So you’re open to the idea of online dating and willing to give it (another) shot, but not sure which dating sites should you use? Black dating apps like Soul Swipe, MELD, and BAE were created specifically for black people and offer more for the community than other dating apps. Here, I talk about these apps, and what each offers, to help you decide which app can finally help you take a shot at love.
Soul Swipe, MELD, BAE | 3 Dating Apps For Black Singles
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The Online Search For Your Soul Mate
You’ve heard a lot about a free dating app called Tinder, and you decide to download it, create your Tinder profile, and start to swipe left or right. It’s as easy as swiping left if you don’t like what you see, or swiping right if you think you’re a match.
If you’re like millions of black singles who have tried to swipe to find your soul mate, you’ve probably deleted Tinder after your first conversation. You may have been overlooked by people you really liked and messaged by the kinds of people you’d never meet in real life. And, if you’re open to dating outside your race, you’re not sure if the person who contacted you is really into you or if he sees you as a sexual fetish.
Thus, it’s no wonder you’ve been tempted to delete all your dating apps once and for all. But, did you know there are apps designed specifically for black singles? These hot new apps bring together the black community and help men and women swipe for love in a safe space. Here are my top three you should try today:
1. Soul Swipe
Soul Swipe dating app was one of the first dating apps to be called “The Black Tinder.” The app connects to your Facebook account and begins sending you profiles to view based on your location settings. From there, you “let your soul do the swiping!” If you and a potential match both swipe right, then, you are allowed to chat with each other.
What you should know:
Word on the street is that Soul Swipe reviews emphasize the app has a similar reputation as Tinder. It’s a site for casual daters, but that just means you have to do your work and screen through a lot of profiles to sort through the game players.
2. MELD
Elite Black Dating App “MELD” Hosts Event in Manhattan, New York City @MELD_app @BlackNews https://t.co/q8WptDGVvk pic.twitter.com/0Qj5HaS4UO
— blicqer™ (@blicqer) July 5, 2015
If casual dating isn’t your thing, then, you’ll want to try out MELD dating app, which was created for black professionals. The MELD app follows the same swiping concept as Tinder and Soul Swipe, but the dating pool is more selective. The creators of the app understood that for many black singles, it was important they connect with someone whose lifestyle, education level, and financial stability were compatible with their own. So, the MELD dating app was designed to connect to your LinkedIn account instead of Facebook.
What you should know:
- The app has a greater base of users in areas where there’s a higher concentration of high achievers and high-income earners. If you’re in or around Atlanta, DC, LA, or Chicago, you’re more likely to have more profiles to look at than a person who lives in a tiny town in Mississippi. This just means you should be open to a long-distance relationship if you want to be successful with the app.
- There’s a paywall feature, meaning you can only look at 10 profiles per day for free. If you want more, you’ll need to subscribe and pay a monthly fee. The creators say this was done purposefully because they wanted only serious daters to use their apps. This means there are fewer people online who are playing games.
3. BAE
Student founder turns down Microsoft & Google to build his black dating app 'Bae': https://t.co/QNC1ntEClx pic.twitter.com/oBoePmIdkZ
— The Root (@TheRoot) March 31, 2016
The newest—and largest—black dating app on the scene is BAE, which stands for Before Anyone Else. Whereas the creators of MELD wanted to meet the needs of professional singles, the creators of BAE have an ambitious goal of having every single black person in the world download the app to their smartphone.
BAE was born when co-creators and biological brothers Brian and Justin Gerrard noticed their white male friend had 50 matches on Tinder in one week, while their African American male friend had only five. As a way to address the racial discrimination many black daters experience in cyberspace, the brothers, along with a friend, created the app and launched it at Howard University.
What you should know:
- As a newer app, BAE appeals to millennials and has many college-aged users as well as more established alumni.
- You can potentially have more matches on this app, as users can view up to 30 profiles every eight hours.
Watch this interview from A League of Her Own with Justin Gerrard, one of the creators of BAE app:
Online dating is challenging, especially when you’ve got more melanin than the average Tinder user, but apps like Soul Swipe, MELD, and BAE are hoping to change the online dating scene for black singles. The type of dating site you choose can mean the difference between frustration and finding true love. Give these new black dating apps a try, and begin your journey to finding long-term relationships. Who knows, your new bae may be a swipe away!
Which dating app will you try? We want to know your answer in the comments section below!
Up Next: Singles: Are You Equally Yoked In Dating and What Does It Really Mean?
Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on April 20, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
