you matches based on the alignment of your stars. These features are all part of the app’s design, too, which includes a galaxy backdrop.

You sign in with Facebook, as with most apps that require some sort of identity verification. Then Align offers you words to choose to describe yourself, such as “bossy,” “generous,” or “charming.” If you’re a more visual person, you can choose from a range of emojis to describe yourself, too.

Align then goes to work to match you according to your personality (and of course, your chart). And each day, Align will send you five matches that it thinks will suit you, handed to you as photo bubbles or “constellations” of varying sizes, depending on how much of a match the app thinks you are. (The bigger the constellation, the better the match.) You then have 24 hours to accept your matches, or they will be replaced the next day with another five.

The app also uses colors to identify your match in terms of personal compatibility with you. For example, yellow signifies an air sign, which means you’re matched with analyzers, intellectuals, idealists, thinkers, and problem solvers - while green covers earth signs, or those who are driven, goal-oriented, practical, and dependable, for example.

When you and a potential match both decide you like each other, you are then “Aligned” and can start messaging in the app. (Everyone you align with shows up in your “Connections” screen.)

The app was designed to appeal to people who are looking for deeper online connections without spending too much time filling out questionnaires, as you would with personality-based dating apps and websites like eHarmony. Helen Grossman and Aliza Kelly Faragher, the two creators of the app, were tired of feeling disconnected from other online daters and noted on their website that: “these soulless swipes were going nowhere.”

According to Aliza, over 45 million Millennials believe in Astrology, or at least think it contributes to a good match for dating. So, the founders decided to get Astrological when developing their app.

Astrology might not be the only thing that is important when you are looking for love online, but at least it provides a point of reference beyond a photo, and can start up some interesting conversation. I mean, who wouldn’t want to ponder why the last two Leo boyfriends didn’t work out, or why you seem to be attracted to Virgos?

Align is available as a free download in the iTunes store.

Tinder just released a new update to its popular dating app, but decided to swipe left on its Snapchat-like “Moments” feature. The Moments feature was first offered to Tinder users a year ago, but now has been removed from the app’s latest update.

With Moments, Tinder users could share photos that expired after 24 hours, hoping to pique the interest of their matches. Moments also allowed users to stylize photos with filters, paintbrush, and the ability to write text over the image. The purpose of Moments was, according to Tinder co-founder Sean Rad, to jumpstart conversations among matches. If a match liked your Moment, they could swipe right. The app would notify you of their interest, and then you could both start chatting.

Last year when Moments first launched, Rad was pleased with consumers’ response. In an interview at tech event TC Disrupt he declared that due to Moments, Tinder had “seen a massive increase in conversations started and post-match engagement.”

News about Tinder’s latest update focused on the new features the app is offering, such as a revamp to the Profile and Inbox. The update allows users to add employment/education information into their profiles. The Inbox now places new matches in the top bar and current conversations in the lower part of the screen. There were also slight improvements on the backend with an update to Tinder’s algorithms.

No mention was made from Tinder about the absence of Moments, or that the company also got rid of its “Last Active” feature, which let users know the last time someone used the app. With the new update, Last Active disappeared as well.

Website Tech Crunch attributes the loss of Moments to the popularity of Snapchat. Likely Tinder users would just use Snapchat or other similar apps with any potential matches instead of using the Tinder feature. Plus, Tinder partnered with Instagram to let users use their recent Instagram photos as an extension of their Tinder profiles. With these offerings, Moments might have lost some traction.

Users did notice Moments’ absence however, and took to Twitter and review postings to let the company know they were not happy with this move. The most vocal opponents let their voices be heard with tweets like: “why is tinder getting rid of moments? that was like its best feature tbh.”

So far, the company hasn’t responded to inquiries of why they decided to ditch the features. Perhaps we’ll know more with Tinder’s next update. For more on this dating app you can read our review of Tinder.

