Sweat together, stick together (find people you fit with)

Dating Apps

If you are looking for a long-term relationship or just friendships, there's a dating app for you. There are specific ones like our Fitafy app for lovers of all things fitness related. There is an even large number of general ones that cast wide nets, each with a slightly different twist in its focus. However, how safe are they?

Online dating sites have been around for over two decades now, but dating apps relatively new and are proving extremely popular with new ones popping up all the time. A dating app with extremely high security features that is incredibly popular with cautious users. Others with a unique embedded video features offering just what is needed in the restrained Covid-19 world we now live in. The paradigm shift of Zoom web-driven business meetings now the norm, who knows how the future of dating apps will develop. So many choices, so little time!

So, how do you find the perfect app for you?

Getting Started With An Online Dating Application

There are several basic questions you need to answer honestly to get you quickly on the path to find the dating app best for you.

You need to ask yourself, how committed am I? Do I want a free app or do I want to pay for a premium service? Am I seriously looking to finding a life partner or am I kidding myself, and really just want to meet people and have fun encounters to see where they go?

Some dating apps, like Plenty of Fish and Tinder let you set up a profile, view profiles of others and send messages for free. Many of the others let you view your potential matches without charging, however, they make you take up a subscription if you want to reach out and contact them without restrictive limits the ‘free’ account has.

If you are wanting a ‘premium’ experience, monthly charges for dating apps range in price from $10 to in excess $40. Discounts are offered by some if you commit to a long-term subscription period like six months or a year.

Like Google AdWords, some have options letting you pay to ‘feature’ your ranking in search results. This is great if you can afford the feature as it lets those using the app know you are super keen in him or her. Obviously, it will cost you extra but if it finds you the life partner you have been seeking it’s a small price to pay.

While there are some apps that may promote themselves as free, all of them try to upsell you to a subscription account so their efforts generate an ROI.

All match making apps have to make a dollar to pay for their existence. Even Facebook Dating is not totally free, as they monetise what you do and search as well and your personal Facebook profile data.

Selling Yourself On A Dating App

When you ‘put yourself out there’, as many of our friends call going on line, creating a profile can be scary when doing it for the first time.

All ask for the basic questions: name, age, height geographic location, a photo, request a short profile about yourself, smoker, non-smoker. Then, given the focus of the app platform, it can vary a lot. Some apps, like eharmony and RSVP make you fill out endless questions before you can even get close to start looking or searching for your match. Others like Tinder, focus on photos over endless personal details. Then others simply get you started with asking very little.

Time To Get Started On The App

Once you pick that perfect profile photo to use, write paragraph for your profile to sell yourself by focusing on all your best features and traits, it's time to get started.

This is where the big differences between from dating app to dating app start to become very obvious. What you will find is on Tinder with a swipe to the right if you want to connect with them as you like the profile presented, or swipe to the left if you want to move on to the next person. This makes it easy and very fast to select those you want to be connected with. Then you have a completely different approach used by Bumble, who puts all the power in women's court as men can't even contact a woman unless she's first expressed interest in him.

Then you have app platforms like Match.com who subscribers search for matching aspects of the gender they are seeking in a future partner. This is just like searching for a property to buy i.e. ticking boxes on how many how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want, desired location, desired land area etc. Given the comprehensive profile you set up, just as your detailed are filtered when others are searching their desired features in a partner, you do the same and the app platform filters suitable desired profiles for you.

We cannot emphasis enough, before you start on your journey, be very clear on what aspects of your desired partner are not negotiable and this will significantly speed up the process. If you want a partner with our children from a previous relationship then create this as a hard filter along with others like the importance of being with a non-smoker, non-drinker etc.

The First Profile Contact On An App

Now that you've set the non-negotiable aspects you can now peruse the pool of prospects in the dating pool to find that special someone. It is now time to be bold and actually reach out to your matches. Each app offers different ways to do this. Match.com will let you ‘wink’ at another member at no cost. sending and receiving winks is a casual flirtation and great way to break the ice and begin a conversation.

On most dating apps, initial messaging is generally free when both users like each other. However, ‘free’ non-subscription users only get so many likes per day. However, on some you will get charged to reach out to make contact with a profile you like. To speed things up, Bumble lets you send Bumble Coins. This is known as an in-app currency of the Bumble dating app and enables you to buy premium features and send prospective matches coins to contact you at circa $2 each coin.

The Convenience Of Phone Apps

In 2022, all of these dating sites offer both iPhone apps and Android apps. Most also have desktop access also for when you're at home or work and want a break from ‘the small screen’ on the phone. App functionality can vary substantially from site to site between the phone and desktop versions. For example, there's no swiping on Tinder's desktop version as a lot of monitors are non-touch.

