Cosmopolitan dating app

Oh, hi, it’s officially 2020, and if you haven’t posted an Instagram with the caption “New year, new me,” then WYD? After all, this decade is totally destined to bring out a side of you no one’s seen before. I mean, we already have new Bieber music, a Kardashian appropriation scandal (not all that surprising though), and overzealous resolutions that will maybe, probably, most likely fizzle out come February.

Buuut if one of your goals for 2020 is to find that real, real love, good news: This Sunday, January 5th, is Dating Sunday—aka the day dating apps like Hinge, Match, Coffee Meets Bagel, and OkCupid see the BIGGEST spikes in new users, matches, and messaging.

You can thank post-holiday blues and New Year inspo for this, says Match’s chief dating expert Rachel DeAlto. “In many situations, singles have just gone through the holidays and recognize they want the next holiday season to look different. Also, love is often high on the list of New Year resolutions.”

Match is predicting to see the largest spike in—get this—history: It’s looking at an 80 percent increase in new people joining the app. (Psst: more options = better chance of finding somebody during and after cuffing season.)

More evidence that Dating Sunday is lit:

• Last January, Hinge saw a 38 percent increase in members and users went on 53 percent more dates that month.
• OkCupid had more than 11 million new conversations among its users during the first week of January 2019. This year, it’s expecting a 36 percent spike in fresh meat too (!!!).
• Coffee Meets Bagel stans have been 22 percent more likely to match with someone on Dating Sunday and 23 percent more likely to chat with a match.

But ughhh. You hate dating apps. What then?

Look, if being single is your thing, do you, bb. Seriously. But if you do want a relationship, it’s okay to make finding a healthy one a goal for yourself in 2020. As DeAlton says, “We need to put effort into what we want, including love.”

“When you are ready to make love a resolution, just make sure your mind is open (no lists or types), your lifestyle is available (you have time for love), and your heart is ready (vulnerability is key),” she adds. “Those are three areas that can be actively worked on.”

Oh, and beat dating-app fatigue or loathing with this very true and accurate statement: “Just because you had a bad experience before doesn’t mean it will always happen,” says DeAlto. “While dating apps do work, it takes work. Positive realism goes a long way, so try to reset the way you look at finding love on an app.”

Now, here’s how to optimize your profile:

1. If the dating app allows, connect it to your Instagram account. OkCupid users who have their IG thirst traps connected actually get more messages, says Melissa Hobley, the site’s chief marketing officer.
2. Take advantage of those iPhone photo features. Portrait mode (or pics with a shallow depth of field) = more Likes. And shots taken late in the afternoon perform well too, confirms Hobley (golden hour FTW). Oh, and experts suggest having at least three pictures on your profile.
3. Avoid listing what you’re not looking for in your bio. “Instead, keep your profile positive and focus on who you are and what you can offer,” says DeAlto.
4. Proofread errrything. “Typos are a big deal breaker for people—like, 75 percent of people say they’re less likely to respond to someone with spelling mistakes in their profile,” says Hobley.

Which dating app to download based on what you’re looking for:

Your experience is going to be different than someone else’s because it all depends on what you’re looking for, what’s in your profile, and where you live. That said, if you want a quick list of which app might be the most successful for you, here’s a cheat sheet:

• Best for women who need their group chat’s approval on everything: Ship
• Best for queer women looking for something serious: Zoe
• Best for finding your hubby or wifey: Match
• Best for dipping your toes in the water: Tinder
• Best for women who aren’t afraid to make the first move: Bumble
• Best for people interested in a queer-friendly community: Her
• Best for finding a date, like, tonight: OkCupid
• Best for those who like to stick to a routine: Coffee Meets Bagel
• Best for finding someone to hang out with (and genuinely enjoy it): Hinge

(P.S. If none of the above speak to you, here are 20 more dating app options.)

Cheers to alllll the love in the new year, my friends!