5 Best Dating Mobile Apps of 2011

The technology of today is something your parents probably still cannot figure out. If you ever get the time and think you have the stomach to ask your parents how they met, well, go ahead and try it. Some of the answers you’ll probably hear include: high school, through a friend, at a sporting event, at the beach, on and on.

One of the answers you probably won’t hear: an online dating site.

That’s not to say that their “conventional” ways of mixing and mingling are outdated, but they’re definitely not as cool and as readily accessible as the ways we’re able to meet up today.

Online dating sites and social networking sites have taken the web by storm. With just about everyone today having some type of mobile technology, it’s now easier than ever to reach out and touch somebody.

There are hundreds of dating apps you can download right now, but only a few stand out as worthy of use. In this article, we’ll give a quick run-down of the five best dating apps of 2011.

1: eHarmony

Yeah, eHarmony is still the king of all dating sites. Even though sites like Match and Chemistry might boast more members, eHarmony has more advertising out there and is the best-known site across the world. It’s only fitting that this dating giant has recently released a dating app.

eHarmony’s dating app is basically just a mobile version of their original website. Because of the company’s thorough user base and its strong sense of customer support, this app was custom-made to offer a full-featured version of the site in a compact, mobile application.

2: Dating DNA

Dating DNA comes in near the top because of their free version. Yes, they also have a paid version, but you can get almost every feature (at least the features you really need for a dating site) via their free app.

This app from Dating DNA provides a lot of security and monitoring so that fake accounts don’t bog down their servers. This “real” membership base, along with customizable filters and personality profiles, allows users to find legitimate dates via their mobile devices.

3: Match

Probably the second-most recognized dating site in the world, Match.com has also hit their big number of features with the shrink ray and are now providing a mobile app for online daters. For existing Match.com members, you are able to link multiple devices under one account, and for new users, Match’s mobile app is ridiculously easy to use.

The app is also feature rich and offers everything you’ll find on Match’s main site.

4: SmartDating

This is a great app because it was designed to be a mobile application, unlike some other apps you’ll find. SmartDating is more of a “cutsie” dating setup, allowing users to meet potential dates in their immediate vicinity (if they choose) and send a wide assortment of winks, flirts, and virtual gifts.

With SmartDating, the idea is to have some fun and to relieve the pressure normally associated with meeting new people.

5: Grindr

Grindr rounds out our list due its relatively small user base, but makes the list because of its feature-rich and user-friendly interface. Catering specifically to gay and bisexual men, Grindr is perhaps the best niche-specific app on the market today.

At 1.5 million members, it is quickly catching up with other apps. And with its anonymous features and multiple platforms, its popularity is certain to keep increasing.

Dating apps today are literally a dime a dozen, but only a few stand out from the rest of the pack. These five apps are the best of the bunch and will top almost anyone’s list – and for good reason.

If you’re an online dater, these are must-have mobile apps. All of the above Apps are compatible with iPhone / iPad / iPod (iOS devices) and Android platform so can be downloaded from respective app stores.

Joshua Henry is lead writer for http://www.datingsites.org/ and has been writing dating content for multiple websites since 2005.