Best for: Singles looking for simple, good fun
Free feature: Reading incoming messages
Recommended ages: 25+
Perk: Super fast and easy signup process
iDates Matchmaking Features
As mentioned, iDates has both desktop and mobile versions. So, you can enjoy all the features whether you’re at home on your desktop or out and about on your smartphone. Do you have an Apple Watch? Great! You can even access the app from this wearable device.
iDates isn’t run by an incredibly sophisticated matchmaking algorithm, something you might have guessed by the fact that the questionnaire is so slim. But that’s part of the charm this site offers—spontaneity! You’ll start out with a screen of profile pics. Browse through the list, and when you’re interested in a potential match, you click on their picture. This will open up the profile page giving you lots more information about the person. Depending on which questions they’ve answered on their profile questionnaire, you can learn what their interests are, what type of profession they're in, what level of education they have, what languages they speak, etc.
If you like what you see, you can literally ‘Like’ what you see. That is, click the Like button on a profile to tell the other person you’re into them. Another cool feature on iDates is that Likes work in real time. So when you click Like, the other person sees it immediately. And if that person likes you back, you’ll get an instant notification, so you can start chatting right away instead of waiting until you’re both online at the same time.
If you’re really interested, you can send them a message or even send a kiss from this same page. While you can read messages for free, sending a message costs 50 coins. A nice thing iDates does is give you 100 free coins when you sign up, so you can get started immediately and not worry about charging up your account with coins.
If you don’t instantly spot anyone that you’re interested in, you can customise your search results by age range, sexual preference, and basic location. It’s not as thorough as many other dating sites, but it’s still nice to be able to narrow down your selection.
iDates Signup
One of the best parts of using iDates is the signup process. There’s no hour-long registration form to fill out before you can start having fun. Instead, you answer 3 basic questions:
Are you a man or woman seeking a man or woman (iDates is compatible for LGBTs)?
How old are you?
What is your email address?
And that’s it; you’re in! You can also sign up instantly via Facebook or Google for an even easier time. If you opt to use Facebook, iDates will pull information from your Facebook profile, so it’ll save you even more time when filling out your iDates profile.
The profile page is also extremely easy to fill out. Many dating sites make you fill out pages upon pages of questions about your preferences, personality, and penchants. While this gives much more information to other members, iDates prefers to go the short, sweet, and to the point route. It asks only the most basic questions: things like education, whether or not you have kids, and what type of smoker/drinker you are—you know, the important things! Everything else, you can talk about once you start connecting with other members. You can also opt to leave these blank if you just want to dive right in and start searching for matches. All in all, it’s a much faster and easier entrance than the majority of dating sites out there.
iDates Pricing
With iDates, the initial signup is free, but you're going to have to pay for it if you want to get serious about online dating. Like most sites, iDates requires you to pay for communications. What's unique about the iDates service is that it lets you read messages you’ve been sent for free. Most online dating services let you see that you’ve received a message but make you pay if you want to read it. This is cool because it allows you to read what the person has to say and decide if you'd like to spend the money on a conversation with them. With a free account, you can create a profile, read messages, and view profiles.
The way you pay for chats is with coins that you can buy as an in-app purchase. Pricing is pretty straightforward, and you get bonus coins the more coins you buy. For example, 220 costs $7.54, but you’ll get 500 coins for just $15.09. Here’s a pricing breakdown:
220
20
$7.54
500
50
$15.09
1270
120
$37.75
2640
240
$75.52
5500
500
$151.05
iDates User Experience
The entire iDates site and app are designed for simplicity and speed, so users will certainly appreciate the clean and easy-to-use interface. Everything is neatly arranged on the page, so nothing is overwhelming or concealed behind some convoluted tab structure. What’s more, you can filter your search results by hiding or showing profiles that have liked you, sent you messages or\ kisses, viewed your profile, or sent you presents. This is very helpful if you’re trying to find a specific profile or if you want to know who’s been checking you out lately.
The match search is straightforward, with clear profile pics displayed in simple columns for easy browsing. The entire site is designed for fast and easy matchmaking, so you can quickly find several potential matches, get in touch, and get the ball rolling without all the hassle that many other dating sites bring with them.
iDates Safety
iDates takes the safety of its members seriously. In fact, it has a Block button directly on each profile page. So, if someone is offensive or bothering you, you can simply click the Block button, and they'll no longer be able to contact you.
It also has strict guidelines about posting pictures such as no group photos (since the site can’t be sure that the other people in the shot have given their consent to be put up in public), no obscured faces (people want a clear view of who they’re meeting online – it’s a common-sense precaution), and definitely no children in the shots. Additionally, no nudity, violence, insults, or drug paraphernalia is allowed in any photos. You’ll also get deleted if you try to put up a phone number (or an advertisement) because this is a major security no-no. These are all safety precautions that are not only logical but give users a good feeling of being protected and looked after while using this service.
iDates Support
In terms of support, iDates is definitely all over that. When you first sign up, you’ll immediately get a chat box connecting you to a support agent in case you have any questions or need someone to walk you through the initial steps. There’s also a small FAQ section (though you won’t get much information from it honestly). You can also send iDates an email or talk to a rep via live chat.
Is iDates Right for Me?
iDates is a perfect solution for today's fast-paced, no BS society. It's quick and easy to use, doesn't require any long, drawn-out registration, and lets you get to the point—the actual dating—right away. It may be missing some of the typical bells and whistles that other dating sites offer, but that's part of the iDates’s philosophy—If you’re looking for simple and good fun, it’s a great option for you.
