Looking for love, but the idea of traditional dating makes you want to hide under the covers? Giiiirrlll, you’re not alone. As introverts, the mere thought of going to noisy bars or crowded events and initiating small talk can make us feel agitated, overwhelmed, and WAY outside of our comfort zone.
But guess what? It doesn’t have to be that way. Online dating is here to rescue us shy queens.
These apps allow you to conveniently meet new people and find meaningful connections without the pressure of face-to-face interactions. And for introverts, this can be a total game-changer.
All you have to do is swipe, chat, and see where the conversation leads. Easy peasy.
However, not all dating platforms serve the same purpose. Some are perfect for extroverts who prefer instant meet-ups. But, what about the rest of us who like a little more depth and a lot less noise?
Well, because we love you so much and want you to find the perfect match, we’re sharing our roundup of introvert-friendly dating apps to help you find love from the comfort of your couch.
Get ready to swipe right and potentially find your boo!
Best Dating Apps For Introverts & Tips for Using Them
Dating platforms allow you to set up a profile with photos, some info about yourself, your hobbies, or what you’re looking for. Then, you can swipe or browse other users and hopefully start a conversation if you both have mutual interests and attractions. It’s very simple.
When choosing an introvert-friendly app, look for features that help you feel comfortable and cater to your specific needs. So, you should consider apps that:
Have a large user base.
The bigger the pool, the better your chances of finding your perfect match. The more users the app has, the wider variety of potential partners you get to choose from. After all, you wouldn’t want to end up with boring Gary from next door because the app has a small pool of people. So, go for apps with thousands of active users to increase your chances of meeting someone.
Limit swiping madness.
No matter how eager you are to find a match, constantly having to choose “yes” or “no” on dozens of profiles can literally drain you. That’s why some of these apps actually make sure you have mutual matches before anyone can slide into your DMs. Some other apps only show you a set number of potentials each day that their algorithm thinks you’d match with.
Provide the best value for you in terms of cost.
While some apps are free, others offer premium features that might actually be worth the investment. So, even though love shouldn’t cost a thing it can actually help you find what you’re looking for! Look at the features and figure out which app will give you the best bang for your buck (and support your introvert lifestyle)!
Have a thorough algorithm for selecting matches.
We don’t want to waste valuable time sifting through a million lame-ass profiles when “the one” could be out there waiting. So, research the algorithm a little bit and see how it matches people! Some apps will ask a lot of deep and personal questions while signing up to ensure they pair you with a suitable match. But, not all of us introverts are down for revealing such intimate details. No worries! Other apps have a shorter sign-up process. They just analyze your swiping habits and interests to send you the cream of the crop.
Is Online Dating Good For Introverts?
Abso-friggin-lutely!!! For us introverts, online dating is like a breath of fresh air. It can be exhausting hitting up noisy bars or large gatherings just to meet people. And don’t even get me started on trying to spark chemistry or make friends while battling social anxiety or awkward small talk.
NO THANKS!
With dating apps, you get to meet hotties from the comfort of your home. You can take your time perfecting your messages, reducing your anxiety, and avoiding awkward silences there’s no pressure! You also get to sniff out any red flags from afar. No more accidentally ending up on a date with some rando who exhibits signs of a narcissist.
Online, you can quiz your matches on their views and values before ever laying eyes on them. You can even listen to the episode of House Guest titled Dating Anxiety, First Date Etiquette, Break Up Advice, Friends with Benefits, Dos and Don’t of Dating Apps to help you prepare for that first meetup with your prospect.
7 Best Dating Apps For Introverts
Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel is like the cozy coffee shop of the dating app world, perfect for those of us who prefer a calm, introvert-friendly atmosphere. Their selective approach shows they understand the need for introverts to feel protected and calm.
So, instead of bombarding you with a million prospects (aka “Bagels”) per day, the app only sends a small curated roster of hotties for you to browse every day, which refreshes every 24 hours. Think of it as a sort of game since you’ll only have a limited amount of time to match with someone.
You can make matches by swiping on those who have liked your profile or prospects suggested for you by the algorithm. You can also filter your Bagels based on religion, ethnicity, age, education level, and distance.
We love that over 90% of the users are there for more than a casual fling. As somewhat not-commital introverts, this helps us feel at ease heading into that first date!
Setting up your profile is easy as pie. Since the app doesn’t have a bio section, you simply fill out your details and answer a few questions, and you’re game.
Bumble
Siri, play me “Run The World (Girls)” by Beyonce, because we just LOOOOVE an app that caters specifically to us women. And, women definitely run the world on the Bumble app.
This app is PERFECT for us introverted girlies who want to make the first move but are too shy to do so. And, what’s more? It’s free to use no subscription fees attached. Count us in ASAP!
So, here’s the thing about Bumble: only women can send the first message. How liberating is that? You can sit like a queen on your throne and thoughtfully consider your matches before deciding who’s worthy of your time.
The app also gives you potential partners one at a time, which is just peachy for us introverts, so we won’t get overwhelmed. However, you only have 24 hours to send a message; otherwise, you’d be unmatched.
Signing up is also just as easy. Simply create your profile with your bio and some beautiful photos, set your preferences, and start swiping!
This app just keeps getting better. Because if you’re the type who gets nervous and goes blank when texting a potential match, Bumble provides prompts that you can use as conversation starters—goodbye awkward replies, hello potential boo! However, for some tips on improving your texting game, you can listen to Dating App Prompts, Anti-Ghost Texts, and What Matters When Sliding Into Dms by We Met at Acme.
eHarmony
eHarmony is the dating app of every introvert’s DREEAAMMS. You should totally use this app if you’re looking for a serious relationship but don’t have hours to invest in swiping. Not only does it weed out many unserious people or time-wasters, but it also has a rigorous matching process.
