No swiping or texting on Edmonton-made dating app

Annie Poirier was fed up with typical dating apps like Hinge and Tinder.

"I almost feel like they do it on purpose — not show you your kind of people — because, I swear to God, I could swipe right on the 500th swipe," Poirier told Taproot. "From my own experience with the dating apps, you go on there, and you get ghosted, and I think it's normal for people to ghost people — they don't care about you because they never felt anything. They just swiped on a face, and there was no chemistry to start with."

So she created her own dating app called Oops Social. It opened to about 160 beta testers in Edmonton on June 29.

"I think people are really sick and tired of (typical) platforms, and I've had so many people even reaching out personally — they're like, 'Finally, someone that's doing something different,'" she said. "People are really, actually, truly, genuinely really excited for it."

Studies suggest that meeting online has become the most popular way couples meet, but at the same time, dating app users report worse psychological health and well-being. Research has found that the use of "gamified" elements in dating apps, such as swiping, can hijack the reward centre in the brain, leading to compulsive or habitual behaviour.

Oops Social doesn't have swiping or standard text-based messaging. Instead, users communicate through voice notes. To create their profile, users upload a voice note explaining what they're looking for. Then they play the Wheel of Oops, which offers fun and silly prompts. Next is the Confession Booth for deeper questions. Finally, users unlock the Crush Booth where they talk about attraction. Then they can explore what other people have uploaded.

If a voice note resonates, they check out the profile, and to start the conversation, they do a First Move — another voice note designed to "kill the 'Hey,'" Poirier said, referring to dating app behaviour that she considers a symptom of a broken system. The Oops First Move is "just going to create some fun and more laughs and more depth, and it's just a good conversation starter."

After trying to get the app off the ground for about three years, Poirier did some workshops at Edmonton Unlimited, and a coach helped her with the final steps to launch the beta version. She plans to continue testing in Edmonton until August or September before a full launch, but she has already received interest from people in other Canadian cities, she said.

So far, the app has been funded out of Poirier's own pocket. Eventually, she plans to introduce tiered subscriptions and other paid features. The price point will be determined after she gets more feedback from beta users, she said.

While Poirier herself is no longer single, she said she understands the experience of using typical apps, and she wants to help people by offering something new.

"My plan is really to help people actually find love and not keep them swiping," she said.