Being single in your teens is fun. You can get to know so many new people and figure out what you want in a partner. The downside is that if you’re from a small town or you don’t have a huge social circle, meeting new people gets challenging. So if you want to find a date without limiting yourself to whoever’s in your class or whoever you get introduced to by friends, these are the best dating apps for teens you should try out.
They will test the free and premium versions of the app, using all their know-how to try and land dates with attractive women over the course of several weeks. The verdicts you see in this guide aren’t based on hearsay. They’re based on intensive testing from the professionals.
The same photos, bios and demographical data are used for every test to ensure fair comparisons. The opening lines sent by our experts are always copied from our file of tried-and-tested openers too.
The best teen dating apps are those where our experts received the most replies and had the most luck exchanging contact details with the intention to meet for a date.
Want to find out what these apps are? The guide below reveals all.
The Best Dating Apps for Teens Right Now
Please remember that the advice and recommendations in this guide are for 18 and 19-year olds only. If you’re an adult in your twenties, thirties or beyond, we have a different set of recommendations for you.
Best app for long-term relationships and marriage - eHarmony
You might think it’s not so common for teenagers to be looking for their happily ever after already. After all, hookup culture is all the rage and you might feel like you’re being a downer for finding a serious relationship too soon. However, if there’s one thing that dismantles that argument, it’s the teenage presence on eHarmony.
Let’s face it; as a teenager, you might not know exactly what you want in a future partner yet. You’re still figuring it all out. But eHarmony’s signup process makes it that much easier. You answer a series of questions about who you are and what you want, and this, in turn, helps you realize what you want in a partner. The app then recommends a handful of potential matches to you every day, and you can get to know each one.
It’s not as fast-paced as Tinder, for sure. But eHarmony calculates each potential match based on your answers to the signup questionnaire. This means that instead of diving into a relationship with some hot girl who replies to you, you actually get to know her better to see if you’ll actually be right for each other.
Even if you’re not looking for marriage yet, it also helps to know that majority of eHarmony users who have been on the app for a year end up meeting their future spouse. Those are pretty good odds!
Best app for casual fun if you’re very attractive - Tinder
Tinder is the most used dating app in most parts of the world and it’s especially popular with teenagers and young adults. There are plenty of young men and women looking for casual fun on this app, so you’re unlikely to ever run out of people to swipe on.
There’s also a feature called Tinder University, which ensures that your feed prioritizes students in your college or university. It’s enough to break the ice, especially if your profile shows what you’re majoring in.
However, the major downside of Tinder is that it’s only really the incredibly attractive guys that get a lot of action. There have been multiple studies that show if you’re not at least in the top 20% of attractive men, you will barely get a whiff of attention from hotties on Tinder.
We highly recommend it if you’re a stud. If you’re an average teenage guy - or even just a slightly above-average one - we have better recommendations for you.
Best app for casual fun if you’re not in the top 10% in looks - AFF
AFF is the hookup haven for those who aren’t getting as much action on Tinder. Sure, the design seems a little outdated and it looks like most users are a little older, but you’d be surprised by how many teenagers are on the app.
The great thing about AFF is that it keeps your privacy safe. You’re not required to post a photo of your face, so none of your classmates will recognize you on the app. This is a great way to avoid being the subject of gossip in your area.
On top of that, if you’re very sexually curious, there are lots of filters you can use to find other people who are into what you’re into. You can talk about boundaries before meeting up, which ensures that you’re always in a safe environment.
Best app if you’re not sure what you want - Hinge
Perhaps you find the idea of finding easy hookups on AFF a bit overwhelming. Maybe the idea of searching for your soulmate on eHarmony overwhelms you too. Could it be that you’re young and inexperienced and have no idea what you want yet?!
If so, try Hinge.
Hinge has the same fast-and-furious swiping system that Tinder and most other mainstream dating apps use, where you’ll swipe right for ‘Yes’ and left for ‘No’. However, it places more focus on creating a detailed bio and encourages users to answer prompts based on their personality. You can interact with these prompts the same way you can like a comment on Instagram. It’s a great way to break the ice and start conversations.
Best app if you want a nice girlfriend but nothing too serious - Zoosk
If you know you want a girlfriend but find the idea of eHarmony a little intimidating, you can always try Zoosk. Zoosk also has an algorithm that matches men with women based on their personality. The great news is that Zoosk is incredibly popular with younger singles who are looking for relationships. These may not necessarily be relationships that will lead to marriage, but they're much more serious than the typical FWB arrangement.
What Makes a Dating Site Great in Your Teens
When searching for the best dating app for teens, these are the criteria to look for above anything else.
Safety
As a young adult, safety should be your top priority when it comes to online dating. There are plenty of people out there who want to take advantage of your youth by scamming you or worse. So when choosing the right dating app, make sure there’s some form of vetting system to know if people on the app are who they say they are. Dating apps that do this are very likely to be legit as they don’t want scammers on their platform.
