1. Taffy

Taffy is a really cool dating app that is bucking against the trend of basing likes solely on appearance. When you first start talking to someone, you can only see their personal information, and the more you chat, the clearer their pictures become! Taffy reminds teens and young people that beauty is more than just skin deep. This is definitely one of the best dating apps for teens looking for a real connection rather than just a quick swipe. It focuses on personality first, which is a refreshing change in the digital dating landscape.

2. Bumble

Bumble is a great app for teens, especially teen girls, because its special feature is that only the females can initiate a chat between matches. You swipe left and right just like Tinder, but it is up to the girls to make the first move. This can help to eliminate a lot of the pesky and unwanted advances that we often have to deal with on other apps. Another thing to remember: if you don’t make contact with a match within 24 hours, then that connection disappears from your profile, encouraging active engagement. This platform empowers young women to take control of their dating experience from the very start.

3. Skout

Skout is an app that has a fun ‘shake to chat’ feature that lets you shake your phone to start talking to anybody nearby who matches your preferences to do with orientation and age. It can be seen kind of like going on a blind date without having to meet up with someone in the flesh. It’s a fun way to put yourself out there without having to physically meet with someone if you are just trying this out for the first time. The proximity feature makes it easy to find people in your local area, adding a layer of convenience to the social discovery process.

4. Yubo

Yubo is an app that is kind of like a mixture between Tinder and Snapchat with an ability to live video chat, but the great thing about it is that it has a lot of different safety features. It has cell phone verification to make sure that you don’t find fake profiles, which is so important when it comes to putting yourself out there as a young person on the internet. By prioritizing safety and community, Yubo has become a top choice for Gen Z looking to make new friends and potential romantic interests in a secure environment.

5. CMB Free Dating App

CMB = Coffee Meets Bagel! If you’re new to dating apps or are scared by Tinder, CMB is probably more your thing. There is far less focus on hooking up and it is more for people looking for a meaningful connection. Instead of you browsing profiles, suggested matches are made for you taking into account the info in your profile. A nice touch is the icebreaker prompts for starting or continuing conversations. It’s a slower, more deliberate approach to dating that favors quality over quantity.

When using these apps, keep these safety tips in mind: