Dating App Features to Consider
As with any sort of online service now, online dating is red-hot at the moment. Considering all the ways we can communicate with each other, it was only a matter of time before dating apps became popular. Why are these apps replacing traditional dating?
We can answer these questions by looking at the sort of features dating apps have over traditional dating. If you’re thinking of creating a dating app, here are the 7 features to consider. With all that said, let’s start.
Customize User Profiles
One important feature a dating app needs is customizable user profiles. It goes without saying that we should be able to customize our profiles on these apps. We should be able to add our image instead of a stock user photo, a short description, our age, birthday, etc.
These are only options that are scratching the surface. What your dating app should have is the ability for users to add their personal preferences.
This idea is implemented in some apps but is completely ignored in others. For example, the ability to create customized profiles is one of Tinder’s main features.
After all, how would potential matches know what you’re into if there are no ways of finding it out? If we don’t allow these features, online dating will be nothing more than online blind dating.
Let Customers Pick a Geolocation
Yet, another important feature for dating apps to have is to allow customers to set their geolocation. What this means is that your customers should make their location known to potential matches. Instead of needing to chat to determine where a match is from and currently is, you should make it easier and allow others to see precisely where they are. This eliminates plenty of issues, saves plenty of time, and prevents customers from awkward encounters. Furthermore, customers should be allowed to change their geolocation and turn it off if they want to.
Successful Matching
One of the most important features for dating apps to have is successful matching. When we look at how this feature works, we have to take a look at each user’s preferences. This backs us nicely to the first feature we discussed. Namely, by allowing users to pick their preferences and display them on their profiles, we can easily integrate a successful matching feature.
To do that, you will need to come up with an algorithm. As you can imagine, an algorithm of this complexity can be difficult to code. So, what you can do to hasten the dating app development process is to hire developers to help you out.
Make no mistake about it as this feature is very important and makes all the difference. Your users want to be matched with partners based on their preferences. While there are many ways to approach this feature, what you can do is allow users to search for partners based on what they prefer.
Chat Feature
If your dating app doesn’t allow potential matches to communicate via chat, then it will fail. Very few people want to meet with others without sending a single wave emoji. Not only that but most people that do online dating love communicating with potential matches.
When it comes to integrating a chat feature for your dating app, it shouldn’t be as simple as hitting someone’s DMs. In the online dating world, no one wants to be spammed. One way to solve this problem is by integrating a smart chat feature that allows users to initiate a conversation only if both parties are up for it. For example, if Mark likes Stacy and Stacy likes Mark back, then one of them can initiate the conversation. The last thing you want is for creeps to stalk and bother users that have no interest in them.
When speaking about chat features, we’re not done yet. A dating app should provide users with ways to block or disable communications with particular users. Let’s say that Stacy in fact doesn’t like Mark. What she should be able to do is disable the started chat.
And the last thing to consider is features within the chat communication. These can be anything such as sharing their geolocation, taking and sharing pictures, and tons of others.
Integration with Social Media
Even if dating apps are popular, social media is the prime venue for online dating. There is nothing your app can do to change that. What you can do is be the app where potential people meet, allowing them to share or see each other’s social media profiles.
Social media integration is far more complex than simply allowing users to share their Instagram. This feature is very beneficial for the users as it allows them to log in or register through their social accounts. This means that instead of creating a new profile, users can register using their Facebook, Instagram, or even Twitter and many other social apps.
While it does save your users time, it makes the app more functional. By being able to integrate social media into your dating app, you’ll increase the exposure and visibility of your app. If users can share their dating profiles on social media, others will see it and that will increase visibility.
Push Notifications
Push notifications are quite simple. This is a feature that simply tells users whenever someone has liked them, wants to talk, etc. Without push notifications, your users will never know if someone wants to match with them. Just remember to allow users to also turn it off whenever they want.
Setting an Admin Panel
Your dating app should have an admin panel. This doesn’t have to be anything complex, but a user-friendly interfaceadmin dashboard where users can mingle with the settings can be an important feature. Some of the settings your users can change while on their admin dashboard include reports and analytics, enable and disable push notifications, manage geolocation, select languages, manage payment methods and membership packages if your users pay for your app, and more.
Author: Julia Beyers
