How to Create a Dating App in 2023 [Steps and Features List]

Technology is shaping how humans interact. Not just socially but romantically too. Dating apps are now common and bringing people close to their dream partners. The profitability and success stories of popular dating apps like Badoo and Tinder have made dating apps popular among investors and users.

You, too, can create your dating app. Want to know how? Read this article to discover the features and steps to develop your dating app.

Related: How to create a dating app that can compete with Badoo and Tinder.

Some Online Dating Statistics

To put some perspectives on the growth and prominence of dating apps. Let us consider some stats.

• Statista reports that over 366 million persons used dating apps/online dating in 2022. This number is set to grow to 440 million by 2027.

• The top dating site as of April 2022 was Badoo.com, netting 105.73 million monthly visits. Tinder.com was a close second with 94.96 million visits. In third place, pof.com (Plenty of Fish) had 32 million visits.

• Online dating sites made nearly $2.86 billion in 2022, which is predicted to hit $3.41 billion by 2027.

• The United States accounts for the most users of dating apps globally, with about 1 in 5 Americans using an online dating service. Dating apps are projected to generate $259.3 million by 2024 from the United States alone.

Basic Features

Dating apps are in the class of social interaction apps. However, they are different from regular social media apps due to features like swiping and matching algorithms. So if you are considering creating a dating app, you must note some of these features.

/01. Registration/Sign up

This feature gives users access to the app. Most times, people join a dating site out of curiosity or boredom. It is essential to make registration as straightforward as possible. After registration, you can enable sign-in using the user's social media/email accounts. The advantage of social media sign-in is convenience for the user and a more efficient sign-in process.

/02. User Profile

A user profile represents the persona of the user. The User profile is the means of identifying the person. Once the user creates a profile, he can edit it to create a unique personality. In the user profile, data such as gender, height, age, hobbies, interests, etc., are entered here. Crucially, the user profile must have a profile picture or pictures of the user to enable other users to find them.

/03. Matching System

Every dating app depends on some algorithm or technique for match-making users with their romantic matches. The dating app can match people based on compatibility metrics such as height, hobbies, or age. You can make the dating app a location-based app to match people close to each other. Another matching system is based on the user's behavior with the app. A calculation-based system also collects the answers a user provides to set questions and determines a perfect match.

/04. Chatting feature

After matching partners, they must be able to contact each other. Chatting, therefore, plays a critical role in bringing the partners closer. A major concern for dating apps is that users will likely migrate to other chatting apps instead of in-app messaging. To make the chat more fun and engaging, you can beat this problem by designing a sophisticated in-app chatting platform containing features like voice notes, photo-sharing, Gifs, and emojis.

/05. Voice and Video Calling

When matched, most people are skeptical about meeting their match physically and sometimes nervous about what to expect. Video or voice calling helps them break the ice. They also help build chemistry between would-be partners and quicken their communication. In addition, a video calling feature is useful for partners who are not in the same area but like to build a romantic relationship.

/06. Swiping

Dating apps use swiping to go through profiles of potential matches quickly. Swiping is a gamification feature that brings fun and entertainment in the search for the perfect partner. Swiping profiles engages the user more and helps them like or dislike profiles to their liking. Swiping left is to dislike and to the right is to like a profile. When two users swipe right on each other's profiles, the algorithm matches them.

/07. Geolocation

One quick way to match people on a dating app is to enable Geolocation. It pairs people living near each other. The dating app automatically suggests potential matches close by when it is turned on.

Geolocation is a great feature to match people in large cities with those in their districts or neighborhoods. An advanced Geolocation feature eliminates the likelihood of pairing people in different countries or cities.

How to Create a Dating App?

From market research to hiring a development team to app launch, check out the steps to building a match-making app.

/01. Market Research

First, you must know the users you want to attract to the app. What do they need in a dating app, and what would help them meet their matches quickly? You should also look at factors such as age, social status, sexual orientation, location, or interest.