Once you have selected the app you want to use (Hopefully its Fitafy!) install it, sign up for the service, get your profile up and get ready for some fun! Communication initially as a new user can be intense, so be ready to be overwhelmed. Some apps send daily match suggestions, others, send alerts that tell you every new ‘like’ or ‘wink’ you get. If you find them annoying, you can easily adjust these alerts in the apps settings menus.

You will read below on the safety aspects and real concerns of meeting complete strangers from the internet. If you find yourself getting unacceptable communications or situation you need to cut off contact immediately and all apps let you block and report users immediately from having any more contact with you. App providers are generally very good and vet profiles from messaging unwanted and inappropriate material.

Some blurs nudes with AI. Tinder have a great feature that lets you secretly alert emergency services if you find yourself in a threatening situation. While on this, Unsafe is a hands-free, voice-activated personal safety app with features specifically for online daters.

Virtual Dating & Social Distancing

Our social lives in the Covid-19 pandemic have been turned upside down with community lockdowns and movement restrictions. Online dating was created to meet up in person. However, Government legislation tells us, on occasions, that not only the responsible thing to do, but also the legal thing to do, is to stay at home. This has created a real dilemma for dating apps providers.

The easy ‘virtual dating’ solution is video chatting which lets you at least see the real person behind the profile instead of just messaging. Many apps offer video chat with many also adopting this feature.

Many use the free functions of Face Time and Zoom to take the communication to the next stage until face-to-face contact is safe to do.

LGBTQA - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Asexual.

You will be happy to know that if you are not part of the heterosexual dating pool, a lot of the main stream apps are inclusive for those falling in the LGBTQA communities.

The eharmony online dating platform now allows for same-gender couples. But, not all virtual dating platforms are LGBTQA friendly. Some force subscribers to choose between being a male or female, excluding options like gender fluid, pan sexual.

Which Dating App Should You Use?

Let’s not kid ourselves, online dating via desk top platform or dating app is hard work. So, don’t rush in and jump on an old one and make the task harder for yourself. Do the legwork first and do a deep dive into say 10 of the most popular apps to ensure you find the one that works for you.

Everyone's needs are different, so not every app will be a great fit for you. We think Fitafy is the perfect dating app for those that have fitness play a big role in their lives. In the time we have been in existence, the lasting relationships created already of people finding love so quickly is so call for the Fitafy team to hear about. It makes it all worthwhile. We are just a thrilled as well to hear of the so successful fast fun hook-ups we hear members doing with others on Fitafy keen on just meeting a fitness buddy.

The Dating App Revolution

The Internet has revolutionised the way you do things, making it possible to do what were once considered to be outside activities in a virtual online world that you can access through your gadgets. With online networks, you can easily communicate with other people despite being several hundreds of miles away from them.

Dating, in particular, has evolved immensely from the typical friend and family recommendations to the now-popular dating sites. The online dating space has exploded so much that about 39% of couples in 2017 said they met online, compared to 22% in 2009. With the continuous advancement of technology, the possibilities of online dating continue to grow.

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Shortly after the modern newspaper was invented in 1690, British newspapers started publishing personal advertisements to help British bachelors find wives. One of the first known ads was one of a 30-year-old man with a good estate who was willing to match himself to a young lady with a fortune of about £3,000.

Later on, ads became a way for the gay community to meet discreetly since homosexuality at the time was punishable by law. Advertisements, however, were mostly posted by high-society men. When the first woman posted an ad in 1727 to look for someone to spend her life with, she received much backlash and rejection.

Although the act of publicly advertising the need to find a partner was seen to be nontypical in the early 1800s, it slowly crept into the mainstream when newspapers like The Marriage Gazette became massive hits in the newsstands.

In 1870, San Francisco created the first newspaper for singles, known as The Matrimonial News. Women were allowed to post ads for free, while men paid 25 cents to do so. As ads were more accepted in the early 1900s, they became a way for lonely World War I soldier to find women or pen pals.

Data in Dating

As technology started to pick up in the early 20th century, data became more widely used in the matchmaking process. A Stanford project in 1959 was one of the earliest uses of the standard matching algorithms today. The project made use of an IBM 650 that determined similarities among 98 participants using a 30-question profile. A few years later, in 1965, Harvard students created Operation Match, which was used by more than a million daters. Users would pay $3 to answer a questionnaire and receive a list of potential matches in return.

