Catholic Dating App Launches With Stance Against “Swipe Culture”

Swiping has become synonymous with modern dating, both as a convenient way to quickly mark matches and as something that has become a point of fatigue for many long-time users. Launched in 2024, Candid is a virtual speed-dating app designed specifically for Catholic singles that is trying to focus on genuine connections, similar to many other recent “mindful dating” apps that are trying to counteract dating fatigue.

The platform’s approach is meant to eliminate user profiles and the endless scrolling through photos. Instead, Candid asks users a series of onboarding questions related to age, interests, and location. From there, an algorithm matches participants to virtual speed-dating events. During these events, users have brief conversations with potential matches and are asked at the end of each interaction whether they would like to continue the conversation. If both parties agree, they can exchange contact information.

As more and more users find it difficult to keep up with the emotional burden of going through so many matches – usually with only a small handful actually matching back and holding a conversation successfully – it’s not a surprise to see a resurgence in speed dating. While it isn’t for everybody, a quick matchup with minimal unnecessary fluff makes it easier to beat that growing fatigue.

While Candid is obviously entirely focused on the Catholic market, it shows a potential demand for more of these apps, regardless of the demographics. While most dating platforms focus on creating broad appeal, Candid shows that there’s a strong demand for platforms that cater to specific groups and values, especially if they can streamline the dating process into something faster and much more genuine.