5 apps for your love life that shouldn't exist but do
I hear about a lot of apps aiming to improve a hypothetical single person's love life. Not just dating apps, but apps to aid your dating-app activity and even help you get engaged. Some of the new apps out there might be worthwhile. But here are a few I've come across that seem unnecessary or downright silly. In comparison, Tinder might even look enticing.
1. WhoNow
The app's pitch: "WhoNow helps daters share photos and stories about the people they are dating in a fast and private app. We help people to keep their dating life off social media and only show their real friends WHO they are dating NOW. WhoNow eliminates repetitive conversations and untimely annoying group text."
But it appears to be an app for just that - group-texting about your latest date, fling or friend with benefits. Besides being a touch creepy, this app takes overthinking to the max. Why not make your own decisions about your new person, when you can crowdsource everyone's opinion about his shirt, the text he sent last night or where you're going to dinner Saturday?
This app reminds me of Washington Post contributor Darby Baham's sage advice: When making up your mind about a love interest, sometimes it's best to ignore your friends.
2. Flyp
This app generates fake phone numbers that forward calls to your real phone number, for all your conversations with prospects. The app's pitch: "With Flyp ... daters can keep their personal phone number private. Users can give their new connections a Flyp phone number and even choose to delete them if they decide that they aren't interested in pursuing that relationship any further."
I understand the instinct to keep your real phone number private. If that's the case, why not just create a Google Voice number for your dating life?
3. SaladMatch
What's sadder than eating a sad desk salad? Going on a dating app specifically to find a stranger with whom to eat a salad. This is SaladMatch's mission. Tagline: Find you salad soul mate. The app's pitch: "Just Salad, a healthy NYC based restaurant concept recognized for its socially responsible reusable bowls, healthy menu, and vast array of unique and tasty toppings, realized that their customers really hit it off while waiting in line. Just Salad then created SaladMatch to help single customers meet their mates. SaladMatch matches you with fellow Just Salad customers based on your preferences, including your favorite salad type and your regular Just Salad location."
Because the key to love is finding someone who also loves massaged kale with goat cheese? Seriously, though. If you're looking for a lunch date near your office, try Happn. That app matches people who are already in each other's daily orbits, herbivores and omnivores alike.
4. BeLinked
The app's pitch: "BeLinked is the first dating app to leverage the LinkedIn platform, helping assure its members that profiles are true and authentic by providing a service to connect career-driven professionals. BeLinked empowers the dating experience by offering higher quality matches filtered through LinkedIn's network."
I'm all for verifying dates' true identities, but aren't dates already too similar to job interviews? Isn't LinkedIn awkward enough? Hard pass.
5. Reverie
Reverie's trailer is priceless. Her: "I've always dreamed he'd surprise me with the perfect ring!" Him: "I want to surprise her with the perfect ring!"
Here's how to "surprise" her: She goes on Reverie and creates an engagement ring profile, then shares it with her sweetie as not-so-subtle hint. It's Pinterest meets BuzzFeed personality quiz!
Because, you know, you wouldn't want to talk to your significant other about what cuts and stones you love or hate. That'd be more awkward than looking for a date on LinkedIn.