SoloMate: Dating Now

Review by eFreeware

Most dating apps ask you to keep swiping long after you have lost interest, and the payoff is a match that goes nowhere. The gap between effort and result is what makes the whole exercise feel like a chore rather than something you look forward to. SoloMate: Dating Now is built around closing that gap: match, chat and arrange to meet, without the drawn-out stage in between.

It comes from developer Anastassiya Rybina and sits in the Entertainment category on Google Play. The app is free to download, carries no ads, and offers in-app purchases. It has been out since April 2025 and has picked up more than 50,000 installs, with a 4.5 average across 2,746 ratings. It is rated Mature 17+, so this is aimed at adults.

A chat-first approach to local dating

The core idea is straightforward. You create a profile, the app suggests people who fit what you say you are looking for, and once you match you can start talking straight away.

The developer frames the app around flirting, dating and finding something more serious, so it is not tied to a single intent. Someone who wants a casual conversation and someone hoping for a relationship are both within what the app is designed for. That breadth is deliberate, and it shapes how the matching works.

What I find most sensible about the design is the emphasis on proximity. The app is built around people who are actually nearby rather than across the country, which makes the step from chatting to meeting up a realistic one. For anyone who has spent time messaging someone in another state, that focus is the main draw.

Matching and the people who like you

Two features carry most of the weight here. The first is the matching system, which the developer describes as an algorithm that puts you in front of people whose interests and temperament line up with yours. You set out what you are into, and the suggestions follow from that.

The likes view is the other feature that carries most of the weight here. Instead of guessing whether someone is interested, you can see who has already liked your profile and decide whether to respond.

The algorithm widens your options, and the likes list narrows them down to people who have already shown interest.

What the chats are meant to feel like

The developer's pitch is that conversation here should feel like texting someone you already get along with, rather than a formal introduction. That is a reasonable ambition for a dating app. The tone you set is up to you: light and playful, or something with more substance.

The app also leans on the idea that dating should feel natural rather than like a task to be worked through. Whether that holds depends heavily on the people you end up matched with, which is true of any app in this category. What the design can do is remove the mechanical steps that get in the way, and that appears to be the intent.

Privacy claims and what the app requires

That is the kind of claim every dating app makes, so it is worth reading the privacy policy before you decide how much to share in your profile.

The practical requirements are simple. You need a device to run it on and a profile. The app is free to download and shows no ads, but it does offer in-app purchases, so there is a paid side to it.

It is rated for adults, and that rating is worth taking at face value. Dating apps put you in contact with strangers, and the usual caution applies: keep early conversations inside the app, meet in public places, and treat anyone who pushes you to move faster than you would like with suspicion. The developer provides a support address for questions and feedback, which is a useful channel if something goes wrong.

The 2026 update and how the app has held up

The most recent release, from August 2026, is a maintenance update: performance improvements, fixes for known issues and general stability work.

For a dating app, that matters more than it might elsewhere. The experience depends on other people being present and active, and a service that gets neglected tends to empty out. Regular upkeep is a reasonable signal that the developer intends to keep it running.

Who SoloMate fits best

The people most likely to get on with this app are adults who want to meet someone in their own area and would rather start a conversation than scroll through profiles for hours. If your idea of dating involves a lot of back-and-forth before anything happens, the app's pace will suit you.

It also fits anyone new to a city, or anyone whose social circle has thinned out and who wants a low-effort way to meet people nearby. The local focus is the whole premise, so the value you get scales with how many other users are active around you.

The breadth of intent means you do not have to arrive with a fixed goal. Someone open to a flirtation, a friendship or a relationship can use the same app without feeling out of place. That flexibility is a strength, though it also means you will need to be clear about what you want once conversations get going.

A straightforward option for meeting people nearby

SoloMate: Dating Now does a small number of things and does them without much ceremony: it matches you with people close by, shows you who is interested, and lets you talk as soon as you connect. The 4.5 average from 2,746 ratings suggests that approach lands with a good number of the people who try it, and the install count puts it in reasonable company for an independent dating app.

The trade-offs are the ones that come with the format. It is for adults, it works on the assumption that there are enough users near you to make matching worthwhile, and it carries in-app purchases alongside its free download. None of that is unusual, but they are the things to weigh before you commit time to a profile.

I would suggest it to adults who want a local, chat-first dating app and are comfortable with the pace that implies. It is free to try, the recent update shows it is being maintained, and the features are aimed squarely at getting you into a conversation rather than keeping you in the feed. If that is what you are after, there is little here to put you off.

What's new in version 1.7.1

This update optimizes app performance, fixes known issues and improves overall stability.