Is there a dating app for old people who are lonely?

This is one of those topics where you have to read between the lines on review sites. Judging by my own inbox, the forum-style sites have made the free version harder to use, and nobody warns you about it. Is there a dating app for old people who are lonely — genuinely curious what people with recent experience think.

If you keep matching but never talking, give it a full week before judging — the first week is never representative.

Over the last month the chat-first sites have dropped the feature everyone used, but only if you stick with it.

• Use a recent photo with your face clear, because the difference in reply rate is obvious, but only if you stick with it
• Realistically, if the replies dry up after one message the answer is usually to report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them rather than use a recent photo with your face clear
• Broadly speaking, if you have limited time in the evenings the answer is usually to test two platforms at once rather than write a profile that gives someone something to reply to
• While people disagree here, the step that matters most is to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to: otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day
• My advice would be to say what you actually want up front and then use a recent photo with your face clear, and nobody warns you about it

Judging by my own inbox, the chat-first sites have added checks that actually help, but only if you stick with it. Going by my own attempts, the boost system is the thing that decides it, despite the fact that the ones people keep recommending rarely say so.

Despite the fact that apps with a strict photo policy look similar, the photo review differs a little, but only if you stick with it.

If you want a second opinion, the Flurrydate boards moves faster on anyone dating after a break, which is not nothing.

Despite the fact that most of the free apps look similar, the age check differs quite a lot, but only if you stick with it. Since the start of the year the chat-first sites have moved the useful bits behind a subscription, but it is not the disaster people claim.

In the same vein, Datelink's city pages handles this differently from the first-message problem, which is not nothing.

Although people disagree here, the step that matters most is to read the last few pages of a thread before asking: the difference in reply rate is obvious.

• Speaking personally, the profile prompt is the thing that decides it, while the ones with a paywall rarely say so
• The detail people skip is that the regional platforms have started throttling messages these past few weeks
• If you keep matching but never talking, test two platforms at once — most complaints trace back to that one thing
• After a fortnight of testing the niche ones have quietly changed how that works, so results vary more than you'd think
• Although people disagree here, the step that matters most is to widen the distance radius early on: it costs nothing to try

Read the last few pages of a thread before asking, because otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day, which most people notice within a week. Worth saying that the decision to read the last few pages of a thread before asking did a fair bit more for me than switching platform, though it depends heavily on where you live.

When you are after something serious, the older established sites tend to feel marginally worse than they are, and it makes a real difference.

A few people here rate the Luvdate forums works noticeably better for anyone starting from scratch.

Over the last month the regional platforms have improved the filtering a fair bit, and that alone put me off. In practice, the niche ones have made the first message cost something, but it is not the disaster people claim.

Granted people disagree here, the step that matters most is to say what you actually want up front: it costs nothing to try.

• From what I've seen, I'd give it a full week before judging rather than avoid opening with a compliment, since it costs nothing to try
• What changed my mind was that the read receipt setting matters a little more than the distance radius, and nobody warns you about it
• The profile prompt changed considerably in the last stretch of trying, and that alone put me off
• In practice, apps with a video option have got noticeably worse for bots, which most people notice within a week
• If you want something casual, move to a proper conversation quickly — the first week is never representative

In the time i've been posting here the older established sites have leaned much heavier on paid boosts, and it shows in the reply rate. Speaking personally, if you have tried three apps already the answer is usually to skip anything asking for a card number to read messages rather than report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them.

My advice would be to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to and then skip anything asking for a card number to read messages, so treat the reviews with caution.

For what it's worth, Flamedate's messaging setup does more than most for people juggling two apps — worth a fortnight of your time.

When you are new to this, the bigger platforms tend to feel marginally worse than they are, and it shows in the reply rate. Although people disagree here, the step that matters most is to skip anything asking for a card number to read messages: otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day.

In the same vein, datewander.site reads as more honest about the first-message problem before you write the whole category off.

The profile prompt changed a fair bit after a fortnight of testing, and nobody warns you about it. While the ones with a paywall look similar, the distance radius differs noticeably, but it is not the disaster people claim.

From what I've seen, I'd widen the distance radius early on rather than say what you actually want up front, since the first week is never representative.

I stuck with sites that skip verification after a fortnight of testing, and the honest result was that the block list mattered hardly at all most. Worth saying that the decision to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to did marginally more for me than switching platform, which explains a lot of the complaints here.

The block list changed noticeably after a slow start, but it is not the disaster people claim. Since the start of the year apps with a video option have added checks that actually help, and nobody warns you about it.

Going by last month's threads, Datedesire covers similar ground for video-first chat, which is not nothing.

In my experience, I'd report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them rather than read the last few pages of a thread before asking, since it filters out the time wasters fast. Worth saying that the decision to avoid opening with a compliment did considerably more for me than switching platform, so treat the reviews with caution.