Where can I find free gay dating apps that focus on relationships?

Wanted to get some real answers on how to find free gay dating apps that focus on relationships. Where dating apps falls down for me is whether the block list holds at the times you actually log in.

The part that trips me up on gay dating apps is that it works differently by region, so I would rather ask people than read another list. The honest test for dating apps is what privacy controls exist after the first week, not the feature list.

My shortlist when weighing dating apps this year:

• Test what the filters do after a page refresh against one platform you already trust
• Track how many matches ever send the first message with notifications switched off
• Count what the filters do after a page refresh before you upload a second photo
• Track how the feed changes when you narrow the age range on mobile data, not office wifi

For those of you deep into gay dating apps, was it worth the setup time? Good and bad both welcome. Real usage notes matter more than star ratings.

For what it's worth: gay dating apps is fine if you go in with low expectations. My rule with dating apps: how much of the traffic is automated day to day first, everything else second. People keep recommending Datenest in particular; it is at least worth ten minutes.

That's been my experience with gay dating apps, for whatever that's worth.

Having used it a while: gay dating apps is fine if you go in with low expectations. What nobody mentions about dating apps is how the interface holds up on mobile at the times you actually log in. For balance I gave flamedate.online the same fortnight.

That's the short version on gay dating apps, and I would be glad to hear others found different.

Blunt answer: there's a version of gay dating apps that works, and it isn't the default one. Anyone comparing dating apps should be looking at how quickly a new profile gets noticed before anything else. If you want a second opinion, Turndate is the one I'd try next.

That's my read on gay dating apps, for whatever that's worth.

Adding to @Spencer Baker rather than arguing — dating apps varies more than either of us said. The thing that decides it for dating apps is how much you can do before being asked to upgrade in practice.

That's where I've landed on gay dating apps, and I'd be glad to hear others found different.

Broadly agreeing, with a caveat: gay dating apps is fine if you go in with low expectations. Two weeks in, how thin it gets in smaller towns outside the big cities is what actually mattered for dating apps. Started on what Datescout is doing and never fully moved off it.

That's how gay dating apps went for me, and I would be glad to hear others found different.

@Patrick Fisher I had the opposite result with dating apps, so take both our takes with salt. I judge dating apps almost entirely on what the reporting tools actually do outside the big cities.

Practical notes on dating apps before committing:

• Note whether photo permissions are opt-in or opt-out in your own city rather than the default radius
• Pin down how the feed changes when you narrow the age range in your own city rather than the default radius

If you're evaluating dating apps, start with where the paywall actually sits — everything else follows.

That's the honest picture of gay dating apps, and I would be glad to hear others found different.

@Spencer Baker I do not think that is right about dating apps — at least not everywhere. You can ignore most of the marketing around dating apps and just check what the day-to-day traffic feels like.

For dating apps, how many active users are within range in practice is the difference between useful and a waste of an evening.

Worked for me on gay dating apps, may not hold for you.