Dating is hard. There’s an entire world of options right there on your phone screen (we know, we know, a vast majority of them suck), yet putting yourself out there – whether you’re looking for long-lasting love or simply some casual LOLs – can be daunting, disappointing and absolutely terrifying. Yeah, dating is really hard.
But one thing’s for sure: dating is much easier if you’re a heterosexual, cisgender person, not least because dating sites and apps are mostly built with straight people in mind. If you’re lesbian, bisexual, trans, non-binary, pansexual, or basically any LGBTQIA+ identity, the world of dating apps can be infuriatingly exclusive, inaccessible and heteronormative.
So, we went searching for the best dating apps out there for lesbian, queer women or non-binary people. Some of the below dating apps are specifically designed for the queer community, while others are mainstream dating apps that have recently made substantial steps towards inclusivity.
These include both Hinge Tinder, believe it or not. The obvious benefit of using these mainstream apps is simply that they are used by so many people, which is especially useful if you live in a less-populated area where matches on newer, queer-specific dating apps may be slim pickings. Plus, both apps have substantially advanced their sexual orientation and gender options, so get kudos from us.
Other options for lesbian dating apps – most of which claim to be ‘the biggest/ best/ most successful LGBTQIA+ dating app’, btw – include Taimi, Her, Lex, Feeld, Scissr, Zoe and Lesly, whether you’re looking for casual hook-ups or a shot at longterm love. Most have also rigorous verification processes in place, to sift out any scammers, fakers or creepy men.