Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Good to Talk
Irish singles are loving this app that's like a modern version of Blind Date
It encourages people to focus on conversation and personality, only revealing profile pictures after users have been talking for a while.
FURTHER PROVING THAT Irish people look for the gift of the gab in their significant others, a dating app which focuses on conversation rather than appearance looks like it might take off here.
We told you a bit about the Talk or Not app, launched in Seattle, last month and one of its creators Garrett Shawstad told us that since then more than 100 Irish users have signed up.
The app is similar to Tinder but if you use it you won’t be swiping left and right based on whether you find someone attractive. It encourages users to get to know each other’s personalities before revealing, bit by bit, what their faces look like. To a certain extent, it’s like the app version of Cilla Black’s Blind Date.
Shawstad said this new group of Irish users is split pretty evenly between men and women, with a few more men signing up. “Things have been really positive” with users in Ireland and the women in particular have been “responsive and open”.
In one conversation I asked a female user, who is from Dublin, about her experience so far and she acknowledged a strong active male user base. She attributed this to users wanting something different from alternatives like Tinder (which appears to be popular in Ireland). She also said some of the messages she was receiving from local males were “very tinder-esue.” But in my general chatting with users, I found them to be very nice and well represented in traits.
The “something different” this app offers seems to be appealing to Irish people searching for love and a way to avoid the “stigma” of being a Tinder user, Shawstad said.
Another big factor for Irish users is that this app is more private and gives users a greater level of control over who they share their picture with.
“Also I’ve come to realize its a new modern way to create pen pals and strike up conversations with people from all over the world, as we have users throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.”
The app is in the early stages and is a small operation of just four people. This interest from singles in Ireland has created a good opportunity for growth and the team will be focusing on trying to encourage more people from here to use the app to connect with one another – and maybe even find love.
have your say