What are your chances of meeting a soulmate in real life without using dating apps?

Millions of contemporaries are already accustomed to making new acquaintances without getting up from the couch. It’s really convenient! You launch the application, and make a few swipes, next thing, the profile of a potentially interesting person will appear on the screen, with whom you can see and start a relationship online. Great, right?

However, this is not as it looks…

Many people admit that online dating often brings them disappointment. The main reason is the mismatch between expectations and reality. We tend to idealize other people. Also, people on the Web often “embellish” themselves in all possible ways. As a result, what you get from dating is completely different from what you expected. The feeling of disappointment accumulates at some point, and the realization is that online dating may not suit you in principle.

Does it make sense to date offline? What should those who do not like online dating do?

Twenty years ago, offline dating was quite common, and attempts to meet someone online often aroused suspicion. Generally, many believed for a long time that registering on a dating site or app is an extreme measure for the most desperate people. Today, everything has changed and there are a few good reasons for that:

1. Social change: An increase in the number of single people, a decrease in the number of new marriages in the world, a change in social values and traditions, and isolation of contemporaries; all these lead to the fact that offline dating is becoming increasingly rare.
2. Constant employment and fast pace of life: The lifestyle of a modern person is too fast, leading to exhaustion and stress. There is no time and energy left for all sorts of social activities. You simply do not have enough energy to go to parties or clubs where you can meet new people. It’s much more pleasant to just watch your favourite TV show in the evening while lying in bed.
3. Excessive suspicion: Probably, you must have experienced someone approaching you from behind or from the front on the street. Immediately, you will begin to suspect that the person will either ask you for something or try to tell you something. However, this is not always the case. Many people just want to get acquainted, nothing more.

All these and other factors lead to the fact that spontaneous dating offline has become a huge rarity. Many contemporaries, in principle, do not perceive them and repel the very idea that you can meet someone on the street.

What should people do, when for some reason, offline and classic dating sites and apps do not work for them?

We can recommend using online video chats; services that connect random interlocutors via video. This is a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world, see and hear the interlocutors, not limit yourself to various kinds of dating service algorithms, and just have a good time. Video chats make it possible to know the interlocutor much better than any texting or profile study. That is why the prospects for dating on video chats look very interesting.

For our part, we can recommend the following video chats:

• Shagle is an online video chat with the search for interlocutors by country and gender. One of the interesting features of the site is the ability to give virtual gifts to users you like. Other than that, it’s a pretty classic Chatroulette.
• Tinychat is not a video chat, but a video streaming platform where you can host your broadcasts or watch other users’ streams. This is a good option for a pleasant pastime.
• Chat Alternative is a video chat with the search for interlocutors by country and gender. The service is minimalistic and very easy to use. This is meant for users that are not too demanding.
• CooMeet is a random video chat with women where you have an unmistakable gender filter at your disposal. If you want to meet foreigners, you can activate the built-in message translator. CooMeet has apps for iOS and Android for more convenient communication. Additionally, video chat has excellent moderation and support service.
• Camsurf is a pretty standard video chat with a gender filter, language search, and interest list. It has useful paid features, however, not all users need them.
• Chatous is a combination of random video chat and cool functional messenger. Users can search for interlocutors by gender and geolocation, as well as by interests.
• Chathub is a chat with strangers where you can search by country and gender. Chathub does not have a mobile app, but the web version is well-adapted to mobile browsers.
• Holla is a video chat with an attractive bright design, gender, and geographic filters. To diversify communication, you can use many built-in video filters and effects.
• PUM is a text and video chat for smartphones with a basic set of features. From the search settings, a gender filter and a search for interlocutors by gender are available. PUM does not offer any unique functionality.

The basic functionality of most random video chats is almost the same. Nonetheless, the various additional features, tools, and capabilities are sometimes different. Therefore, we advise you to perfectly study the specifics of each video chat and choose the one that meets your requirements and wishes. We are sure you will succeed!

A few tips for those who still prefer to meet offline

There are a lot of people who want to get acquainted exclusively in real life and do not use dating services currently. However, that’s completely normal!

If you belong to this category of people, we can give you some useful tips that will help you get acquainted offline and find like-minded people easier:

1. Try to go to more different places: It is impossible to make new acquaintances if your usual day is home/work/study. Try to add variety, don’t sit still. Attend different events in the city, and travel! The best thing to do is to make sure that your potential social circle is constantly expanding.
2. Tell your friends that you are now actively looking for a soulmate: Sometimes, this can really work. Today, many people meet their love through mutual friends. There is nothing wrong with telling close friends during the next conversation that you are looking for a soulmate. Perhaps, they might have someone in mind to introduce you.
3. Get involved in social activities: There are probably various social events in your city and area that need volunteers. This is a great opportunity to do something useful and make new acquaintances at the same time.
4. Find an interest group or section for yourself: Probably, you have a hobby that you can develop, or you just want to try something new. Be that as it may, visiting various circles, sections, or courses is another great opportunity to make new acquaintances and, possibly, meet your love. Even if it doesn’t work, you will surely find out and learn about something new, or at least, have a pleasant and interesting time.
5. Start conversations with strangers more often: At first, this may seem like something difficult, but over time, short conversations with others will become completely comfortable for you. Thus, you will perfectly improve your communication skills and make acquaintances more easily in the future.

On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that contemporaries are not too willing to make contact with strangers as before. You must have certain “points of contact” — common friends, hobbies, interests, etc. If there are such points, then acquaintance will be easier.

In any case, the most important thing is to act! You might fail to meet your true love by just sitting at home and relying only on dating sites or apps. However, it is enough to show little activity at least, and the chances will increase significantly.

We hope we’ve done our best to motivate you to take one more step toward new and promising acquaintances. We wish you good luck and only pleasant meetings offline and online!