Decades after the success of Operation Match, Kiss.com was launched in 1994 with more modern features on online dating. A year later, Gary Kremen created the famous Match.com, which continues to be one of the most popular dating sites used today. By 1996, there were already 16 dating sites listed in Yahoo.

Throughout the years, popular culture became a driving force to increase the popularity of dating sites. For instance, the 1998 movie “You’ve Got Mail,” featuring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, who fell in love over the internet, shed a positive light on the idea of two people meeting and getting together online. In 1982, the song “Computer Love” also made it to the #1 spot on the UK singles chart.

40 years after the creation of Operation Match, Harvard students launched what is now known as OKCupid. The site lets users list prompts and questions to test how likely it is for them to get along with potential matches.

By the 21st century, dating sites had grown so much that it thrived even with the introduction of social networking sites like Facebook in 2004. As dating sites became the norm, however, there grew a need to spread awareness on the possible risks of entering the online space. As a result, the documentary Catfish was released in 2010 to give online daters and other viewers an idea of the dangers of being cat fished.

Online Dating Today

The stigmas associated with online dating have gradually decreased, with more and more people becoming accepting of dating sites recently. Several dating sites have also entered the online space with more advanced features, while existing dating sites continue to improve on features like security. By 2009, 61% of same-sex couples had found their partners online, and today, over 40 million Americans have tried online dating.

Fitafy is the Aussie-born dating app that is experiencing strong growth popularity and proving to be a game changer for fitness singles and the Airborne Magazine team have gathered this information on it…

The dating app is solving a heart-breaking problem for the world’s fitness singles: finding a soulmate who shares their passion for healthy living. FITAFY harnesses cutting edge technology to help active people easily and safely ‘find their fit’ – and it’s already a runaway success.

With fifteen million swipes, 600,000 messages, 500,000 matches and two engagements so far, the Australian-born app is revolutionising romance for fitness-focused singles.

FITAFY’s unique features are not based on weight, shape or ability but rather interest, hobbies and personal dietary preferences – hello fellow vegan, keto or intermittent faster. The app allows users to quickly find internet dating matches who enjoy the same activities, share similar fitness levels and goals.

Created in Perth by tech entrepreneur, WAFL footballer and fitness veteran Stephen Mansfield and tech professional Cem Miral, FITAFY was inspired by chats with gym buddies who were kicking fitness goals while their love lives stood still.

“They were frustrated that existing dating apps are saturated with people who don’t share the same lifestyle values,” says Mansfield. “It’s very difficult to filter them out.”

In a survey of the Australian fitness community, 100 percent said it was essential for their partner to lead a healthy lifestyle, 100 percent lamented that it was hard to find someone in the current dating sphere – and 100 percent said they would pay for an app that helped them find their fitness-focused love match.

Time was the major hurdle, according to Miral. “Active people are busy. Outside work, their hours are filled with exercise, preparing healthy meals and the many other commitments involved with active lifestyles. That leaves very little time for finding meaningful connections.”

In 2021, picking up at the gym is a big no-no. “There’s a motto out there in the gym community: ‘don’t’ screw the crew. The question from fitness singles was always the same, say the FITAFY co-founders: why should I have to choose between love and a healthy lifestyle.” With statistics showing that 54 percent of couples in 2020 met online, Mansfield and Miral saw huge demand for FITAFY.

Every unique FITAFY feature streamlines the search and boosts the odds of finding a match. Detailed filters and an intuitive interface allow users to share their favourite activities, dietary preferences and fitness levels on their profile.

Safety is embedded into the app, with gold-standard selfie facial recognition software confirming your identity with a blue tick, protecting against catfishing.

In a standout feature and a first for dating apps, FITAFY’s powerful technology links to your fitness apps and devices, so you can share your activities and goals.

API integration connects with Apple Watch, Fitbit, Strava, Google Health, Apple Health and more, so users can display a snapshot of their active lifestyle on their profile, right down to average calories burned per day or the time and distance of their most recent activity. “It provides transparency,” say the co-founders. “You can see at a glance how active other users are.”

Fully inclusive and with a focus on respect, welcome, wellbeing and community, FITAFY is also a platform where fitness lovers can meet like-minded friends, and find inspiration and motivation.

"We hope the app also encourages users of all fitness levels and preferences to share and meet their fitness goals, whatever they may be,” says Mansfield. “From walking to yoga to team or elite sports, you’ll find a community on FITAFY.”

After its flying start in Australia, FITAFY has already taken off in the UK and will launch in the US late this year, fuelled by Series A funding. The plan for this Aussie app is to keep expanding globally, ensuring every fitness lover in the world can find their fit, and enjoy a relationship that’s healthy in every sense.