It was the writer's dating app. If you were one of those people who relied on clever copy than, say, photos, OKCupid was your site. Some of my best material was in my 2009 dating profile. Eharmony is a long-time player in the online dating game, and the first service to push an algorithmic system to try to make the best possible dating matches for its members.

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Tinder Available in 190 countries, it's the most popular dating app in the US. If you live in a large city, the potential dating pool is huge – the app claims to produce 26 million matches every day. One of the first free dating apps on the scene, Zoosk is integrated with Facebook and Google+, which makes it even easier to sign up and start searching for your match. Not only does Zoosk have a free app for iPhone and Android, but it also has a free Facebook-specific app, allowing you to choose which one works best for.

'I call big spoon. Is that gonna be a problem?'

It goes without saying that your opening line has the potential to make or break a match on a dating app. If you totally knock it out of the park with a cute or clever opener, you can not only land a date, but also spark some flirtatious vibes from the get-go. No pressure or anything, right? If you're feeling uninspired (or just tired of using the same ol' conversation starters), fret not: There are a slew of opening lines to use on dating apps that will make a stellar first impression.

There's an art to crafting the best opening lines. For one, you want to be yourself — that's the only way to tell if you have a genuine connection with someone. It's also a good idea to scope their profile and look for little tidbits worth commenting on, like the fact that they traveled somewhere that's on your wanderlust wishlist, or have an interesting tattoo. Be on the lookout for anything you have in common — if you both majored in child psychology, quoted Dwight Schrute, or live for folk-rock music, those are all things you can point out in smooth opening lines.

Ultimately, a winning first message is unique, easy to respond to, and makes the recipient smile, laugh, or smirk (or some combination of the three). Here are a few good opening lines that are bound to stand out in a sea of matches and messages.

• 'Pop quiz: What are your thoughts on pineapple pizza? No pressure, but this could seal our fate.'
• 'I think there's something wrong with my phone... because I can't find your number in it.'
• '[Insert GIF of the Titanic splitting in half] An icebreaker. There, I did the thing.'
• 'In case you were wondering, dad jokes are the way to my heart. Anddd fire away! The cornier, the better.'
• 'Two truths and one lie — go. Fair warning: I'm pretty good at this.'
• 'Looking for the Jim to my Pam... know anyone who might be interested?'
• 'I have this rule where I only talk to strangers on the Internet about pizza. So, thin crust or deep dish?'
• 'You can tell a lot about a person by their Netflix queue. So, what's the last thing you watched?'
• 'I'm going to make this real easy. If you want to make me swoon, send me the best animal GIF you can find.'
• 'Be honest: Did you swipe right for me or my fur baby?'
• 'What size bowling shoes should I get for you? You know, for our date at the bowling alley this weekend.'
• 'If you were a vegetable, you'd be a cute-cumber.'
• 'If you were a fruit, you'd be a fine-apple.'
• 'When your mom told you she wanted the best for you, I'm pretty sure she was talking about me.'
• 'My grandparents met on [insert dating app name], so I'm feeling really good about this.'

• 'I've heard that flattery will get you everywhere, so has anyone ever told you that you look like [insert celeb's name]?'
• 'I don't mean to brag but I happen to be really good at overthinking my dating app messages. What about you?'
• 'Wanna send memes back and forth until we finally feel comfortable enough to meet up IRL?'
• “I’m from the future and we need to be together because our child will achieve world peace.'
• 'Let’s just skip to the important stuff: Chunky or smooth peanut butter?'
• 'Sorry it took me so long to message you, I was at Trader Joe's trying to figure out what to buy you for breakfast.'
• Serious question. Best invention: tacos or [insert dating app you matched on]?'
• 'Here's my life story in five emojis. I'd love to hear your interpretation of that. Better yet, what's yours?'
• 'I call big spoon. Is that gonna be a problem?'
• 'Real talk. Is that actually your cute dog or did you borrow him for bait? (BTW, it's totally working).'
• “Sorry, I’m looking for the exit, so we can go out?”
• “If you could live in any sitcom, what sitcom would it be?”
• “You’re putting together a mixtape for your crush, what’s your opener song?”
• “I can tell a lot about a person from their favorite Disney movie. What’s yours?”
• “Choose your own adventure: Brunch date, hiking date, or movie date?”

The goal is to kick off the convo with a line your match cannot refuse, and any of these dating app opening lines is sure to do that. By putting in the extra effort to say more than just a “hey,” you’ll start seeing those replies in no time.

As a gay man, dating can be difficult. For straight people, dating is a little more — for a lack of better words — straightforward. Straight folk can walk up to one another and assume that the other is most likely straight. For gay men, hitting on a guy in public isn’t always as easy. Unintentionally hitting on a straight dude isn’t the most comfortable of situations, and quite honestly, it sometimes can get a little dangerous. This is why the best gay dating apps are an effortless, safe way to find love for LGBTQ+ folk.

