Many great love stories start when two people meet at the right place and at the right time. Like them, we can also meet our special someone anywhere at any time, whether it’s during our daily morning run or a trip to the grocery store.
As we live in a digital age, there are apps like happn that can help us connect with other singles we may have encountered in certain places. Here is a review of the app to see what makes it different from other dating apps
What Is Happn?
Happn was launched in January 2014 in Paris, France to help users make connections with people they’ve crossed paths with randomly. Later, the number of users grew, particularly in London and New York City. Now, happn is available across the US.
The app has about 70 million users and it generates 1.5 million new users per month.
What Is the Purpose of Happn?
The main goal of happn is to help people who have been in the same place at the same time make meaningful connections. Creators of the app believe fate brings two people to be in that situation but connecting is harder than it sounds. That is why they created an app that can make the process easier.
This concept may sound creepy for some people. However, Didier Rappaport, happn founder and chief executive officer (CEO), explained in an interview that they want to bring back reality into the dating world through the app.
Rappaport added that happn is like a hybrid between a travel log and Tinder. If users noticed someone interesting while they’re at a coffee shop or on their daily commute, they can use the app to have a second chance to make a move.
Happn uses location-based services to help users see the people they’ve crossed paths with throughout the day.
What Are the Subscription Tiers?
Like other dating apps, happn is a free app. But you can upgrade your subscription to happn Premium to experience more features. Premium membership can cost you from $10 to $24.99 monthly.
Premium users can enjoy the following perks:
- Use the app without ads
- Send 10 Hellos a day
- See people who liked your profile
- Schedule invisible mode
- Hide key personal information
- Go back to the profiles you have accidentally skipped
What Devices Are Compatible With Happn?
The compatibility of your device with happn is an important factor to consider before creating an account. This can affect your overall experience. Some features might not be supported by your device.
You can download happn from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The app is only available on mobile devices, particularly iPhones with version iOS 10 or higher and Android smartphones with version 5 or higher.
How to Create a Happn Account?
After downloading the happn app, you need to create an account before you can use the app’s features. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you with the process.
Step 1: Link your Facebook account
You will have to link your Facebook to create a Happn account. If you’re worried about your privacy, happn assures its users that it will never post to their Facebook accounts. The app also provides detailed information about their data privacy policies.
Step 2: Enable your smartphone’s location service
Once you have linked your Facebook account, you need to enable your mobile device’s location services. Otherwise, happn can’t locate other users nearby. You need to keep it on even if you’re not using the app.
Step 3: Fill in your basic information
Happn will then ask you to provide some basic information, such as your first name, age, educational background, and job, among others. Since you link your Facebook account, some of your details are auto-populated. You also have to set your preferences based on gender and age.
Step 4: Customize your profile
The app allows you to customize your profile to make it attractive to other singles. You can write a short description of yourself in the “About Me” section, but this is optional. Make your description engaging to attract more likes. Add interesting facts about you or try to be funny. Make it brief, though. Nobody wants to read a long description.
Happn lets you upload up to nine photos in your profile. It’s ideal to use only four to six photos. Using seven and more photos can make it hard to be equally attractive. Uploading less than four photos, however, is not enough to showcase yourself. Make sure to use clear photos.
For people to get to know you more, you can link your Instagram and Spotify. They will have a glimpse of your interests and your taste in music, which can help create a good first impression.
Once you have set up your profile, you can start crushing. Happn works similarly like other dating apps. You need to match with someone before you can start a conversation. The app refers to a match as a crush.
Don’t expect people flooding your feed right away. It may take a few days for profiles to appear, especially if you don’t go out often.
How to Delete Your Happn Account?
Not everyone has the same positive experience when using dating apps like happn. The app allows you to delete your account for any reason, whether it’s because you’re not satisfied with your overall experience or you already found the one and no longer need the app.
In case you have decided to delete your account, here are the steps to do it. The process may be different between free and Premium users, and if you use iOS or Android device.
For Premium Users
If you have subscribed to happn Premium, be it for one, three, six, or 12 months, the app recommends to cancel the automatic renewal.
Canceling subscription on iOS Device:
- Go to your phone’s Settings
- Select “iTunes & App Stores”
- Click “Apple ID”
- Tap “View Apple ID”
- Select “Subscription”
- Choose “happn Premium” and select “Cancel Subscription”
After canceling your subscription, you can delete your account easily. Here’s how for iOS:
- Open “App Settings”
- Select “My Data”
- Tap on “Delete my account”
- Select the reason you’re deleting your account, then click “Yes, I’m Done”
Canceling subscription on Android Device:
- Open the Play Store
- Select “happn subscription” on the left menu
- Click “Cancel Subscription”
Deleting happn account on Android:
- Go to “App Settings”
- Select “My Data”
- Click “Delete my account”
- Select why you’re deleting your account, then click “Yes, I’m Done”
Both iOS and Android users will receive a confirmation that the account has been deleted. If you’re having trouble deleting your happn account, you may contact the app’s customer service to assist you.
What Are the Happn Features and How to Use Them?
The things that make online dating more exciting are the features of the dating app you’re using. Here are the exciting features of happn, together with a guide on how to use them.
Using Location-Based Services
Happn is a location-based dating app. But unlike its competitors, the app has proximity restrictions. This feature allows you to connect with people who come within 250 meters of you. The app doesn’t show the exact distance between you and other users to protect your privacy.
You Timeline will be in a map form. This feature is called the happn Map. It will show you all the main locations where you have crossed paths with other users over the past seven days. This innovation makes it easier for you to find other users you have encountered with easily.
