Online dating is a two and a half billion dollar industry in the U.S. alone.
Like website dating sites initially, dating apps have changed the way people connect and meet. Whim dating app is changing the market even more by focusing on getting people to connect in real life right from the start.
Message-centric app dating is a model that’s been around since the 1990s, but it can be frustrating with all the swiping and messaging. Other apps use a search and message feature, but Whim doesn’t allow for messaging. Whim is all about “dating, not texting”; they cut to the chase to set up actual dates.
Whim dates happen based on who you match with, when you’re available and where you reside (to be able to meet).
Whim provides a platform for a more helpful and more efficient way to help people connect in real life. They get rid of the frustration of pointless messaging and send users on real-life dates instead.
Read on to find out more about the background of Whim and how it works.
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Whim Dating App Review
What The Statistics Say
When potentials get matched and send messages, research shows that a massive eighty percent of dating app messages never get replied to.
Ninety percent of matches don’t make it to an actual face to face date, so only around ten percent of matches go on real-life dates.
There are, on average, twelve days of messaging before actual dates occur.
Whim claims that seventy percent of matches via their app result in offline dating.
Whim members are six times more likely to meet up than those on other dating apps.
History
Whim was founded by Eve Peters, a former manager at OkCupid Labs, in 2014. Located in San Francisco, the business was backed by 500 Startups. They raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through crowdfunding, and the product was tested, and a lot of research went into its building.
Peters conceptualized Whim when she noticed frustrated daters doing lots of work swiping and messaging, even before face to face meetings. Then, after all the texting, expectations wouldn’t match real life, and daters would feel let down.
Whim launched in San Francisco in 2015 and later in New York, but is now available throughout the U.S., where they have thousands of active members monthly.
How It Works
When Whim members register, they must complete a comprehensive profile and complete information like their viewpoints on life, personality traits, and habits. Naturally, they also pick their preferred qualities in a potential partner.
Members choose when they’re available for real-life dates and complete an availability diary for the week ahead. This information feeds into their software, and Whim’s system shortlists prospective partners.
Members then decide who they like from the shortlisted prospects, and those who consent then have their diaries checked for an available day to meet. Members are sent the profile of their future date so they can see who they will be meeting, their phone number, and the chosen public venue location is arranged.
Recommendations are made for specific bars, restaurants, or cafes located as equally distant to each other as possible. Alerts are sent via text, so it’s very convenient.
Members get a chance to call or message each other to confirm the meeting. However, Whim encourages people not to speak at length and instead wait for the actual date to get to know one another.
Daters can choose whether they want to give feedback on their date afterward, rating “ugh,” “ok,” “good,” or “great.” They can also report inappropriate behavior or that they never connected. Whim uses this data to provide a better level of service to its members.
Design & Safety
The app is available on iOS, and further funding will affect whether it will be offered on Android or desktop.
The layout and design are simple and elegant in turquoise and white colors. Using the app is easy to download, and the free version gives members a great chance to try it all out. Upgrading at a later date is straightforward.
Whim believes that technology is there to support real connections and not replace them.
Safety is a legitimate concern when it comes to meeting strangers, and Whim makes a good effort to vet all members. They supposedly hand check each new profile to ensure they meet authenticity and safety standards.
Pros
- The focus is on real dating as opposed to just online chatting.
- Makes meeting people a more intimate and genuine experience.
- There’s a free version.
- They do a lot of the hard work and arrange the time and place of the meeting point.
- Sets you up on face to face dates in just a few easy steps.
Cons
- Challenging to know which days you’ll be free for dates.
- Only available on iOS, not Android or desktop.
Paid vs. Free Membership Options
When you download the Whim app, it’s free; however, premium paying members get access to extra features.
The free version has the algorithm set up dates for their members, and the premium version allows members to set up their own dates even if their available dates or times don’t match at the outset.
The free version is good enough, but the premium only costs $19.99 per month, and so is very affordable.
Verdict
There are many reasons to like the Whim dating app.
Moving away from online chat and unnecessary conversations that can lead to nothing makes for a refreshing change.
No significant work needs to be done, there’s little build-up, and people can be on dates as soon as a match is available.
There’s no longer a need for constant swiping and messaging, and the app eradicates those who might be on dating sites just for messaging, which can, in turn, weed out the undesirables. Whim offers this great solution to bring back interpersonal interactions and influences the connection of couples with a live date. In their own words, they want “magic, not messaging.”
