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A dating app for the post #MeToo era has just launched in America. The wistfully title ‘Once’ involves no ceaseless swiping and no sexy robots using stolen pictures to try to part you from your social security number.
Instead, the app uses a deep learning-powered algorithm to partner you with one potentially perfect match each day. When you sign up for the app, which takes about ten minutes, you’re taken through a series of questions about what you do and don’t like in a match. From there, you’re given some profile pictures to rate based on what you’re into personally. Your future matches will be calibrated to your preferences, and the more you use the app, the better it gets at picking out users you’ll actually like.
Just like other dating apps on the market, you can only chat with matches who are also into you. Once you’ve been matched, you have 24 hours to decide if you’re interested in them. The purpose of delivering just one match a day, and time-limiting your opening line, is to facilitate face-to-face meetings as quickly as possible. With less chats going at once, you can focus on the ones that really show promise.
The “quality over quantity” vibe–which Once describes as “slow dating” is not what gives the app its female-friendly credibility. That comes from a new feature, added to the app in response to the recent groundswell against sexual harassment off and online.
If you’re a woman who dates men, you can rate your potential paramours in the app, both on their pre-date chat game, and on their behavior after you meet in person. That means no Toms telling you “I love Asian women” as a creepy conversation opener; no Harrys-who-look-nothing-like-their-profile; and definitely no unsolicited dick pics.
"I am appalled at some of the experiences my girlfriends have endured whilst looking for a partner online,” Once Co-CEO Clémentine Lalande said of the feature’s introduction. “In 2018, it is time for women to feel protected and safe.”
Women who date men are also invited to leave constructive comments about their dates. These are filtered by Once’s moderation team, who have the power to kick creeps off the app, ignore any uncalled for comments, and make sure you find out when a fellow Once user thinks your next date has a great sense of humour.
While men cannot make public comments about their matches, all users are able to rate their matches based on the accuracy of their profile pictures. The app also preferences matches between users who’ve been active in the last 48 hours, and makes it very easy to flag profiles that might be cat-fishers or robots.
Although it only launched in the United States on February 28, the app already has 200,000 US users signed up. Meanwhile, in Europe, where Once has been running since 2015, the app facilitates 20 million matches a month.
“After a couple of messages on Once - the best app of the century - we decided to meet IRL in a cafe in Paris,” say Once success story Marion and Thomas. “The heartfelt blow was reciprocal... This was back in fall of 2015, we haven't left each other's side since,” explain the pair, who had twin babies in May of 2017.
Once is also available to women who like women, men who like men, and everyone who likes anyone–because you don’t have to be straight to want to declutter your dating life.
Even if you’re not in the market for marriage and twin babies, a dating app that encourages less time on screen, and more time making eye-contact IRL is certainly a change of pace. Romantic spontaneity, with a healthy dose of efficiency? It’s a very European way to date.
