Although there is no shortage of dating apps on the market, most focus their efforts on matching heterosexual couples. Thanks to Robin Exton, who is a lesbian, that's changing thanks to the creation of Her, a dating app created exclusively for lesbians. Exton had the idea to create the app in Fall of 2013, after noticing this obvious gap in the online dating world. We previously reported on the service when it was first named Dattch, which is a combination of the words date and catch. The name was axed though, since many people had trouble pronouncing and remembering it. Also, Dattch was created exclusively for dating and romantic relationships, but after listening to the feedback of her peers, Exton decided to include purely platonic aspects in the new version, Her. "Everyone wanted to see the social aspect. What are the big events? What is everyone up to?" she says. So, even if you're not looking for a lady partner, you can still find a community of lesbians on the site.
What makes Her unique is that it was the first dating app to be created for lesbians. Although people of any sexual orientation can use OkCupid, Tinder, and Match.com, lesbians often run into problems, including a limited dating pool, and even men pretending to be women. The only other popular app for lesbians, Brenda, was created by, you guessed it, a man. Obviously this leaves some room for improvement.
In terms of how Her works, users of the site are shown one profile at a time, which they have the option to "like." If both parties "like" each other, they will then be able to exchange private messages. The app encourages the women to upload multiple photos of themselves and displays profiles much like a bulletin board. The app also has blog feeds for eight different cities across the US, which feature current events and entertainment that are happening in that city that users might want to check out.
Her's creation hasn't been smooth sailing, however, since Exton had a very tough time finding investors. “I got lots of reactions like "You can’t possibly be a lesbian, you’ve got long hair,” Exton says. She was also told there was no market, but has disproven this with consistent growth month-to-month.
Exton plans to make the app available in more cities as soon as possible and also possibly create a premium version for paid subscribers. “This isn’t just about dating,” Exton comments, “It’s about simplifying how to talk to girls.” What's not to love?
Images: Getty (1); Giphy (2)
