Ah yes, love. Love is indeed in the air, especially since today is Valentine’s Day. It’s as if the holiday season was just yesterday, and here we are with the year’s first big capitalist holiday right on our doorstep. If you have someone special to call your valentine, good for you. And even if you don’t, don’t fret! There’s still a chance for you. It’s never too late to tell that guy in your chem lab that you think you guys have perfect chemistry. Or even better, you can surprise your crush by sending Case Western Reserve University’s Case Mens’ Glee club with a singing telegram to profess your undying love to them. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re shy. You don’t wanna put yourself out there just yet on this beautiful, pink and red holiday season. I get it, I hear you loud and clear. So, what last-minute options do we have left? If you, like me, are trying to find a way to fight the Valentine’s Day blues and are trying to find a last-minute guy to sweep you off your feet, may I so kindly and humbly suggest the millennial-approved, tech-savvy way of dating, online dating apps. 

I’m not the world’s most experienced person with online dating apps, but I have dabbled here and there, so I can at least say that I’ve been around the block once or twice when it comes to trying to navigate the interwebs of finding love. I have attempted to round up the most common dating apps that I have either tried or have heard a lot about. Here is my take on the dating apps that have the most potential to help you find that someone special or, really, just a someone, this corporate holiday season. 

To make things even spicier, I’ve added in 2000s/2010s TV references to keep you on your toes. See if you can catch them all! 

Note: I am a cisgendered heterosexual female who is interested in males. I am writing this from a purely heterosexual point of view from my experience and don’t mean any harm or foul. 

Hinge (How I Met Your Mother)

Truly, the crème de la crème of the dating apps, in my humble opinion. Hinge is the app that keeps on giving, in the sense that there is a plethora of witty banter and conversation to be had. Although I haven’t been able to match with the Teds and Barneys of the world yet, Hinge’s mainly monochromatic design lets users create captions for each of their six photos, plus an additional three prompts that allow for potential matches to learn more about you. Which conversation starter will be the one that you tell your kids when you tell them how you met your perfect match one day? Alongside getting to know a future match through their words or photos, Hinge also encourages its users to be transparent about their three V’s: vitals, virtues and vices. I must admit, it’s been a lot easier to match with people when you get to know more about them, beyond just a poorly written bio and a mirror pic here and there. Overall, the app’s aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-use, with its black-and-white layout that includes touches of purple, red and pink to inspire you to find your Marshall in this sea full of Barneys (sorry, Neil Patrick Harris!), who will treat you right, drink that cocktail with you and take you on the date that you deserve to go on this Valentine’s Day. Ironically, this app was suggested to me while I was on a first date with a guy that I had just met on a different dating app. 

Tinder (Jersey Shore)  

Like looking at a train wreck, Tinder is the one dating app that people can’t seem to take their eyes off of. For many, Tinder is the gateway drug into online dating, much like how Seaside Heights was the gateway drug that introduced our generation to poorly produced reality TV. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to compare Tinder to the zip code that gave us the GTL, but Tinder’s abundance of shirtless beach pics, guys overly flexing in the weight room or even worse, doing some type of illegal substance for the rest of the world to see, can make one feel like they’re laying out on South Beach. Almost as if you’re out on the boardwalk taking it all in, Tinder lets users have unlimited access to potential matches that are in their area, which, hopefully, increases your chances of scoring a potential match. This is made even easier with Tinder’s classic swipe left and right technique that’ll get you one step closer to finding your potential next date. Although, I would caution not to look for everlasting love on this app. While it’s true that many happy and successful couples have come from this app, it’s still predominantly seen as a hookup app. But, if you’re looking for a quick night out on the town, Tinder is the app for you.  

Bumble (The Bachelorette)

If you’re looking to feel empowered as a woman when it comes to online dating, then Bumble is the app for you! Bumble is an app that is designed to make the woman take the lead, which can be nerve-racking at times, but also a confidence booster when you realize you get to set the tone of the upcoming conversation. I still remember when I got my first match, I truly felt like I was Rachel Lindsay giving out my first rose to the guy I was going to start my conversation with. Bumble is definitely more colorful than the other dating apps that I’ve been on. The bright yellow and different golden hues usually have me leaving the app with a positive boost of energy. But, be careful not to let your roses wilt before they’ve had the chance to flourish. If you are looking for a homosexual relationship or identify as female on the app, and don’t message first within 24 hours of matching, what could have been the start of something new will turn into dry flowers. If you’re looking for a chance just to meet people in your city or a chance to network in a novel way, Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF are buzzing right behind the original Bumble Date feature to help give you a wide range of people to choose from and meet! Find more than just love this Valentine’s Day with Bumble!