Carolina Muñiz
Have you ever gone on a date with someone you have met online? In this article we will unfold the most popular free online dating sites in Mexico, their type of audience, how do they work, etc.
Use of dating apps in Mexico
Technology has evolved the way human beings interact. One of the tools that technology has brought with it is the internet, and it also brought changes in the way human beings act. Online dating removes many of the structural barriers and social sanctions that limit offline dating. This makes online dating an ideal domain for examining user preferences and initial dating contacts based on those preferences. However, this same logic suggests that offline singles often lack opportunities to meet desirable users or are inhibited by perceived social sanctions.
According to a survey done in februeary 2023, 30% of Mexican users of dating apps are looking for a formal relationship, but they are not exempt from casual encounters (28,9%), unconventional relations like threesomes (3,9%), and even, to make new friends (29,1%), while 7,9% looks for a partner for a specific activity.
Throughout 2020, lockdown and social distancing measures implemented to counter the spread of the coronavirus pushed many Mexicans to seek human contact on dating apps according to Statista.
According to Liftoff’s 2020 Mobile App Trends Report, there is a strong relationship between need and the speed with which users engage with the app after downloading it.
In the case of dating apps, it is the second fastest category to generate activity and purchase, with an average of 14 hours and 28 minutes after being installed. A piece of advice when investing in advertising in dating apps is to invest from the first day, since this is when user retention is highest with 26.3%, while after 30 days it drops to 3%.
Top 10 most used dating apps in Mexico
This is the list of the most famous and used platforms for online dating in Mexico:
Adopte
This platform, formerly known as AdoptaUnTio and originally from France, achieved enormous success in that country, which led to its expansion to other markets and in Mexico it was known as “Adopta un chico” (adopt a guy).
The app, which currently has more than one million downloads, offers a different model to other similar platforms, where men are the “products” and women are the customers of the service, thus adopting a similar essence to that of a store.
It also gives roles to both genders on this site: women are the “buyers”, so in the app they can get their ideal “product” from its very complete search engine, either by hashtags or by any of the categories offered by the platform’s “catalog”.
In the case of men, they can send spells to get the attention of women, as they are not allowed to interact with them until they are included in their shopping cart. The app (available on iOS and Android) is free, although most of its functions are used through a paid premium plan, something for which it has received a lot of criticism.
Badoo
Well-known dating site where users interact not only within your area or country, but they have the chance to interact with other people from different places or countries around the world. It was launched in 2006 and the app currently has more than 100 million downloads and is available on iOS and Android.
Badoo not only allows two people to talk and get to know each other (the usual way), but from a computer or a mobile you will be able to see that Badoo does not work like other sites or applications to meet people. For example, there are two ways to meet in the “Meetings” and “People Around Me” sections.
When first logging in, users create their profile by uploading photos and setting the age and gender of the people they want to meet. Once they get people to interact with – and if they both fit – they communicate through a simple chat or video call. The app currently has more than 100 million downloads and is available on iOS and Android.
Bumble
From the same creator of Badoo (in collaboration with former Tinder CEO Whitney Wolfe), they created Badoo. A platform to connect, not only those looking for a partner to date, but also for those who want to make friends on Bumblee BFF or find a new professional mentor on Bumble Bizz. Bumble is a great way to find people in your area who can give you the type of relationship you’re looking for.
It was designed to reinvent outdated, heterosexist norms of meeting people. The power remains in the hands of women as they control the conversation by making the first move. In addition to women making the first move, Bumble encourages all of its users to create safe and healthy connections. Once a match is made, the woman has 24 hours to start the conversation or the connection expires.
In same-sex matches, each person has the power to make the first move. Then the other person has 24 hours to respond or the connection times out. Currently, this application has more than 4 million users worldwide, mostly women. It can be downloaded on both Android and iOS.
Grindr
Grindr is the most used dating app by the LGBTIQ+ community. It has more than 2 million active users worldwide. The application shows the user’s photographs in the form of a mosaic, and allows you to see their geographical proximity (geosocial), and the user’s profile. You have the ability to chat, send private photos, or give the exact location of other users (GPS location).
Grindr comes in free and subscription-based versions (Grindr Xtra).
Happn
Dating service application designed to achieve a real encounter between people who have crossed paths in the comings and goings of their daily activities. Happn uses the location capacity of cell phone GPS and the Happen Map to crystallize that encounter between people who like each other.
The special thing about this application and what sets it apart from other dating services is its real time geolocation “Timeline”, that offers to help you “contact” any person who caught your eye at the bus stop , in the cafeteria or bar where you attend.
Happn was created in France in 2014 and now has 100 million users.
Loovoo
This dating app was created in 2011 in Germany and currently has 13.5 million active users worldwide. Lovoo is the German version of Badoo, but focused more on young people under 35 years old and with additional features that aim to make users have fun while they are flirting.
The app is available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store, with an easy registration process to create your profile.
Match
Online dating service that has presence in more than 24 countries, it was launched in 1995 as an experiment to measure the viability of online dating classified ads. Its mission is to provide a safe and reliable platform that allows single people to connect for the type of relationship they seek.
This site has registered nearly 60 million users in several Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Brazil.
Meetic
Online dating service of French origin, created in November 2001 and publicly announced in October 2005. Initially, this website worked only in France. However, over time it gained popularity and spread to other countries on the European continent.
Meetic is a website that allows the user to connect with other online profiles to make friends, expand the list of contacts around the world, and even find temporary or permanent partners. This online service is available in different parts of the world, including Latin America and Asia.
OkCupid
It is an application that is characterized by sending a questionnaire of at least 15 questions to a user at the moment he/she creates a profile, in order to measure his/her degree of compatibility with other people. Once the user is registered, he/she can search for friendships, profiles for sporadic encounters or a stable relationship.
It has about 3.5 million active users and has its iOS and Android apps.
Tinder
It is today the world’s leading platform for meeting new people. It was first tested among the members of a campus of the University of Southern California and created in 2011. Since then it has had unstoppable growth and is used by millions of people around the world. Nearly 73% of mexican people are registered on this app, according to Statista.
Officially, it is an application designed to meet new people. However, the people who use it, in general, are looking for a more intimate approach and it can be said that it is a full-fledged romantic dating app.
The power of Tinder is such that big brands have included it in their marketing plans. Some companies have worked on social media marketing strategies to promote themselves on Tinder and have succeeded. For example, Domino’s Pizza launched a campaign on the platform for Valentine’s Day, making men and women on the app swipe the screen to the right (giving “like” to the publication) and get special discounts and even free pizza. This campaign achieved a reach of 200,000 people and garnered more than 700 likes.
Want to know something really curious about Tinder? This app, as well as OkCupid, Meetic or Match… belong to the same group of companies, Match Group, which thus becomes the clear leader in a sector whose dating apps are used every day by millions of people around the world.
Image: Depositphotos
Keep informed of the most relevant news on our Telegram channel