App popularity with teens and young adults
The majority of teenage guys want to date a woman close to their own age. If you’re one of them, it’s essential that you consider what apps most women your age are using. The more women see your profile, the more matches you’re likely to get. That’s simple logic, but it’s true.
If you’re a teenage guy looking to date an older woman, that’s perfectly fine too! In this case, you’ll want to go where most of the older women seeking younger men go. Our list of the best cougar dating sites could come in handy here.
Site design and features
Of course, you would prefer a dating app that’s easy to navigate and use. If that website comes with a ton of features that make it easier to connect with your perfect date, even better. You’ll also want to consider how much it costs to use these features because a lot of dating apps keep their best features locked unless you pay a one-off charge or buy a paid subscription.
Do people use it for dating or socializing/ego-boosting?
This is a huge factor to consider for teenagers and young adults. Many studies show that huge percentages of young women on dating apps aren’t actively looking to meet a guy. Instead, they use them to chat when they’re bored, receive compliments, and boost their egos. Younger women are the biggest culprits for this.
That’s partly why you’re more likely to have a better experience using dating apps that only let paid subscribers send messages to other users. Most time-wasters won’t use subscription-only dating apps.
If you’re serious about actually meeting up with a woman on a dating app, it’s best to avoid the apps that these time-wasters flock to.
Can regular people find success or just the best looking?
We’ve explored how many mainstream apps like Tinder are only useful for the best-looking men in your city. If you’re not genetically gifted enough to rank among these men, you’re better off using a dating app proven to bring results for regular guys too.
Does the app make meeting people easy?
This is the ultimate factor to consider no matter what your age is. That’s why the verdicts within our dating app reviews are always based on how easy it was to connect with beautiful women.
A Short Guide to Getting Great Results from Dating Apps
If you’re an 18 or 19-year-old guy reading this guide, the chances are you’re relatively inexperienced at online dating. Most dating apps have a minimum age requirement of 18 years old, after all. That’s why we thought it would be necessary to include this short guide on getting the best possible results from your online dating experience.
Below, you’ll find the most crucial steps to take to attract amazing women to want to connect with you on a dating app.
Creating a great profile
Your online dating profile is your digital business card. It has to present your best self within an instant because most women will swipe left in less than a second if it doesn’t. Here are some expert guides on creating a great online dating profile.
- These Profile Pictures Will Help You Meet More Women
- Critical Things You Want Your Online Dating Photos to Show
- These Prompts Will Allow You to Write a Great Online Dating Profile
Sending a great first message
It’s crucial to make an instant impression when sending your first message on a dating app too. On a lot of apps, the hottest women are overwhelmed with messages, so messages like ‘Hi’, ‘Hey there’, or ‘You’re beautiful’ aren’t going to cut it. The guides below will help inspire you to send more eye-catching opening messages.
- What to Say in the First Online Dating Message
- How to Text a Girl for the First Time and Create Attraction
- How to Message a Girl Who Has Nothing on Her Profile
Responding to messages
You’ll need to go back and forth to build some rapport before asking out a woman from a dating app. These guides will help you to master that process.
- 7 Things You Have to Do When Texting Before a First Date
- How to Message a Woman Again Even if She Didn't Reply to Your First Message
Asking them out
The final step to success on any dating app is to ask a woman to meet you. Here are some advice guides to help you ask a woman out in a way that excites her and makes her want to see you in person.
Biggest Mistakes Singles Make on Dating Apps in Their Teens
Basic pictures
Selfies in your house aren’t going to cut it. Drunk photos with your friends aren’t going to cut it. You need to realize you’re competing with thousands of other guys for this woman’s attention. To maximize your success, you need high-quality photos that show off how cool you are.
Basic opening lines
Most guys open with a variant of ‘Hi’ or a basic compliment, because they think their photos are all that matters. That’s not true. If you capture her imagination with an interesting opening line, you’re far more likely to get a response.
Boring small talk
Despite probably having an awful attention span themselves, most teenage guys severely underestimate what it takes to keep a woman interested in messaging on an app. If you dive into boring small talk, she’s going to stop replying and meet some other guy who actually invites her somewhere exciting. Ask her questions about herself and respond to her answers. Learn how to tell a compelling story even through text to maintain her interest. You can even add in some memes if you know she’s into them.
FAQs about the Best Dating Apps for Teens
What is the best dating website for 18-year-olds?
We recommend eHarmony or Zoosk if you’re looking for something serious. Tinder and AFF are better if you’re after a casual hook-up.
What is the best dating website for 19-year-olds?
eHarmony or Zoosk are good if you’re looking for a girlfriend. Tinder or AFF are nice options if you’re after something casual.
Are dating apps good for meeting singles in your teens?
There are more young adults (18-24) using dating apps than any other age demographic. If you’re looking to meet a woman of that age, you’ll find plenty on these apps.
How can I get better at using dating apps in my teens?
The best thing you can do is to upload better photos. Consider hiring a professional photographer if you can afford it. Also, experiment with opening lines that are more original than ‘Hi’, ‘Hey’ or ‘You’re Beautiful’.
