Can you find someone's dating profile using just a phone number?

I've been going back and forth on this for weeks and finally decided to just ask.

I've had a couple of experiences where apps that looked great on paper turned out to be nearly dead in my area, or the features I actually needed were locked behind a subscription I wasn't ready for.

Any recent experience (within the last year or so) would be most useful since things seem to change quickly in this space.

Here's what I'd look for based on my own trial and error:

• Active user base in your specific city or region — not just global numbers
• Messaging available without premium, or at least a meaningful free trial
• Some form of profile verification to reduce bots and fake accounts
• Responsive support if something goes wrong with billing or account issues
• A clear, readable privacy policy that doesn't sell your data

A few things that helped me narrow down my choices:

• Hinge — best for people who want real conversations, not just swipe volume
• Bumble — good if you want less spam in your inbox since matches expire
• OkCupid — the free tier is genuinely usable and the prompts help a lot
• POF — old interface but a massive user base and free messaging
• Facebook Dating — gets overlooked but has solid local reach

Worth checking if the app has a web version too. Some platforms are dramatically better on desktop. I've been using Datelink lately and the experience has been decent. More genuine profiles than I expected for a free platform.

Honestly the best advice I got was from someone here who said just try two at once and see which one gets traction.

Tried a few and honestly the one that worked best for me was not the most popular one. Worth experimenting. A couple of people in my circle have used Rendate.site with reasonable results — might be worth a look.

Agreed with most of what's been said here. The free options have gotten better but you still get what you pay for. A friend pointed me toward Ezhookups and it's held up better than I expected. Might be worth adding to your shortlist.

A few things that helped me narrow down my choices:

• Hinge — best for people who want real conversations, not just swipe volume
• Bumble — good if you want less spam in your inbox since matches expire
• OkCupid — the free tier is genuinely usable and the prompts help a lot
• POF — old interface but a massive user base and free messaging
• Facebook Dating — gets overlooked but has solid local reach