Finding a one-time hookup or fling can be surprisingly difficult on the majority of dating apps. Luckily, there are some that are designed specifically for casual sex and friends with benefits.
Feeld caters to a diverse range of sexual desires, supporting users seeking threesomes, polyamory, swinging, casual sex and alternative steamy encounters. The app offers a free sign up and browsing, but to chat you will need credits or a subscription.
1. AFF
AFF, formerly Adult Friend Finder, is an industry heavyweight for casual encounters. The site focuses on alternative relationship styles, including swinging and polyamory, and caters to men and women seeking kink-related adventures.
Users can refine their search criteria by sexual orientation, fetishes and other personal details. They can also hover over profiles for a quick look at their bio. If they find someone they like, they can send a message, flirt or add them to their hot list.
One cool feature is that AFF lets members rub shoulders with cam models, who are usually fellow AFF-ers. However, it’s important to note that the site is a magnet for scammers and fake profiles.
2. Tinder
Tinder is probably the most well-known dating app on the market. While it may not be the best for long-term relationships, it is great for casual sex and one-night stands.
The app works by showing users a series of photos of potential matches. If they like a profile, they swipe right. If they match with someone, they can chat and get to know each other.
Tinder also offers a premium subscription, called Tinder Plus. This tier comes with extra features, including a video chat feature and a priority like that gives subscribers’ profiles more visibility than non-subscription members’. It also includes a rewind button and allows users to change their location using Passport.
3. Bumble
Bumble is a dating app that puts women in charge. When two people match, women can choose to message first. This eliminates sleazy messages that guys often receive on other apps like Tinder and makes the experience better for girls.
Bumble uses a unique algorithm to match users based on their profile and preferences. It also takes location and age into consideration to curate a list of potential matches.
Once a match is made, the woman has 24 hours to make the first move and message her match. If she doesn’t, the match disappears. Bumble also offers a premium upgrade that allows users to see who’s liked their profile.
4. Grindr
The app uses geo-location services to display nearby users. It also features chat and messaging options, and allows users to mark profiles as favorites.
While some users complain of an onslaught of dick pics and sugar daddy bots, Grindr has been a game-changing force in the gay community. One man told me that his relationships typically start with casual sex on Grindr at 2 am, then move on to drinks the next day. The app also offers a variety of privacy features, including the ability to see who has viewed your profile and to use Grindr incognito. Using a VPN is another way to hide your identity while using the app.
5. PURE
Pure is dedicated to making sure that the app is a safe place for hookups, so it’s designed with privacy in mind. All photos, chats and audio self-destruct after 24 hours, and the app doesn’t save anything to your device gallery.
You can connect with people by clicking a heart on their personal ad, and if they click the heart back, you can start chatting. Pure also allows you to block profiles and report them for harassment.
The app is free for women, and men pay a subscription fee. However, they do get a 3-day free trial.
6. Devil’s Bones
If you’ve got a foot fetish, oral sex, or anything else, chat and match in Devil’s Bones. This game adds a fun and flirty layer to Pure, but you’ll only get matched if you have the right amount of chips in your account. Chips aren’t easy to come by, but if you play the game often, you can make money and boost your chances of getting a like.
Carolyn Haines’s lively 21st installment of the Sarah Booth Delaney series finds her and best friends Tinkie Richmond and Cece Dee Falcon heading to Lucedale, Miss. for a retreat of facials, massages, and world-class eating.