In the past decade, free online dating apps have become increasingly popular as a way to meet potential romantic partners. These apps offer a convenient and accessible way to connect with others, and they often come with a range of features designed to help users find matches based on their preferences. When it comes to online dating, finding a dating app that caters to serious relationships can be a challenge. With so many dating apps available, it's important to find one that aligns with your dating goals and values.

Let's take a closer look at these pros and cons, so you can decide whether or not using a free online dating app is the right choice for you.

Tinder has partnered with the Centre for Social Research (CSR) to create a new safety guide for app users in India.

The safety guide, along with 15 safety features that are accessible on the Tinder app, are part of Tinder’s efforts to improve safety for users. The new guide “leverages CSR India’s insights amid the intersection of technology and violence against women,” according to Tinder’s announcement.

Starting in September, Tinder users will get a prompt through the app’s messaging system on how to access the safety guide, according to the Hindustan Times.

Tinder announced its new exclusive VIP service Tinder Select, which will cost members almost $500 per month (which works out to $6,000 per year!).

The new service will give top-tier members access to new features like a “VIP search, matching and conversation,” according to Bloomberg, none of which are currently available in Tinder’s existing paid subscription plans. Tinder did not reveal any details about the features.

The new service might have some similarities to exclusive dating app The League, which Tinder’s parent company Match Group acquired last year. There’s a market for exclusivity on dating apps, and the company is betting that offering a premium service will work for Tinder, too.

Tinder has been testing the VIP service, but now it’s an official subscription tier, at least for those invited to join. The new service was only offered to less than 1 percent of the most active Tinder users, according to Bloomberg News.

The Australian government told the dating app industry that they must improve safety standards on their apps or risk being forced to make changes through legislation. Dating app companies were given until June 30th, 2024 to develop a “voluntary code of conduct” to address user concerns about safety.

According to the Associated Press, the government was basing its decision on new research that found three-quarters of dating app users in Australia between 2016 and 2021 had suffered some form of sexual violence. The research was conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology and published last year.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland noted that dating apps have become the most popular way to meet people, and therefore must improve when it comes to protecting the people using them. “The government is concerned about rates of sexual harassment, abusive and threatening language, unsolicited sexual images and violence facilitated by these platforms,” she said, according to Associated Press.

Image: hinge

Dating app Hinge recently removed the audio and video calling feature from its app, posting that people were no longer using the feature as much as they had during the pandemic.

Hinge introduced the features early on during lockdowns so that Hinge users could virtually engage rather than risk exposure through in-person meet-ups. However, things have changed since then. According to Fast Company, Hinge noted that people would rather meet in person to see if there’s a connection than do a video date.

While this move might not be a surprise to Hinge users, the company did not announce it to the press. Instead, Hinge only mentioned it in an undated blog post in its Help Center, according to Fast Company.

It is October so time to start setting up the 17^th annual Dating Sites Reviews Choice Awards.

The 2024 Single's Choice Award poll launched today and is now accepting votes. As in previous years the poll asks the voter to select from a list of the top 10 most popular dating services in North America in which they would recommend.

The Single's Choice Award, which is awarded on Valentine’s Day, takes the results of the poll to determine the top 3 dating services as voted on by our visitors. Awarded services are marked as such on Dating Sites Reviews and is used by our visitors in the coming year to help them determine which dating service(s) they want to try out.

So, what dating service worked for you best in 2023 that you would like to recommend? Let us know by casting your vote in the Single Choice Award:

This poll is closed for voting.

2024 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award

1/1: Which dating service would you recommend for the 2024 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award?

Listed below in alphabetical order are the top 10 most popular mainstream dating sites and apps from 2023.

Badoo	2.90%
Bumble	12.90%
eHarmony	9.03%
Elite Singles	4.84%
Hinge	10.32%
Match	8.06%
OkCupid	10.97%
POF (Plenty of Fish)	15.16%
Tinder	15.16%
Zoosk	10.65%

See all answers to this poll
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