Soul Mating

By Jessica Merritt

Mobile dating is a relatively new phenomenon, and allows you to meet new people without being tied down to your computer. You can find and communicate with potential dates using just your cell phone, often just through text messaging. Here we’ll take a look at some tips and tools that will help make mobile dating work for you.

General Tips

Follow these suggestions for a better mobile dating experience.

1. Be vigilant about adultery: Using a cell phone as opposed to a computer, land line, or in-person, makes it easier for cheaters to get away with adultery, so be careful to ensure that your date isn’t already spoken for.
2. Set a specific time to check messages: You’ll probably be inundated with messages throughout the day, so save your sanity and designate a time when you can read and respond to messages.
3. Take advantage of your phone’s video camera: If you have video function on your phone, use it to do a video chat with people you like.
4. Don’t be boring: No one wants to read an essay on their cell phone. Keep things short, sweet, and interesting.
5. Stick to established services: Sometimes, smaller mobile dating services will "pad" their listings with fake profiles, and even send you fake messages to get you more interested in using the service.
6. Be picky: Don’t send out messages to everyone who loosely fits your criteria or you’ll be bombarded with more interest than you want.
7. Don’t be vague or generic: Stand out among all of the other people on the site by offering something different and specific than everyone else.
8. Respond quickly: One of the great things about mobile dating is that you can communicate in rapid fire, so don’t leave potential dates hanging.
9. Be yourself: Given the anonymity of online dating, you may be tempted to put on a facade, but eventually you will meet your dates, and your true self will come out, so just be yourself from the very beginning.
10. Don’t Photoshop your images: Make sure that your profile photos look like yourself.
11. Introduce yourself: It’s hard to get to know someone over the phone, and even harder when you don’t have a lot of information, so be sure to give at least a basic rundown of what you’re about.
12. Say what you want: Don’t leave prospects guessing if they’re right for you. Let it be known if you’re looking for a middle aged man who enjoys snorkeling.
13. Set special ringtones: If you’re using a mobile dating service, chances are you’re going to get a lot of messages, so set your phone up so that you’ll have a different ringtone when receiving calls or messages from the service.
14. Be spontaneous: If you’re out and find someone you like, invite them to meet you somewhere.
15. Find a date while you’re bored: Mobile dating offers a fun way to find a date while you’re on the bus, in a waiting room, or just a boring meeting.
16. Don’t be offended by rejection: Don’t get upset if you don’t get messaged back. Some users may be inundated with messages, or they’re just looking from something specific that isn’t what you offer.
17. Change your photo often: Let others see different sides of you and keep things interesting with a new profile photo every now and then.
18. Take advantage of immediate meetings: Mobile dating makes it easy to find someone, and then meet them almost right away.
19. Don’t be too serious: Realize that mobile dating isn’t a life or death matter. You might meet your soul mate, or you might just meet someone that’s fun to go out for drinks with. Either way, do not put too much pressure on yourself to get things right.
20. Don’t be afraid to respond quickly: With mobile dating, the rule about "waiting three days" goes out the window. Write back as soon as you’re ready to.
21. Get the dirt on cost: Before signing up with a mobile dating service, be sure to read the fine print in order to find out exactly how much it will cost you to use the service.
22. Consider upgrading to an unlimited text or data plan: To avoid worrying about your cell phone bill, look at the cost of upgrading to an unlimited plan.
23. Create a good profile: If your mobile dating service uses full profiles, be sure to fill it out as much as you can.
24. Don’t lie in your profile: Avoid being misleading and setting yourself up for trouble later and just be truthful instead.
25. Be positive: Mobile dating is incredibly fast paced, so don’t be let down if you’re passed up by others–there will be plenty more later.
26. Give compliments: Make someone interested in you by complementing something on their profile. It will also give you a chance to spark a conversation.
27. Take better photos: If you’re using your camera phone to take your profile picture, be sure to check out a guide that will tell you how to make your photo look good.
28. Don’t drunk-date: Whether you’re drunk texting, or imbibing a bit too much on your first date, drinking will not help you score a relationship.