Looking for a new dating app? It’s not hard to find something besides Tinder – it seems a new dating app launches every week, each with its own particular spin. But the new U.K. launch of dating app Once has got my attention, because it offers something the other apps don’t – real human matchmakers in place of computer algorithms. (We are now going back to basics with online dating.)

Once works like this: once every 24 hours, users will get a hand-picked match to either decline or accept within the next 24 hours. Dates are carefully chosen using several criteria, including interests, looks and personal preferences.

With Once, there is no auto-swiping or endless browsing or location matching like you find on apps like Tinder because the match is personally curated. But it also means as a dater, you have to have patience, because you only get one match a day.  After all, the human matchmakers have a lot of other people to cater to, not just you, and this takes time.

But patience can work in your favor, and often leaves you more interested to tuning in and seeing who your featured match will be. Chances are, you’ll accept more matches when you don’t have an endless array of potential dates to choose from – and because it’s a bit more personal, instead of computer-generated choices. The thinking is that you and your hand-picked date will have some things in common, and the likelihood of relationship success will be greater. The jury is still out on this, as Once hasn’t been on the market long enough to see results.

The dating app recently launched in France, and managed to gain 100,000 users in only a couple of weeks. Once has now launched in the UK, where real-life matchmakers will be picking daters to match in London.

"People are fed up with having just to sit and swipe through hundreds of people in the hope that they might find one person who they like and then start a conversation with," said Jean Meyer, the CEO and founder of Once in an interview with Mashable. He also noted the time-saving aspect of his app: “With Once, we’re taking that responsibility on ourselves, and are handpicking great people for London’s time-starved daters.”

While Once is available in France and the UK on both iOS and Android devices, there is no news yet on the app’s roll-out in other countries. Perhaps this adds to its mystique, to keep daters guessing. Dating Sites Reviews will keep you updated as we learn more.

Snapchat put ephemeral communication on the map. Now Buzz is taking it to the next level with a more conversation-focused app.

Buzz dumps self-destructing messages in favor of self-destructing connections. All connections made on the app automatically expire after 72 hours, unless both parties choose to continue chatting. Frequent online daters will immediately see the value in the service.

It's nerve-racking to give your digits to a stranger, even if their profile is perfect and your conversation is going well. Apps like Burner or kik alleviate some fears but aren't perfect solutions. Some only offer paid accounts. Others allow people to find you by username, even though your phone number is private.

Buzz attempts to solve these problems for daters who are extremely conscientous about safety. Users only have to add a photo, name and gender to sign up. Afterwards, the app provides a temporary, unique identifier called a 'Buzz Code.'

Users can add each other in the app using the code. After connecting, a conversation expires after 72 hours unless both users indicate that they would like to continue talking. If both say no, or only one says yes, the connection self-destructs and the parties can no longer communicate.

If users do want to keep the conversation going, it can continue within the app. And, of course, conversations can also stop at any point before the 72 hours if things take a creepy or boring turn.

For now, your Buzz Code is not permanent and can be changed whenever you want. Changing your code does not affect your existing connections. Buzz also plans to offer disposable “vanity” codes as an in-app purchase in the future, which would allow users to create their own handles.

Buzz is the brainchild of Matthew Groves, Brian Albright and Hanna Xu. The three co-founders met while working at the messaging app Tango, where they honed their skills before leaving to launch their own venture.

Buzz has been tested with a small group of beta users, but its real test begins now that it is available to the public. The app's creators hope that online daters’ increased concerns about privacy, combined with the weak points of other messaging apps, will allow Buzz to stand out in its niche.

It's still too early to tell if Buzz will catch on, but its hard not to be intrigued by an app that eliminates the need for fake phone numbers, spam-only email addresses and disposable account information.

Buzz is free to download on iOS and Android.

From the founder of Wyldfire, the ladies-led dating app, comes a new Snapchat-style app for online dating called Heartbeat. This may be the first time video has been so deeply integrated into the dating app format, but it won't come as much of a surprise to the tech savvy.