Happn allows you to hide your profile on other users’ Maps. You can do that in two simple steps:
- Go to “Preferences”
- Disable the Share my crossing locations option
Finding A Person Near You
Another thing that makes happn stand out over other dating apps is you can’t set a radius to find other singles. It’s ideal to go out for a walk, drive, or visit populated places, especially if you’re not in the city. Sitting at home swiping left and right will not help you meet potential crushes.
Happn says only the people connected to the app will appear on your Timeline. They should also have the same preferences as you. Most importantly, you should have crossed paths with these people.
In some cases, you will see the same profile suggestions in your Timeline more than once. This occurs because happn doesn’t have enough new profiles to suggest.
Sending a Message to Someone
Conversations start between two users after they matched. You and another user should “Like” each other. The person you matched with will be your Crush. Once you have a crush, you can start chatting for free.
You may also send Hello to another user instead of Liking the person. This will make your profile stand out. If you’re a Premium user, you can send up to 10 Hellos per day.
Happn lets you send not only text and voice messages. You can also send your Crush Spotify music. Make sure your conversations are fun and interesting.
If you want to delete some messages, you can do it in two ways.
- Drag the conversation in the “Messages” to the left.
- Tap the three dots on the top right on the conversation.
The app allows you to recover the deleted messages. You can do it through the profile view page displayed. It will depend on how your conversation started.
- Find your Crush on your Favorite Tab if you sent a Hello to that person.
- Find the notification on the notification tab if your Crush sent you a Hello.
- If your Crush messages you, the app will recover the conversation.
What Is the Edge of Happn Over Its Competitors?
Most dating apps available today have similar features. But happn chooses to go beyond the usual online dating experience. In this review, we compare happn to some of the popular dating apps.
Happn vs. Tinder
Tinder is one of the popular dating apps today. It is available in 190 countries and has 57 million users worldwide as of 2018. It also started the swiping left and right trend. Finding a potential partner using the app is easy. If you’re interested in someone, you swipe right. Swipe left if you’re not interested. You’ll get a match if the other person you swiped right on also did the same to you.
The app will show you other users who live from two to 161 kilometers from you. This gives you a plethora of possible dates. But this increases your chance of meeting people from other cities that can potentially lead to a long term relationship.
Happn, on the other hand, will only show you users who are less than 250 meters away from you. Although it won’t give the exact location of every user, you’ll get the idea that you’re meeting people near you. The profiles that will appear on your timeline are also the people you have crossed paths with over the past week.
Happn vs. OkCupid
OkCupid is another front-runner among the dating apps and it’s one of the older ones available today. What makes it stand out is its multifaceted matchmaking. It uses multiple-choice questions to help users find their matches.
Like other apps, you can use the basic version of OkCupid for free. If you want to up your dating game, you can upgrade to a paid subscription. The price may vary, depending on your age, gender, and location, among others.
Finding someone to have conversations with on OkCupid is similar to other dating apps. You need to like each other first before you or the other person to make a move.
The advantage of OkCupid over happn is that it offers in-depth matches through its algorithm. It will display profiles based on your answers to questions, like sexual preferences and personal ambitions.
This algorithm, however, will force you to spend more time curating your profile to have better matches. Happn, meanwhile, will base your matches on the users you have encountered in real life.
If you’re interested in trying out OkCupid, you can check our in-depth article that talks about this dating app.
Happn vs. Bumble
Bumble is one of the popular, yet controversial dating apps today. It works similar to other apps, like Tinder. It created a buzz because unlike other apps, Bumble lets women do the first move. Guys have to wait for her to initiate conversation.
Another issue many Bumble users find is the time limit. The app will give you 24 hours to make a move to your new match. Otherwise, it will disappear. You also have 24 hours to reply to your messages. Failure to reply within the time frame will lead to losing any progress you’ve made with someone.
Happn doesn’t give its users a certain period to message or reply to their matches nor does it allow one party to make the first move. If you matched with someone, you can message first or wait for the other person to do it. No pressure.
Want to know more about Bumble? Why not check out our guide on how to find a date using Bumble. Also, we have an article that pits Bumble vs. Tinder and decides which app is better for men.
Safety Tips when Using Dating Apps
Using a dating app up is a fun way to meet other singles in your area. It also makes finding matches easier and faster than before. Despite that, you still need to consider your safety, especially that you’re meeting people you don’t know very well.
Here are five tips to help you meet potential partners without putting your safety at risk.
Do a Quick Research
Before you agree to go on a date with someone, do some research about the person. This will give you some idea about the person you’re about to meet. It’s ideal to look for more information about the person beyond what you see on their Facebook or Instagram.
Have a Video Chat
We’re now living in a time where we have several options to talk to someone through a video call. For example, you use Google Hangouts, Skype, Facebook Messenger, or FaceTime. Seeing your date before your actual meet-up helps set your expectations. It also reduces the chance of being catfished by someone pretending to be someone else.
Go to a Public Place
If you’re meeting someone for the first time, it’s best to go to a public place packed with people rather than a private one. Go to a restaurant, shopping mall, or cafe. The reason for this is that when you feel uncomfortable, there will be people who can help. You can also ask a relative or a friend to be in the area in case something goes wrong.
Tell Someone About Your Date
Another way to make your first date feel comfortable is by sharing important details about your date, such as who your date is, where you are going, and the time you expect to be home. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that someone else knows your whereabouts should something bad happen.
Go Easy With the Alcohol
If you decided to grab some drinks on your first date, make sure not to get drunk. As much as possible, try to stay sober even if you feel comfortable with the person. You can never be sure whether or not your date has the best intention.
Online dating apps, like happn, are a great avenue for individuals to leave singlehood. Happn also helps those who are too shy to approach someone they find interesting in real life a second chance to build a connection. Regardless of the intentions of the app, always make your safety a priority.