Sure, gay bars are typically a surefire way to meet other gay men in the flesh — and let’s not forget about your straight besties using the classic saying, “I have a gay friend! You guys should meet!” But, sometimes both circumstances can lead to extra awkward encounters. For example, maybe the guy you met at the gay bar is looking for a quick bathroom hookup, or the dude you’re set up with on a blind date isn’t really your type. The best gay dating apps let you choose who you would like to chat with through matching and messaging, allowing you to find guys that are your type quickly and easily.

The best gay dating apps are easy to download on both Apple and Android devices. We’re not going to lie to you, some of the best gay dating apps also make for some of the best hookup apps, but if that’s not your gig, you’re just going to have to skim through the “right now” types and find yourself someone that’s looking to date. From gay dating apps you might already have downloaded on your phone to ones you’ve never even heard of before, read on and discover where you should search for your newest boo thang.

1. eHarmony

BEST FOR LONG-TERM

It might not have been your first thought, but eHarmony makes for one of the best gay dating apps you can use in 2021. You’ve likely been hearing about eHarmony since before you came out, thinking to yourself “I’d never use eHarmony.” But, trust us, eHarmony has been helping LGBTQ+ folk find love for years. It’s considered the world’s number one trusted dating app and claims that people find love on the app every 14 minutes. Unlike a lot of the best gay dating apps, it prioritizes long-term love and commitment, so you’ll weed out all of the “looking?” and “right now” types simply by joining.

2. Hinge

RUNNER UP

If you’ve ever downloaded Tinder before, there’s a solid chance you’ve also had Hinge. Hinge calls itself the app that’s “designed to be deleted”. They want users to find love so they can get off dating apps once and for all. Like eHarmony, this app isn’t only for LGBTQ+ folk, but they really have an excellent way of making people in the LGBTQ+ community feel included and accepted. Hinge allows you to create a profile that includes photos and prompts to get other users to want to like you. It places your profile amongst a slew of others in hopes you find your match. When searching, you can respond directly to potential match’s photos or prompts for a better chance of matching.

3. Grindr

MOST UNEXPECTED

Before you turn away, hear us out. Yes, finding love on Grindr is possible. Sure, you’re absolutely going to have to weed out all of the dudes looking for non-serious endeavors, but there are a ton of great guys on Grindr open to finding something serious. For those of you who’ve never had a Grindr account, the app shows a grid of people in closest proximity to your profile, with the first person on the grid before geographically the closest to your location. This typically makes it easy to find quick fun with someone in your area but is also great for finding handsome men date-ready for the weekend. With the free version, you can find your type by singling out people in specific age ranges, tribes and even by what they’re looking for. So, if you’re looking for something serious, we suggest searching by the “relationship” option.

4. Hornet

BIGGEST SPECTRUM

There are over 30 million users on Hornet, making it one of the most popular gay dating apps in the entire world. Hornet allows for any kind of LGBTQ+ connection, from relationships to hookups to friendships to networking to simple chats. Hornet considers your profile a “portrait of you” by displaying short moments of your life, from videos to pictures to all of your best-loved interests. It allows folks from any spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community to connect on a level unlike any other. Find your next best friend, follow your buddies, meet a lover, even explore what’s going on in the world of LGBTQ+ folks around the globe through Hornet’s feed. It really is the gay app.

5. Taimi

FIRST OF ITS KIND

Find your one and only with Taimi, the first fully inclusive LGBTQ+ dating app, hosting over 10 million users worldwide. Swipe and match with folks covering all colors of the rainbow and find people you’re interested in both romantically and friendly. Unlike a lot of the best gay dating apps, Taimi offers video and call messages so you can chat with your match before meeting in person, making this one of the safest gay dating apps available. Create posts and stories the way you would on Instagram and make your profile as lively as you are. With so many incredible people worldwide using Taimi, we’re sure you’ll find a connection.

6. SURGE

NO ADS

If there’s anything we know about the best gay dating apps, it’s that the majority come with ads upon ads. For real. Download Grindr right now and try messaging at least one guy without stopping for an ad about Pokemon Go. It’s overwhelming. Thankfully, SURGE prioritizes an ad-free space to chat with other LGBTQ+ men in your area. The app works a lot like Tinder and focuses on left and right swipes to find your match with a priority toward the LGBTQ+ community. Once you match, you can see your connection’s secret pictures they’ve upload, too. Create your profile in minutes and get finding the one for you!

7. Adam4Adam

BEST MALE ONLY

A lot of the best gay dating apps have really transformed themselves over the past couple of years to become more LGBTQ+ friendly by allowing non-binary, transgender and queer folk from all over the spectrum to join. While we’re incredibly happy to see these originally gay-only apps have reinvented their identity, some gay men only want to chat with other gay men. If that’s you, your best bet is Adam4Adam. Adam4Adam, otherwise known as A4A, has been around for 15 years and is currently said to be the industry-leading gay social network. No matter what you’re looking for A4A’s got it for you. Browse unlimited profiles in five different grids from your location, check guys out in other cities you’re traveling to, see who has favorited you, select specific filters and more.

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