If you are already using an online dating app and are seeking an alternative or supplementary platform, the Smooch dating app might catch your eye. Likewise, if you are new to online dating and are looking for your first dating platform, Smooch might appear as an intriguing possibility. All that you have to do is to determine whether its marketing-based image coincides with its reality in terms of user experience and results.

Hmm, that sounds like hard work. Fortunately for you, we recently conducted a review of Smooch. In it, we provide you with an insider’s look at how the app performs. If you give it a read you should be able to determine if Smooch is the right app for you.

Smooch Dating App Review Results Popularity - 54

Value - 59

Features - 57

Quality of Members - 51

Safety - 62

Customer Satisfaction - 58 57 Final Word on the Smooch Dating App Even though Smooch's technical design and user interface is decent, there are three key factors that prohibit us from giving it a positive rating. One is the high number of inactive profiles. Two, the fact that many geographical areas, especially those less densely populated, have very few members. This makes Smooch unreliable as a regional or national matchmaking platform. Finally, it is just too pricey. There are far more effective dating platforms available for far less money. We would have to rate Smooch as SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE.

— Pros and Cons —

Pros

Fast and easy registration process

Easy-to-navigate user interface

Icebreaker/compatibility games (Smoochable games)

Available for desktop, Android, and iOS devices

Cons

High number of inactive profiles

Paid version required to respond to messages

Membership density is spread out throughout the world making local matches difficult in some areas

— In-Depth Smooch Dating App Review —

Over 1 million members. Over 200 million messages sent. Always free to send messages.

If you are single and looking for an online dating app, those phrases are bound to grab your attention. Those specific claims come from a dating app known as Smooch.

Designed to be fun and lively, it is a multi-purpose dating app. In other words, it is meant to help both those seeking serious long-term relationships as well as those who are seeking something more casual.

— Accessibility —

You can access Smooch on your mobile devices as well as your desktop. On mobile, it is available for Android and iOS devices. The app is downloadable from Google Play and the App Store. For desktop and laptop computers, the Smooch platform can be accessed via its website at Smooch.com.

On both its mobile and desktop platforms, our testers did not encounter any negative technical issues. The app is fast to load and navigation is equally as fast. The layout and design are consistent for both mobile and desktop versions. The app uses a clean and easy to navigate design. It is the sort of dating app that both experienced and novice online daters will find easy to use.

— Registration Process —

There are two ways to register on Smooch. The fastest method involves linking your Facebook account to your new Smooch account. This is done with a single click. Smooch imports your basic profile data from Facebook. It does not post anything to your Facebook timeline.

The alternate method for registration requires you to submit your basic profile information. This includes your desired screen name, your gender, the gender of the person who you are seeking, your date of birth, and a valid email.

Once you provide that basic information, you will receive a verification email. You will need to click on the link included in that email to validate your registration process. If you do not do so, you will not be able to access your Smooch account.

If you register on your mobile device, the Smooch app will use the location from your device’s GPS sensor to establish your location. If you register on the desktop version or if your GPS location is turned off, it will use your internet connection’s IP address to estimate your geographic location. If it cannot detect your location due to firewall settings or other forms of traffic blockers, you will have to enter your location from a drop-down menu.

Detailed profile building is not part of the registration process with Smooch. Personality and physical attributes can be listed from your settings menu after you register and access the main platform.

Using the Facebook option allows you to register in under one minute. Going the manual route will take you between three to four minutes.

— Types of Members —

One of the most important factors to consider in any dating platform is what type of users are found on it. In the case of Smooch, our testers determined that the majority of the profiles belong to individuals under the age of 32. The male to female ratio hovers around 65 percent male to 35 percent female. When it comes to general dating apps such as Smooch, that is considered a healthy and acceptable ratio.

In terms of the point of origin of its members, at least three-quarters come from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The remainder are spread out throughout the world.

Our testers did not detect an overt presence of fake profiles on Smooch. However, by their estimation, roughly one-third of the users could be classified as inactive.

— Local Traffic —

One key issue about Smooch that was reported by our testers was the persistently low volumes of members that were online at any given point in time. For a site that claims to have over one million members, to only have a few hundred — sometimes as low as 120 — members online at any moment is disappointing. During the five days that our testers engaged on Smooch the highest number of people that were online was 675. Overall, the average number of people online was 340.

— Features —

People Discovery

Smooch has a feature that it calls “intuitive search.” This is the app’s primary discovery feature. It uses the information from user profiles to provide members with suggested matches. You then must like or pass on each suggested match. Due to the fact that the level of detail on Smooch profiles are not that robust, this feature does not yield a high percentage of truly compatible match suggestions.

Smooch also has a feature that allows you to search for members who are nearby or that are currently online. Our testers found those discovery features to be more productive than the intuitive search.

Smoochable Games

Smoochable games are online games that members can play with each other that are intended to help break the ice and find compatible qualities with others on Smooch. Our testers gave this feature high marks. Unlike ice-breaking games and other platforms that frequently lead nowhere, the Smoochable games do generate genuine engagement between members.

Communication Features

The chat and messaging functionality on Smooch is pretty standard. You can send a message to anyone on the platform. If the other member happens to be online you can engage in an interactive online chat.

— Cost —

Smooch makes a concerted effort to present itself to the public as being a free service. While it is true that you can download, install, and register for an account on Smooch for free — you can even send messages to other members for free — you cannot get the full user experience out of it until you upgrade to the paid version.

Why is this so? Primarily due to the fact that even though you can send out messages for free, you cannot respond to messages with the free version. That severely limits the level of engagement on the app. Obviously, if you are seeking to meet people to go out on a real-world date, you will have to establish some sort of conversation on the platform beforehand. This fact makes a paid subscription almost mandatory.

One month will cost you $10.00, three months $6.67 per month.