Snapchat is killing it in the mobile apps game. Though it skews heavily younger, it's becoming as commonplace to those of a certain generation as Facebook is to the generation before. It was only a matter of time before the competitive online dating industry attempted to steal some of Snapchat's style.

“Young people haven’t had a dating product that lets them communicate in their language,” said Brian Freeman, founder of Wyldfire and Heartbeat, in a press release. “The current dating app format feels far too hook-up-focused. Instead, Heartbeat is about establishing genuine human connection, in an instant, without allowing creeps to take the reins. This is the future of online dating.”

Safety is of the utmost importance on Heartbeat. All men interested in using the app must be pre-approved by a team of women before they can sign up. Communication can only be initiated by female users, though on Heartbeat it's live video chat (think something like FaceTime) rather than emails or text messages.

When you download the app, you will see a Heartbeat timeline – essentially a combination of Snapchat stories and an Instagram feed. Each uploaded story or "Heartbeat" will be automatically erased in 36 hours so your timeline is never overcrowded.

Female users receive one daily match suggestion selected through an algorithm called "BAE Watch." Men seeking additional search ability and compatibility suggestions from the BAE Watch algorithm can boost their membership to VIP status for an additional cost.

As an alternative matching option, women can scroll through their timelines, “like” Heartbeat videos, review profiles (a mix of a person's most recent Heartbeats and biographical information), and initiate conversations with prospective dates.

Freeman hopes that the video format will alleviate fears that users aren't talking to real people and will make users more accountable for what they say. He also hopes it will allow them to create deeper connections, by offering the opportunity to read body language and interpret tone in a way that text cannot achieve.

Heartbeat's target demographic is people in their twenties. Users in that age range are the 'digital natives' who grew up with smartphones in their hands, making them the most likely to be naturally drawn to the app.

Heartbeat officially began development only a few months ago, but the app is set to launch on November 20, 2015. To be among the first to use Heartbeat, sign up now at GetHeartBeat.co.

Having something in common is key to any successful relationship. Intimacy requires shared interests and values, which often come from religious beliefs. Enter Christian dating sites, which bring faith to the forefront in the search for love.

Niche, religion-based dating sites are a simple way to weed out those who don’t share the same fundamental values as you do, ultimately giving you a greater chance of compatibility and long-term relationship success (or, at the very least, something in common to discuss on your first date).

Christian Crush is an up-and-coming Christian dating site. Though relatively new, having only been around since 2011, Christian Crush is making a name for itself. The service offers a balance of personality-based and faith-based matching in order to create the most well-rounded experience for members.

What makes Christian Crush stand out against competition like ChristianMingle? These are a few of the reasons:

• New CC users receive their first two weeks free
• CC is the only Christian dating service that's Christian owned and operated
• CC is the only Christian dating service developed by a Christian psychologist
• CC is the only Biblical dating site using video profiles
• CC is the only Christian personals site using a derivative of the Big Five personality assessment
• Ten percent of all CC proceeds are tithed to local ministries

Christian Crush says its mission is to “provide the highest quality ministry on the web for Christians to connect and develop Godly, covenant based relationships.” In service of that goal, the company operates based on six core values that define its vision and inform its operations.

That's not to say that Christian Crush relies entirely on faith. The profile is composed of an interesting combination of religion and psychology. You'll find all the usual questions about appearance, education, politics and lifestyle, but also more specific questions about the role of religion in your life.

A detailed personality quiz offers further insight into Christian Crush members. Although it's 120 questions long, it only takes around 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire. The results are scored in accordance with a modified version of the Big Five personality assessment, which evaluates personality traits across the five categories of extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience.

Christian Crush is an innovative player in the religious dating game. It doesn't seem to follow a particular mold – it isn't secular, but it doesn't feel entirely Biblical either. Instead Christian Crush takes a new school approach to finding love based on faith, which could be exactly what it needs to claim the top spot in the Christian dating industry.