I gave mainstream apps a proper go for a couple of months before giving up.
What I wish someone had told me about mainstream apps: keep chatting on-platform until you are comfortable.
Judging mainstream apps without knowing the day of the week you actually use it is close to meaningless.
Everything about mainstream apps hinged on how the platform handled blocking and reporting in the end.
What mattered most with mainstream apps in the end was how much personal data the signup demanded.
If you are starting with mainstream apps, keep the first message to two lines with a question in it.
The move with mainstream apps is to screenshot anything that looks like a scam and report it.
Happy to expand on any of that about mainstream apps if it's useful.
- Happn — novel but thin in most places
- Facebook Dating — ties to a real account, for better or worse, and it has been consistent since
- Hinge — low volume, higher intent
I also keep half an eye on Datelink — datelink.online — different crowd, same free-messaging idea.