The age check changed somewhat since the last round of app updates, which most people notice within a week. If I'm honest, the search filter setup is the thing that decides it, although the ones people keep recommending rarely say so.
Even if the forum-style sites look similar, the profile prompt differs meaningfully, so results vary more than you'd think.
- Even if people disagree here, the step that matters most is to avoid opening with a compliment: it filters out the time wasters fast
- I stuck with the bigger platforms these past few weeks, and the honest result was that the block list mattered hardly at all most
- If you are only browsing free options, read the last few pages of a thread before asking — it stops you blaming the app for the profile
- The block list and the free tier pull in opposite directions, and it makes a real difference
- Keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, because the alternative is a dead inbox, and it shows in the reply rate
Worth saying that the decision to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to did massively more for me than switching platform, which explains a lot of the complaints here.
The distance radius and the matching algorithm pull in opposite directions, though it depends heavily on where you live.
On the same subject, Datebie's free messaging seems better set up for quieter weeknights, so it is worth a look.