Safety Tips

Be careful while you’re mobile dating by following these tips.

28. Use a service that offers anonymity: Look for a service that will mask your telephone number, so that you can’t be contacted unless you share this information yourself.
29. Find a service that conducts background screenings: Avoid meeting married people or those with a shady past by only using services that properly screen members.
30. Be careful about what information you share: Don’t share personally identifying information until you’re ready.
31. Let people know where you’re going: Practice safety by making others aware that you’re going out on a blind date.
32. Meet in public: When you decide to meet your date for the first time, make sure it’s in public.
33. Trust your instincts: If you feel uncomfortable, do not be afraid to cut things off.
34. Get your phone company involved: If you’re being stalked through your mobile phone, ask your phone company to block the offender’s number.
35. Be vigilant about lies: Your date may lie to you in an effort to convice you that you’re perfect for each other. Be wise enough to see through the fibs.
36. Message back and forth for a while before you meet: With mobile dating, it’s tempting to meet quickly because of how fast most services are, but take a little time to get to know each other first before you date, and you’ll avoid awkward meet-ups.
37. Don’t exchange personal information: Be careful about sharing your real name, address, phone number, and other identifying information.
38. Watch out for overeager suitors: Sending too many messages is a sign that your date is crossing the line between seducing and stalking.
39. Keep an eye out for fake profiles: Just like online dating, mobile dating is full of fakes, so be sure to scrutinize everyone for truthfulness.
40. Know when to ask for help: If you’re being stalked and harassed, don’t hesitate to call in help from your dating service as well as local authorities.
41. Watch out for scammers: Some scammers troll dating services to target singles for scams, so be careful to avoid them.
42. Don’t date and drive: Be safe, and avoid text messaging or talking on the phone while you’re driving.
43. Drive yourself: Don’t let your date pick you up until you’re confident that it’s safe to do so.

Etiquette

If you’re polite and follow mobile dating etiquette rules, you’ll have an easier time finding the right person to date.

45. Don’t pick up your phone on a date: It’s generally considered rude to use your cell phone during a date, but it’s even worse when you’ve met someone through your phone-they might think you’re looking for another date while out with them!
46. Be punctual: If you’ve arranged to meet or call at a specific time, be early or at least on time.
47. Avoid sending too many messages at once: Sending a flurry of messages within a short period of time is at best annoying, or worse, expensive for your potential date. Either way, take it easy to avoid scaring them off.
48. Use your manners: Whether you’re sending messages, or on your first date, be sure to always be on your best behavior with your date and everyone else around you.
49. Don’t be creepy: Avoid making your date think you’re a sexual predator by steering clear of anything overtly sexual while you’re messaging, or on dates.
50. Smile: If you’ve progressed to a phone conversation, make sure you smile while you’re talking, and it will make you sound more positive on the phone.
51. Never send unsolicited x-rated photos: You may think it’s appealing, but you’ll just seem aggressive.
52. Avoid text-speak: You might think your ultra-short messages are GR8, but your date probably thinks otherwise. Use full sentences and spell out words. It doesn’t hurt to use correct spelling and grammar, either.
53. Never write in CAPITALS: Doing this will come across as very aggressive and confrontational.
54. Actually listen to what your date is saying: Carefully read and respond to every message you receive from your partner, and you’ll build a better connection.
55. Avoid being aggressive: If you haven’t gotten a response as fast as you’d like, be patient and refrain from sending off a nasty message.
56. Give your full attention: When dating using your cell phone, it’s easy to treat it as another task in multitasking, but it’s important to give your date your full attention.
57. Respect boundaries: If you’ve been messaging with a partner for a while, but they aren’t ready to talk on the phone or meet, don’t attempt to push them out of their comfort zone.

Dating Services

These dating services specialize in mobile dating.

