Dating used to begin with a call. But now it can begin with just a swipe.
Dating apps like Tinder, OkCupid and Happn bring potential partners to your smartphone. But Robyn Exton felt those apps weren’t helping her find the people she was looking for — other women.
"You would continually get messages from guys either pretending to be women or asking you for like casual encounters, which kind of ruined the whole experience because the whole reason you sign up for these sites is to meet other women and not to meet guys," Exton said.
So, the 28-year-old from London created her own app, simply called HER: The Lesbian App. It’s only for women, no men allowed. Exton’s team even goes through the arduous process of verifying every person who downloads the app before they can start using it.
HER launches one city at a time, and Phoenix is the latest. The app is also available in five other cities in the United States — Los Angeles, Portland, Miami, New York and San Francisco.
Exton said Phoenix moved up the list thanks to thousands of requests on social media.
But not everyone knows about HER. Crystal Diaz is president of the Phoenix College Rainbow Spectrum club. She hadn’t heard of Exton’s app, but has pretty strong opinions about dating apps in general.
"With dating apps I’ve tried one time, but this was when I was like 17, 18, and it was a lie," Diaz said. "So you know they just put false information to where then I met them and it wasn’t who I thought."
Diaz said if she were to use an app again, it would need to go below the surface of a profile photo and a “hot or not” button.
That’s what Exton is trying to do. She said her app is a combination of Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Besides liking users’ photos, you can find events and locations in your area that are popular in the local lesbian community.
"Every week we post like two events that are happening within the city. We share a lot of content, not just from your local area but also internationally and it’s a way to meet other women through things that are just happening within the community," Exton said.
Diaz said she has no need for a dating app now that she’s in a relationship, but a social app for the lesbian community? She’s all for it.
"I mean I would love that. If that app has events coming up and gives like specifics on what that event is, I mean I would love to try this app," Diaz said.
Local ambassadors for HER will be at Phoenix Pride Festival this weekend where you can talk to them about the app the old-fashioned way — in person.
