Mobile dating services, also known as cell dating, cellular dating, or cell phone dating, allow individuals to chat, flirt, meet, and possibly become romantically involved by means of text messaging, mobile chatting, and the mobile web.
Andrey Andreev is a multinational tech entrepreneur. He is known for founding the dating and social networking apps Bumble and Badoo, amongst others. In 2019, Andreev sold the apps' holding company, MagicLab, to Blackstone at a $3 billion valuation. In 2020, he founded social audio app Stereo. His previous ventures include SpyLog, Begun, and Mamba.
Truecaller is a smartphone application that has features of caller-identification, call-blocking, flash-messaging, call-recording, Chat & Voice by using the Internet. It requires users to provide a standard cellular mobile number for registering with the service. The app is available for Android and iOS.
Couple, formerly Pair, was a mobile app that provided a mobile messaging service for two people, especially romantic couples. Like many mobile phone messaging applications, Couple allows users to share text, photos, video and other content. It is a competitor to apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and KakaoTalk, but it is unique in that it is for communicating with exactly one other person. Couple is one of a slew of mobile applications that intentionally confine their communication to a small group, as opposed to large public or semi-public networks like Twitter.
Messenger is an American proprietary instant messaging app and platform developed by Meta Platforms. Originally developed as Facebook Chat in 2008, the company revamped its messaging service in 2010, released standalone iOS and Android apps in 2011, and released standalone Facebook Portal hardware for Messenger calling in 2018. In April 2015, Facebook launched a dedicated website interface, Messenger.com, and separated the messaging functionality from the main Facebook app, allowing users to use the web interface or download one of the standalone apps. In April 2020, Facebook released a Messenger desktop app for Windows and macOS.
Snapchat is an American multimedia instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only available for a short time before they become inaccessible to their recipients. The app has evolved from originally focusing on person-to-person photo sharing to presently featuring users' "Stories" of 24 hours of chronological content, along with "Discover", letting brands show ad-supported short-form content. It also allows users to store photos in a password-protected area called "my eyes only". It has also reportedly incorporated limited use of end-to-end encryption, with plans to broaden its use in the future.
Talkbits was a free voice mobile app for iOS and Android that combined push-to-talk technology with social discovery. The application has been developed and maintained by OnAir Labs, an international mobile development company. As of December 2013, the Talkbits service is not available anymore.
Upptalk was a proprietary voice-over-IP service and software application that provided mobile phone numbers in the cloud and allows users to call or text any phone for free whether or not the device receiving the calls and texts has the Yuilop application. The service was discontinued in 2017 and even its domain was abandoned.
Tinder is an online dating and geosocial networking application. In Tinder, users "swipe right" to like or "swipe left" to dislike other users' profiles, which include their photos, a short bio, and a list of their interests. Tinder uses a "double opt-in" system where both users must like each other before they can exchange messages.
Sean Rad is an American entrepreneur and co-founder of the dating app Tinder. Rad launched Tinder in 2012 and by 2014 the company was recording one billion "swipes" a day.
Yo was a social mobile application for iOS, Android, and formerly also Windows Phone. Initially, the application's only function was to send the user's friends the word "yo" as a text and audio notification, but it has since been updated to enable users to attach links and location to their "Yo"s.
Whitney Wolfe Herd is an American entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of publicly traded Bumble, Inc, an online dating platform, launched in 2014. She is a co-founder of Tinder and was previously its Vice President of Marketing.
Bumble is an online dating and networking application. Profiles of potential matches are displayed to users, who can "swipe left" to reject a candidate or "swipe right" to indicate interest. In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contact with matched male users, while in homosexual matches either person can send a message first. The app is a product of Bumble Inc.
Switch used to be a mobile-only job-matching app that connects candidates directly to hiring managers. Candidates upload their resumes and connect their social and professional media profiles, but remain anonymous while searching. Users receive a daily set of job recommendations that fit their backgrounds and salary criteria, and swipe right to apply. Employers post many jobs on Switch directly, which eliminates the need for third-party job boards and recruiters, and connects job seekers to hiring managers. Switch reveals a candidate’s identity to one employer at a time, only after the candidate matches with that employer. When candidates and employers match, they can chat within the app. Switch is available for iOS, with an Android version in development.
Founded in 2012, Mallzee is a fashion mobile commerce company and shopping application. Its application allows online shoppers with a smartphone to access millions of products from over 100 fashion brands around the world. The mobile app was launched in September 2013 and uses a 'like' or 'dislike' swiping interface and has since been labelled as the 'Tinder of fashion', in reference to the Tinder app. In 2015, the application was launched in the US.
Match Group is an American internet and technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It owns and operates the largest global portfolio of popular online dating services including Tinder, Match.com, Meetic, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, OurTime, and other dating global brands. The company was owned by IAC until July 2020 when Match Group was spun off as a separate, public company. As of 2019, the company had 9.3 million subscribers, of which 4.6 million were in North America. Japan is the company's second largest market, after the United States.
Paktor is a location-based dating and networking mobile application that connects mutually interested users and allows them to chat individually or as a group. Founded in Singapore, the app was launched in June 2013, and has over 5 billion swipes to date. In late 2013, Paktor launched a subsidiary called GaiGai, an offline dating service that focuses on match-making and dating events. The word 'Paktor' originates from the Cantonese word for 'dating'.
Yubo is a French social networking app developed by TWELVE APP in 2015. It is designed to "meet new people" and "create a sense of community". The app had 60 million users as of 2022.
The League is a social and dating mobile application launched in 2015 and available in several cities all over the world on iOS and Android.
Hinge is an online dating application. Using an algorithm, the app displays potential matches, allowing the user to dismiss or attempt to match by responding to a specific piece of content on their profile. The service emphasizes uploading user-generated content in a variety of formats, such as photos, videos, and "prompts" as a way to express personality and appearance. The app was fully owned by Match Group as of February 2019.
