Dating apps are incredibly useful for finding connections, but not all are well-equipped for those who are seeking sexual variety.
HER was built by queer women with the intention of providing a destination for other women who identify as queer, or FLINTA, which is an abbreviation for Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Transgender, and Agender, to find a single place online where they can connect and grow communities.
HER is a community-focused dating platform that caters to people in the LGBTQ+ world who are in the market to connect with like-minded individuals.
It is available on both IOS and Android devices.
The age range of its user base is primarily between 18 and 30 years of age.
Thanks to its eclectic makeup, it is a dating app that caters to those seeking serious relationships, hookups, and friendships.
Defining HER
HER was created in the year 2013, and much of the motivation behind it was based on how few dating apps existed that genuinely made an effort to cater to people in the queer and FLINTA communities.
The creator of HER, Robyn Exton, was so motivated to building a safe space where lesbians could meet and connect, she left her career in the corporate world, took lessons on how to code, and developed the matchmaking service.
Years since, HER is a dating app that has grown into the most cherished and venerated FLINTA and relationship-nurturing dating app.
HER has in excess of 12 million members in more than 120 diverse countries, and these enormous numbers continue to rise from month to month.
The dating app provides a significant amount of profiles to look through.
Basically, the algorithm is extremely proactive in presenting a variety of profiles to you, as opposed to constantly rehashing the same one or two queer people ad infinitum.
Obviously, the bigger the city you live in, the larger the number of profiles you get to see.
There are lots of mobile dating apps that aren’t all that efficient in providing detailed options for its users to narrow down the type of relationship they are looking for.
HER isn’t one of those dating apps.
Users have the ability to get really specific in regards to the type of relationship they are looking for.
There are multiple options to choose from such as hookups, monogamous relationships, polyamorous relationships, new friends, and something casual.
All presented on each user’s profile for other users to see.
As a welcoming online dating platform that is serious about appealing to the queer community, HER is utilized for other objectives besides solely seeking out romantic relationships.
Users have the ability to make friend requests prior to matching, so as to grow a community or build a network of friends with potential matches.
The internet dating service hosts in excess of 25 social communities through chat rooms with topics including Queer Women of Color, Traveling & Living Abroad, Astrology, and Horoscopes and Tarot.
This makes HER such a multifaceted destination where queer people can find friendships, community, and romance, whether it be locally or completely online.
HER’s interface is fairly uncomplicated, which makes for easy navigation.
There are a number of questions presented to users as they are in the process of creating a profile that delve into a user’s personality.
This helps in providing a preview of sorts of a user’s personality, making it easier to determine whether there is potential for romance, a hookup, or friendship.
The community option is easy to find and utilize.
Within mere minutes of signing up and creating a profile, a user can start making friends through this option.
The community features are designed to foster an environment bereft of pressure.
You aren’t forced to complete long-winded questionnaires before you are able to connect with people who could become potential friends.
How HER Functions
As you are creating a profile on the online dating platform, you are presented with pronoun, gender, and sexual identity markers to select from.
A numerous amount of identity suggestions including intersex, polygender, bi-curious, sociosexual, and so on are available as options to choose from.
Noncompulsory options such as sharing your star sign, height, alcohol and smoking preferences, political viewpoints, food diet, faith, child preferences, and interests, are presented to you to choose from as well.
In addition, there is an option to include pride pins and questions you’d prefer using as conversation-starters with users.
A powerful feature that sets HER apart from so many dating apps is its discover page, which lets you view every single one of your likes at the same time, like a table card.
With this feature, you get to see who has viewed your page and who is close by your physical location.
It is akin to online gawking, but is so discreet.
That said, the discover page does require a premium membership to access fully. Without this, you still get to see a finite number of people who have liked your profile each day.
Many users on the online matchmaking service take advantage of this wonderful feature, as it does provide them with a vantage point of who has shown an interest in their profile without any words yet to be exchanged.
HER doesn’t let you do a quick swipe to convey whether you like a user’s profile or not.
Rather, you have to navigate downward and select the heart or the x symbol so as to keep that user from appearing in your feed all over again.
This is obviously a different way to go about doing the classic swipe that may take some getting used to.
Upon matching with a user you can share photos and gifs in your chat room, but no video footage is permitted to be shared.
If you are on HER to find friends, you do require a premium membership to be able to filter out those who are on the dating app to find romance.
Obviously, if you rather not have to pay to find friends, this requirement can be irksome.
Is HER worth signing up for?
The free portion of HER is great for those who are simply looking to connect with other members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Whereas those who are in search of personal romantic connections are better served by becoming premium members.
The low cost of premium membership in comparison to other smartphone dating apps is obviously worth it, given that HER has the largest user base of queer people in search of romantic partners.
The amazing thing about HER is that even if you don’t find a romantic partner as you use it, you are sure to make some wonderful friends through the community option.
This is yet another characteristic that sets HER apart from so many dating apps.
It stands by its intent to not only be a place for those seeking romantic partners and hookups, but a place for those seeking friendships.
Who should sign up on HER?
Anyone who considers themselves part of the FLINTA or LGBTQ+ community is welcome on this dating app.
Queer people are at home on this dating app, as it does so much to include transsexuals, non-binary, and the like into its warm and friendly online space.
Being that HER was founded by a queer woman, it has a personal touch that only members of the queer and LGBTQ+ community can personally appreciate.
Who shouldn’t sign up on HER
HER is specifically designed to cater to those who identify as members of the FLINTA and LGBTQ+ communities.
Cis males, or anyone who doesn’t identity with said communities, irrespective of how much they support said communities, aren’t good candidates for a subscription to this virtual dating portal.
How to find a match on HER
HER has a litany of features that enables you to stand out and connect with like-minded individuals.
As aforementioned, the community feature helps you build a camaraderie with someone prior to officially matching, which fosters friendships, irrespective of whether a romantic connection ultimately happens down the line.
Be sure to complete your profile upon signing up on HER.
This provides a detailed picture of who you are as a person, which leads to much better matches.
Utilizing all of the features available to you, improves your chances of finding a match.
Additionally, get involved in the community rooms, participate in the virtual events, and explore speed dating.
Free Membership Features
1. See which users are actively online and close by.
2. Initiate chats with other users.
3. Become a part of other communities and get to know people with like-minded interests.
4. Add new friends and make connections.
5. See what upcoming events are taking place in your area.
6. Pride Pins give you a way to indicate your identity, and in turn, enables you to filter for users who identity as such on the cellular dating app.
7. Basic search filters allows you to be a little bit more specific in the type of person you are searching for.
Premium Membership Features
1. Incognito Mode lets you peruse through profiles without other users seeing your activity, unless you choose to like a user’s profile.
2. See who likes your profile and view a collection of users who have swiped right on your profile.
3. Advanced search filters enables you to specify the qualities you are searching for in a potential match in more detail.
4. Use the dating app without having to deal with advertisements.
5. With live activity visibility, you are privy to who is online while you are.
6. See the users that read your messages.
7. Unlimited swipes.
8. Switch the location you are in to somewhere else.
9. Do a Rewind and have a look back on profiles from the past.
10. See who is close by to your locale.
Pricing
Gold Premium Subscription – $14.99 per month.
Platinum Premium Subscription – $24.99 per month.
Recommendation
HER is a matchmaking dating service that caters to and is supportive of the queer community.
Unlike so many dating apps out there that only give lip-service to serving the LGBTQ+ community, HER actually delivers in this department.
Obviously, it helps that it was created by a queer woman.
Should you be in the market for a romantic relationship, hookup, or friendship, it is worth it to sign up on HER.