This dating app lets your best friend choose your next date

Who would you trust?

The app believes your best mate knows you better than any algorithm could. Image: Getty

Hello Darling is a new dating app bringing back the meet-cute by letting your friend do the swiping for you. The only question is, which friend knows you best? 

As a dating coach, I'm frequently asked how my clients feel about the modern dating landscape, and there's certainly a common cry: "I don't have the energy to swipe." The desire to make a deep connection is at an all-time high — but a sense of exhaustion and defeat pervades the search for it.

The never-ending cycle of swiping, mindless small talk, and uninspired dates, not to mention the mental bandwidth required to go from responding to a rogue 'hey' to ending up on an actual IRL date, feels like a chore rather than an incentive.

But what if you were able to delegate it? And pass on the time-consuming task of swiping, convoluted chats, and setting up the date to the only person who truly deserves it — your worst enemy. Kidding! Your best friend. Hello Darling is a game-changing new dating app designed to convert your bestie into your matchmaker. 

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Hello Darling isn't your average dating app

Now, before you dismiss another app, here's the thing. Unlike most dating apps, which constantly update their addictive (and often borderline creepy) enhancements like AI prompts, and superior algorithms, the Hello Darling founders have taken a different approach.

The reality with most apps is that there is an inherent conflict between your goal, finding 'the one,' and the app's goal, keeping you engaged and active. Effectively deterring you from real-life encounters and making being on the app itself your new endgame.

Hello Darling, on the other hand, is unique. It is not intended as an entertainment hub that keeps you single and swiping. Instead, it serves as a temporary platform for real-world connections — you don't need to spend time on. Because the app is intended for use by your best friend, based on the premise of its co-founders, Bridgette Gale and Brendan Lee, that your closest friend knows you better than you know yourself.

Your friends swipe for you - so you spend more time actually dating. Image: Getty

How does Hello Darling work?

Hello Darling assigns your bestie as your weekly matchmaker, who will select your dates and swipe on your behalf once a week. Gale and Lee believe that your best friend's intuition outperforms any algorithm created by them or any other tech titan. The old adage "Choose your friends wisely" is hitting home. 

This isn't a job for your friend who enjoys stealing your dating app and swiping for sh*ts and giggles. You'll want to choose this honoree with care. Ensure they understand your dating goals and the characteristics and values you seek in a potential partner.

But don't worry; this isn't a chaperoned date à la Bridgerton. After swiping, their job is done, but you still don't need to lift a finger. When you get a match, the app makes a reservation at a venue on your behalf.

You're provided details and sent on your date without ever seeing your date's profile or engaging in pre-date banter. This setup lends each encounter a sense of serendipity, an element of spontaneity that most of us secretly crave but are hesitant to relinquish control over. In an age when information is instantaneous and infinite, the prospect of injecting some surprise into our lives feels... Wild!

The ultimate goal is to shift the emphasis away from endless swiping and towards genuine connections. The approach is straightforward: put two people in a room together and see if there is a vibe. "Getting them in the room, that's our motto," Gale says.

Just meet up and see if there's a vibe! Image: Unsplash

Why aren't you in the picture?

One key realisation I encourage all of my clients to reach is that they are, often unconsciously, the common denominator in all of their dating experiences and, thus, a significant part of their problem.  Brutal, I know. Perhaps stepping out of the driver's seat isn't such a bad idea.

In the (honestly exhausting) debate over which dating app is the best, Gale and Lee argue that the missing piece in the modern dating space isn't advanced technology. Rather, we've abandoned the possibility of a spontaneous, face-to-face meeting in our relentless pursuit of the perfect match.

We all fantasise about that unexpected romantic meet cute, hoping for 'the one' to come along and find us. But when we look at how we present ourselves on apps — using dating app cliches, posing with puppies that aren't ours, and burying ourselves under generic buzzwords and phrases that we believe will get us noticed — we're basically making it impossible for that to happen. We don't stand out because we look like everyone else, and we're so far away from our authentic selves that it's comical.

We need to admit that whatever we have tried to date, taught us a lot, but perhaps isn't working anymore. Image: iStock

Could letting your bestie swipe for you work?

Being single can be an amazing and liberating experience, but it can also be fraught with decision fatigue and making every decision for yourself. It's similar to the sensation of scrolling through Netflix or Uber Eats. These platforms excel when you know exactly what you want to watch or eat. If you're unsure, ten minutes of scrolling through a seemingly infinite array of cuisines and movie trailers can leave you feeling worse. 

And at the end of the ten minutes, you wish you had just comfort-watched Seinfeld, rather than being bombarded with numerous and vacuous advertisements. And this is what I believe works in the Hello Darling model. 

With their intuitive understanding of who you are and a clear understanding of your dating preferences, your friends will put you across the table from one potential match. This person may not be your soulmate, but it beats the tedious process of endless scrolling with no tangible results. It removes the guesswork, self-doubt, and indecision and there's no end to the possibility. Maybe they're not your one, but could the friend who swiped on their behalf be?

Hey, if it works out, it's a win-win situation. If it doesn't, you'll have a funny story to tell, and your swiping friend can shout you brunch as you recall it. It could also be an amazing learning opportunity. Perhaps what you've told your friend you want in a partner isn't what's best for you. Or maybe your preferences are spot on, and you just need better friends.

Hello Darling is a dating app where your bestie sets you up on a blind date. The waitlist is now live, and you can learn more about it here. 

Sera Bozza is a dating coach and the founder of Sideswiped, offering dating coaching to help you stay upright in the world of left and right swipes. You can learn more about her here.

Originally published as This dating app lets your best friend choose your next date