These days, there are more dating apps on the market than steps in your skincare routine. And while it's likely you're ready to download a few after a global pandemic, you may not want to get into a long texting conversation about your favorite color and where you went to college.
Plain and simple, a hookup may be all you're looking for. Specifically with someone that’s already on the same page as you and who is also vaccinated—since, per the CDC, it's officially clear for vaccinated people to hookup with other vaccinated people.
Luckily for you, there are tons of dating apps exclusively for hookups. Whether you’re looking for a post-vaccine pipe cleaning or just want to jump back into the dating scene, these apps prioritize short and casual connections—and likely won’t ask you if you want to have kids one day.
But important note: When using smaller, more niche dating apps, the pool of potential dates isn’t as robust. So in the name of optimizing your options, we added some ways to use “relationship” dating apps to find a one night situation. Consider it a hookup hack, from our phones to yours.
Here are the 13 best dating apps for hitting it and quitting it—post-quarantine edition.
1. Badoo
Badoo is like Tinder’s older Virgo cousin that has zero time for wasting time. The app is a classic swipe and match interface, but allows you to specify what type of connections you’re looking for and search for dates looking for the same. It also gives you someone’s stats (height, star sign, relationship status, pets, drinking, etc.) without asking cheesy prompts or earnest ice breakers.
You search for dates by gender, age, and distance. There’s a “connect instantly” page where can see the singles in your area and message them without matching. It also shows you the people that liked you. You can message and video chat within the app, so you can check someone’s vibe without enhancing numbers. The basic version is free, and includes everything mentioned above, but to give yourself a “boost”—aka to show up higher on people’s radar—the app works on a credit system, where you buy credits and then use them within the app. These range from $4 to $33, though the app store says credit prices may change without notice.
Download Badoo for IOS and Android
2. Juicy Hookups
The first question the app asks is if you’re a male, female, or couple seeking a male, female, or couple, so that’s the tone. (There's zero pronoun sharing here, folks.) Also, the color scheme is literally black, white, and hot pink—and I mean everything is black, white, and hot pink.
This app is pretty low-key in that it asks for a username so you don’t even have to share your real name. It also lets you get more specific about the type of hookup you’re looking for with options like “Dirty Flirting,” “Friends With Benefits,” and “Naughty Fun.” The free version has a “Yay Or Nay” section that’s swipe, match, and message, but there's also a ”VIP Upgrade" for $28 a month that let's you see who likes you, video chat within the app, and send unlimited “flirts” or “likes” out to others on the app.
Download Juice Hookups on IOS or Android
3. Shush
As the name suggests, shush is all about keeping things on the down-low. You get a username and the app has built-in photo filters—kind of like Snapchat, with masks and dog tongues to disguise your pictures a little bit. When signing up, you can check if you’re looking for hookups, dating, fun, or just chatting. The app tells you someone’s relationship status, sexuality, and living situation—meaning you’ll know if you’ll have to small talk with their roommates before heading over.
It also lets you post “stories” or pictures that are separate from your profile pictures to give potential dates even more insight into what you’re about. The free version lets you swipe around with limited messages, but for unlimited messages, you’ll have to get the premium version for $9.50 a week or $25 a month.
Download shush on for IOS or Android
4. Happen
First things first, this app uses your first and last name, so if you’re trying to keep yourself more anonymous, this isn’t the one for you. If you’re okay with your date knowing your last name, Happen is more user-friendly and less bot-ridden than other hookup apps. Upon signing up, you specify that you’re looking for either “fun,” "date," or "long term." You also select the age range you’re looking for and some life interests like cooking, night life, or movies.
On the free app, not only can you chat with people around you, but you can also search for people via interests. Another bonus: You can see who likes you and visits your page. For the “Pro” version that’s $30 a month or $70 for 6 months though, you can search with more filters like height, body type, etc., have a rewind feature, and can chat with people even before matching them.
Download Happen for IOS or Android
5. Wild
People love this app for features like the ability to rewind on matches you accidentally pass through and think deserve a second chance, as well as the fact that you can reach users all over the world. You can also include certain NSFW pictures in your profile that only your actual matches will have access to.
It has tiers of membership: There's free, then VIP, then Super VIP. You can pay $10 per month or $40 per year for VIP, which lets you send more photos, have read receipts on the app, search with more filters, and search in other locations. Then, there's "Super VIP," which is $30 per month or $80 per year, and this feature lets you instantly match with people and message people who haven’t “liked” you.
Download Wild for iOS and Android
6. Hud™
This app sells itself as being a safe space no matter what you're looking for, so if you're just dipping your toes into this world and aren't sure if you're ready to pursue anything IRL and maybe just want to have a sexy chat, this is a good place to start. It's free to download, but there are a few tiers of membership (ranging from $19.99-$84.99) available. One favorite feature: The "my bedroom" section that lets you share your preferences right off the bat.
Download Hud™ for iOS and Android
7. Pure
Pure calls itself the hookup app for awesome people and is probs the most "no-strings-attached" option out there. You only have access to your matches for an hour before your convo disappears, so there's a legit incentive to make things happen pretty frickin' quick. If you two decide to meet up, you can drop a pin and select a meeting place.
Download Pure for iOS and Android
8. Feeld
Prior to being called Feeld, this app was originally named '3nder', as in Tinder for threeways, which should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect on here. You can match with either couples or singles for your perfect hookup. And there's a special filter that lets you remain invisible to your Facebook friends who might also be on the app.
Download Feeld for iOS and Android
9. FET Life
FET Life started out as an online community for BDSM fans, so this app is designed for those in mind. If vanilla sex isn't your thing and you just want to find someone on your same wavelength of kink, this is the app to download.
Download FET Life for iOS and Android
10. HER
HER is an app designed specifically for women and queer people of all genders—just maybe not cis men. It boasts three million users, so your likelihood of finding a cool partner is pretty high. HER also features group discussions, which is pretty neat—meeting someone who matches your views in an online forum is a nice way to meet potential partners, TBH.
Download HER for iOS and Android
11. DOWN Dating
If you've ever wanted a fast way to express exactly what you're looking for with the push of a button, get DOWN Dating right now. With each match, you can specify if you're looking to "Date" or "Hookup," so there's no ambiguity.
Download DOWN Dating for iOS and Android
12. Tinder
Look, no matter how specialized an app is, it's only as good as the other people on it. With Tinder, you know that you're casting the biggest net possible. If you want to really expedite things, just note in your bio that you're looking for something casual, and then watch the messages roll in.
Download Tinder for iOS and Android
13. OkCupid
While OkC is also known as a "dating" app like Tinder, it's def got a chaotic, horny vibe to it when you first log on. People on this app are down to meet up pretty quickly, and you'll likely get lots of messages pretty fast, so you'll have plenty of options to pick from.
Download OkCupid for iOS and Android
