The modern matchmakers

With marriages going online, friendships going Facebook, it was only time when ‘love met tech’.

If you are not living under a rock or don’t have an unusual phobia of smartphones, finding dates nowadays is only the second easiest thing to Candy Crush Saga. All you need is your smartphone, some megabytes and your thumb.
Tinder is the next cool thing for Delhi’s swanky senoritas and handsome hunks and also one of the world’s most popular dating apps. And no, it’s not confined to some desperate guys looking to find their dream girl on their Android. It’s the latest buzzword among the city’s women too.

“I am just totally addicted to Tinder. I relish the convenience and safety this app provides me to meet interesting strangers. For shy people like me, it’s the perfect avenue to know and meet new people”, says Rachita, a 23-year-old management student.

Slowly making its presence felt in India, Tinder uses your locations and ‘Facebook likes’ to bring you some matches to choose from.

The game is simple: You see some photos, swipe right if you like them, swipe left if you don’t. If that person also swipes you right, you will be able to message each other. So, it depends on your luck, so much like love in real life.

“I love Tinder. If you are fine looking and a regular user, you are bound to get matches within a few weeks. I have been matched six-seven times in the last two-three months. And no, not everybody here is for hooking up,” says 27-year-old Hasan.

While Tinder is the current reigning king with thousands of users giving a shot, there are some desi love apps giving it stiff competition – Woo, TrulyMadly, Thrill, Singles Aro­und Me – apart from others.

Woo brands itself as somewhere between a staid matrimonial website and somewhat promiscuous Tinder, which has slowly gained the reputation of being a ‘hook-up dating app’.  
According to its makers, Woo aims to be somewhere between “casual fling-oriented dating apps and the old-fashioned, transactional matrimonial portals available and is intended for mature, sophisticated individuals seeking substantial connections”.

“I tried the app. All I want to say is: It doesn’t look like an Indian-made app and has an international feel to it. It is a great option for those who are looking for a serious relationship. I got bored, so I moved to Tinder again,” says Jagriti, a user of the apps.

Another similar app Thrill markets itself as a platform giving more power to the women, by only taking in verified profiles and strict monitoring. On the other hand, TrulyMadly is a toned-down version of matrimonial portal, giving the users search options like income group, age and being veg/non-veg.

“While it is true most such app users are looking to have a casual fling, there are friendly, intelligent people too, looking for a meaningful fri­endship. In any case, these apps may turn out to be the future of human love,” adds Rachita.

These dating apps are ma­­king the game of love simple for today’s tech-savvy generation and are here to stay. So­me jodis may indeed be made in heaven. Others are made on Tinder.