During market research, you are to check out the strengths and weaknesses of your competition, the current dating trends, problems with traditional dating, etc.

It is important to carry out the discovery stage as it helps you with a rough idea of the app you want to build, including the costs and the duration of development. With well-conducted market research, you avoid pitfalls and future problems with the app.

/02. Monetization

You may be wondering how dating apps generate revenue. There are several ways to profit from owning a dating app. See some ways.

• Subscription

In this model, app users pay a fixed fee to access the app. The subscription plan can be monthly, six months, or yearly. The benefit of this model is a guaranteed income at the end of the subscription period.

• Freemium

The freemium model allows free use of basic parts of the app but demands a fee for more premium parts. For instance, the dating app could be free for users to meet all kinds of people, but a premium plan would open more advanced search options and more accurate matching with a compatible partner.

You can also make money by demanding a fee from users who want to remain hidden from others or who are unwilling to share personal information except with those they choose.

• In-app purchases

You can spice up the user experience on the dating app by placing gifts or flowers digitally on the app. For a user to express his interest or show affection to another user, he can buy these digital gifts to earn more points or more chances of being matched.

• Ad placement

The dating app can allow marketers or companies to place their products or services for a fee. Users on the app can view these ads and act on them. Try not to overload the app with too many ads. It is likely to put off users on the app.

/03. Hire a Development Team

The development team you engage is critical to your dating app's success. Assembling a development team with the right experience and capacity to deliver is challenging. The development team also impacts the total costs of development you are likely to incur.

To cut costs on the development, consider outsourcing to an overseas team. A typical app development team will consist of UI/UX designers, back-end developers, a project manager, Quality analysts, etc.

/04. Select Tech stack

The tech stack determines how and the platforms the app runs. It also determines the performance and scalability of the app. A tech stack comprises software, frameworks and programming language for app development.

You can choose a tech stack for Android development of the App or for the app to be based on IOS. However, it should be cross-platform based, which means the original code is reusable for the other platforms. The tech stack for a dating app should be like this:

• Programming language: Java, Kotlin, Swift

• Database: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis

• Frameworks: Node.js, Express.js, Next.js

• Cloud storage: Amazon S3

• Web servers: Nginx

• Payment Gateway: Stripe, Paypal

• Utilities: Google Maps, Twilio, Google Analytics

/05. Data Protection Considerations

You must prioritize protecting user data on the app, from user profiles to other personal information users share. You can utilize the General Data Protection Policy (GDPR) to safeguard private data.

The app should be hack-proof and put security in the hands of the users. Such features as blocking features or blocklisting of unwanted contents. The app must also comply with HIPAA regulations to assure users of their data privacy.

/06. Development and UI/UX design

At this stage, the development team takes over and begins the highly technical task of bringing your dating app ideas to life. Without a doubt, you must concentrate on the app's user interface design. A more intuitive UI design draws in users and keeps them longer than they intend.

You should prioritize user experience, and the best way to ensure user engagement is interesting is to design a simple yet sophisticated interface. Careful use of colors and placement of information and tabs must be considered. In addition, you have to optimize the interface for mobile use.

Once this is done, the development team releases a dating app prototype which the Quality Analyst tests for any defects or performance issues.

/07. Launch & Maintenance

Release the app on all app stores. Ensure the app is well-marketed and publicized to create awareness of its existence. You can offer discounts on premium features to encourage more downloads.

After launching the app, you have to ensure consistent and periodic checks on the app. The checks are to improve the app and eliminate bugs on the app. The optimal performance of the app is dependent on its maintenance of the app.

Conclusion

Dating apps are here to stay. The convenience and fun way to meet a partner it affords makes it a staple for people looking for love. In developing a dating app, you need the right technical know-how and a development team with a proven track record of developing scalable apps.

Code&Care is that team of experts with the competence and portfolio of projects executed to make your dating app ideas come true. Some of our past projects include developing a video calling app like Zoom and a question-and-answer app like Quora, etc.