Make the most of chance encounters
Happn is a dating app that makes matches based on people you have crossed paths with. If you are in close proximity of someone, around 300 yards, and they also use Happn, they will show up on your map of potential matches.
Meet up today
This romance platform aims to combine chance meetings with deliberate dating intent to take the guesswork out of approaching someone new.
Every dating app has a twist, and Happn aims to connect you with people that frequent the same places that you do. It is a promising concept as it increases your likelihood of meeting up, and means you will probably have some common ground.
It also saves you from screening people that are too far away and won’t fit your schedule. The downside of this is that you may only see the same matches each time you look, rather than opening up a broader choice.
The app is easy to use when it comes to signing up and viewing the people you have crossed paths with. Happn uses your social media profiles to create your account and populate with photos.
You can have an overview of the number of people you cross paths with on the map, and clicking further brings you the profiles for specific locations. This gives you the option to make matches at your favorite coffee place.
The app provides date suggestions for a particular day. You can select one to be broadcast for the next 6 hours, and anyone who crosses your path on Happn can take you up on the offer.
There are times when the location function of the app fails. You could have traveled all around the city, but no matches were picked up by the location service, which is disappointing. Errors with loading and moving between profiles occur, requiring the app to restart several times.
Where can you run this program?
This app requires iOS 10.3 and above to run it.
Is there a better alternative?
Yes. Tinder, for instance, shows your proximity to other potential matches and has more options.
Our take
Happn is a promising dating app that could turn a stranger into a potential date or more. Its connection to more organic ways of meeting people will appeal to those who aren’t quite comfortable with online dating. However, the app errors may disrupt the flow of an otherwise successful process.
Should you download it?
No. Other dating apps like Hinge or Bumble might bring more potential matches.