It does this through a comprehensive compatibility quiz during sign-up that helps match you with your perfect nerdy Nathan (if that’s your vibe). Although the quiz takes about 20-30 minutes to complete, you’ll be glad you did it when it results in the beautiful hunk of a man you made a genuine connection with.
We love that eHarmony focuses on deep compatibility by providing compatibility scores for every prospect. So you’ll spend more time connecting with potential partners rather than random dudes. However, you’ll have to pay a monthly subscription fee to access most of these features, but it might be worth it!
Elite Singles
Girls, don’t we just love an educated man? I mean, nothing makes a person more attractive than their brain. Can I get an AMEN?!
Elite Singles is where all the intelligent men and women are camping. So, if you’re an educated, career-oriented girly looking for someone who matches your ambition and lifestyle, set up shop on this app like yesterday.
Elite Singles boasts of a highly educated user base, with 85% of members holding above-average education. It’s perfect for professional and educated women who want to find meaningful connections but are too busy to do so.
It also offers intelligent matchmaking, using an algorithm to suggest 3-7 potential matches daily based on your preferences, location, and personality profile. This algorithm is constantly upgraded to provide you with the best matches.
This app is perfect for us shy girls because rather than spending time aimlessly swiping, your in-depth personality test pairs you with matches who fit your requirements. This test, developed from the Big 5 personality types model, consists of 84 questions. It’s a great way to get right to the elites that fit your requirements!
Zoosk
Zoosk has hacked this online dating game by making it so chill and natural to put yourself out there. It brings a fun approach to finding love with its behavioral matchmaking technology.
This approach allows you to shine without prodding a memoir out of you with LONG-ASS questionnaires. The app only requires you to fill out some basic information about yourself upon signing up, and its magic formula does the rest it provides you with an unlimited amount of potential boos to browse through.
However, that’s the most you can do until you upload a picture and pay a subscription fee bummer! But, once you’ve paid, you can send and receive unlimited chats from your prospects.
One feature we love about Zoosk is that it has a large pool of over 40 million members. So you’re more likely to connect with someone who checks all your boxes. Plus, we love their Smartpick feature that suggests matches based on your interests and the profiles you liked or disliked.
We also love that they have a live streaming feature called Zoosk Live, which allows you to stream videos and view other people’s streams. This way, you get to see the faces behind the screen before you decide to meet them in person.
Now, here’s where it gets REEEALLLY interesting: Zoosk lets you make money by receiving virtual gifts from potential matches, which you can convert to real money. Talk about eating your cake and eating it too.
Hinge
Move aside Tinder. If you’re an introvert, you’re going to love Hinge. Best for singles in their late 20s or early 30s, Hinge makes it easy for even the most shy daters to connect with like-minded people and get the convo going.
With the Hinge app, you can take advantage of on-profile prompts, photos, videos, audio clips, and sooo much more. You can like or respond to other people’s prompts, photos, and videos. Plus, since most introverts would rather not be slammed with loads of options, Hinge shows you one potential match at a time. This way, you can focus on each person without getting overwhelmed or confused.
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!!! Let’s say you’re totally vibing with a match, but you’re still not ready to meet them in person. No worries! The Hinge app has video dating! You don’t even have to share your phone number!
Buuuut, our favorite feature, BY FAR, is “Hidden Words.” This handy tool gives you more control over your app experience by letting you filter out specific words and emojis (BYE eggplant emoji!) from both profiles AND messages. If there’s shit, that’s suuuper triggering for you, or things that just plain give you the ick, this feature is a life-saver! You could also wear this YGMTI shirt in your video call to send the message.
Match
Match has been around for over 25 years, so it definitely knows a thing or two about online dating. We could call it the grandpa of dating apps. However, this OG has reinvented itself to keep up with the times, and boy, do they know how to cater to us shy girlies.
First, their detailed profiles remove all the pressure from small talk. You just answer some basic questions like your birthday, email, and gender. And then fun questions about your lifestyle, hobbies, interests, what you’re looking for in a potential boo, and all that good stuff.
We all know that starting conversations can be a drag. So, to make it a bit more exciting and help you break the ice, you can include fun prompts or questions like “JLo, Beyonce, and Rihanna. Kiss, marry, kill?” No more awkward “hey” and “hello.”
One thing we absolutely love about this app is its match phone feature, which allows you to text or call your matches using phone numbers the app generates for you. This way, your actual phone number stays hidden. Honestly, we say it’s a win-win for us introverts.
But, it doesn’t just stop there. If you’ve made a genuine connection and decide to meet your match in person, the app helps to conduct background checks so you don’t end up with a stalker or some creep.
Shy girls deserve love! (But from the comfort of our couches)
Being an introvert doesn’t have to mean being lonely. Everyone deserves love introvert or not.
But, we know putting yourself out there in the dating world when you’re shy isn’t always easy. With these introvert-friendly apps and a little loving encouragement from us, your online besties, you’ll find your perfect match in no time.
With these apps, you can do things at your own pace swipe, like, and message only when you feel comfortable. And, if a match seems like too much too fast, don’t be afraid to ghost for a while. While taking a break, you can listen to How To Crush It On Dating Apps ft. Bre and Shelby from We Met at Acme to help you get your groove back.
Most importantly, remember to never settle for anything less. And, if you ever need more tips on dating, relationships, and everything in between, visit our Dear Media blog and listen to our STELLAR catalog of amazing podcasts!