58. MeetMoi: With MeetMoi, you’ll be able to enjoy location-based dating on your cell phone.
59. Crush or Flush: The Crush or Flush service will send you a variety of prospective dates in your area, and you can choose to either "crush" them or "flush" them.
60. 3G Dating Agency: This service is intended for people in the UK and Ireland with 3G phones. This exclusivity is so that you can take advantage of video chatting.
61. Match.com: This mobile version of the popular online dating site features short and sweet profiles and text messages through the service.
62. SMS.ac: Meet and connect with people via SMS while sharing a blogcast, music, and more.
63. Flirtomatic: Use this service online and on your web-enabled phone, and you can meet people anywhere.
64. MatchLink Mobile: Use the commands from MatchLink Mobile for advanced text message dating.
65. Facebook Mobile: Sign up with Facebook mobile to meet people in your network.
66. IceBrkr: Using IceBrkr, you can send messages to people you see while you’re out, and they can tell you if they’d like to be approached or not.
67. You Can Get Me: Use the online branch of this UK dating site to connect using the browser on your web-enabled phone.
68. Peepsnation: Check out Peepsnation on your phone’s mobile browser, and you can browse, rate, rank and tag profiles.
69. Dating Direct: This UK-based mobile dating service comes with a money-back guarantee.
70. MySpace Mobile: MySpace mobile offers mobile updates, apps, and lots more for dating users.
71. I Love Texting: Sign up to receive texts from other members on this mobile dating site, and you’ll be able to choose which ones you accept.
72. Fast Flirting: Join this mobile dating community to meet people in a fun, safe service.
73. Singles365: Singles365 is designed exclusively for people in the UK that are searching for serious relationships.
74. Flirtnet: Get "textually active" with this service that allows you to create a profile and connect with people completely through text messaging.
75. Gaydar Mobile: Gay men in the UK can connect on their mobile phones with this service.
76. Zogo: This mobile dating service allows fairly extensive profiles and free messages.
77. Play Date: Connect with thousands of different singles through text using this mobile dating service.
78. MyMobileLine: Seach for new dates anywhere, anytime using this service.
79. Webdate Mobile: Use the online version of Webdate to find a date wherever you are.
80. MySMSChat: Sign up with this service to meet singles through SMS texting.

Tools

Put these tools to work to make mobile dating better, safer, and easier.

81. Jangl: Using this tool, you can text message anyone, even if they’re not a mobile user.
82. Google Mobilizer: Take advantage of Google Mobilizer, and you’ll be able to get a mobile-friendly version of any web page.
83. Mobile Dating Tips: Sign up for this service, and you’ll get tips sent to your phone by SMS.
84. Don’t Date Him Girl: Get mobile updates from Don’t Date Him Girl, and you’ll save yourself from dating a few jerks.
85. Jott: Have you just made a date? Use the Jott service to voice-activate an entry on your calendar, or Twitter your friends to tell them about it.
86. Popularity Dialer: Give yourself a way to escape from a bad date with Popularity Dialer, which will call you at a pre-determined time.
87. TextPayMe: Pay your date for your share of the bill with this service that allows you to send money via text message.
88. Yelp Mobile: Check out Yelp on your cell phone to find a great place to meet your date on the go.
89. Vicinity Match: Download this application, and you’ll be able to find matches in your area.
90. PayPal Mobile: Go Dutch the digital way by sending your date your share of the dinner bill via PayPal Mobile.
91. Dodgeball: This location-based service will make it easy for you and your date to find each other while you’re out.
92. Google Mobile: Look up your date on Google Mobile, and you can get dirt on them right in your phone.
93. CallBurner: If you use Skype, this call recorder is a great tool for safety.
94. FindMe: This service from MapQuest makes it easy for your dates to locate you.
95. getmooh: getmooh will call you with humorous recordings, emergencies from home, and more, all designed to help you skip out on a bad date.
96. Mobile Dating Advisor: This software for your cell phone offers virtual crib notes for dating.
97. Rejection Hotline: Use this hotline to ward off bad dates that just don’t get it.
98. Call Cheater: This application for Symbian phones makes it easy to fake static and breakups in case you want to get off the phone without hassle.
99. NPA-NXX Geolocator: Get a general idea of the area your date lives in by plugging their number into this geolocator.
100. Family Watchdog: Find out about registered sex offenders in your area with this site’s text alerts, and you’ll be able to spot potential sleazeball dates.

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