Exciting and nerve-wracking all at once, dating in Australia as an international student is a unique experience. You’re new to the country, you don’t know anyone and you’re likely still adjusting to new cultural practices. It’s no wonder why many international students turn to dating apps on their journey to find a partner. After all, getting to know prospective dates online is often less stressful than in-person dating.
Are you thinking about testing out the apps yourself? Are you tired of Tinder and keen to try something new? Wondering what the best dating apps for international students are? Look no further. We’ve rounded up some of the best dating apps for international students in Australia to get you started on the right foot.
Salaam Swipe
Salaam Swipe is designed specifically to help Muslims meet other Muslims. Helping you meet people on the basis of self-identified religiosity, proximity and mutual interest, Salaam Swipe is sometimes known as the ‘Muslim Tinder’. While its interface is very similar (swipe right, swipe left), this app is more geared towards finding love and marriage.
Hinge
The self-proclaimed ‘dating app designed to be deleted’, Hinge is the dating app of choice for many international students. The app learns your ideal date quickly through an initial series of questions, and introduces you to those who align best with your responses. When it comes to swiping, you’re given more of a sense of people’s personalities, as you can read their unique answers to prompts such as “My dream dinner guest would be…” or “You should not go out with me if…” Ice breakers like these make it much easier to connect with people and initiate conversation.
Tastebuds
Tastebuds is a unique dating app that brings people together through their shared love of music. By matching users based on their musical preferences, from favourite bands and genres to Spotify playlists, Tastebuds is a new way to connect with potential partners or friends who have similar tastes in music. Beyond dating, it creates a community where music lovers can explore profiles, spark up conversations about their favourite tunes, and even plan concert outings, making it a great platform for international students wanting to meet new people and get to know the music scene in Australia.
JSwipe
Owned by JDate, a premier dating site for Jewish singles, JSwipe is the #1 Jewish dating app. The interface is user-friendly and diverse, offering swipers the option to sift through profiles one at a time or multiple at once. It also allows users to select their denomination and their kosher preferences up-front. One of JSwipe’s best features is that it’s free to use, making it perfect for a student budget.
Bumble
Want a break from the traditional dating app format? Here you have it. While Bumble matches people up Tinder-style, it’s up to the woman to initiate the conversation. Keep in mind that this is only the case in male-female matches. For same-sex couples, both parties have the opportunity to make the first move. Plus, on Bumble, there’s an added sense of urgency to get chatting; users only have 24 hours to start a chat before the ‘connection’ goes away.
If you’re just looking to make some new friends in your area, you can switch over to the Bumble BFF function to start expanding your social circle.
SALT
Made by Christians for Christians, SALT is an award-winning faith-based dating app offering users with a better way to meet, date and marry. You can join, create a profile and start virtually meeting other Christians in your area at no cost. If you think you’d benefit from extra features, you can also upgrade to a premium account.
IndianCupid
Designed to help non-resident Indian (NRI) singles meet and match with one another, this dating app is an excellent option for international students who have moved to Australia from India. On IndianCupid, you create a profile, browse through other people’s photos and start chatting to express your interest.
Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel is a popular dating app among international students as well as young professionals. After making a profile, the app features two sections where you can browse people’s photos: Suggested and Discover. In the ‘Suggested’ section, you’ll find users that the algorithm has selected for you based on compatibility metrics. In the ‘Discover’ section, you can see all the profiles of users who meet the criteria you specified in your search filters.
Keep in mind that, in order to like and match with people, you need to spend beans, which are the app’s internal currency. To earn more beans, you can use the app regularly, invite friends to join the platform and share on social media. Beans are also available for purchase through the app.
Her
In Australia, there are few dating apps specifically targeted at the LGBTQI community, particularly the sub-community of lesbian, bisexual and queer women. However, Her does exactly that. Made by queer women for queer women, Her is empowering users to find their romantic matches while also striving for a more inclusive future.
Hornet
Known to some as ‘the dating app Grindr should have been’, Hornet is the ‘world’s gay social network’. This is not a traditional dating app; it features content from acclaimed authors and valued community members, all of which is tailored to gay and bisexual men. That said, the platform does have online dating functions. With 25 million users worldwide, Hornet is renowned for its user-friendly interface, flexible search options and its focus on security and safety. Given that it’s a general social networking platform and not strictly a dating app, Hornet is great for international students looking to make friends and find like-minded people.
As always, have fun, and remember to stay safe on dating apps. Good luck!
