Online dating can be exhausting. Dating apps are downloaded just to be deleted and re-downloaded again. Before you know it your messages are flooded with unsolicited attention from people who you have no interest in meeting in line at the DMV, much less dating. Even if there is a mutual match, that person is probably 300 miles away and may not even be real. If only there was an app that creates genuine connections, not just genuinely disappointing in-app purchases..
Squeeze is the solution to all of your online dating stress; a new dating app launching on September 30th. Squeeze eliminates the fear of rejection by allowing you to mutually match with people at the same bar, restaurant, concert etc. as you. You simply check into the app with your location. Squeeze shows you other people at the same venue that may be a match based on the information you provided. After you mutually match, Squeeze’s “come say hi!” feature allows you to meet up with your match right there, instant date started!
Squeeze was started by co-founders Brianna Esposito and Kathryn Dunn, two Boston natives. What started as a crazy idea between friends is now an app with investors and committed creators. Kathryn and Brianna agree that they never believed that their dream would get this far. Kathryn says about Squeeze, “We both use dating apps. We found that on other apps we were messaging people for weeks. People could bail on you, people catfish you. There is no more dilly-dallying, we can just meet right then and there to see how it goes!”
There are several dating apps on the market. They all have niche qualities that set them apart. That being said, even if they feel exclusive, they can also be unsafe or hard to use. Unlike competing dating apps, users can find more than just hook-ups through Squeeze. Users can set the app to looking for friends, something more serious, and/or something casual. You can also set the app to all of the above options. Users can continue to message their matches after leaving the venue, to keep the conversation going without exchanging phone numbers. Users are given 20 free swipes per day. However, there are affordable membership options as well. Brianna says, “We offer an unlimited day pass for $4.99 and an unlimited month pass for $12.99” Squeeze users can have a day of unlimited swipes for less than the press of an average cocktail or drink from Starbucks. Premium memberships for competing apps are more expensive. For comparison, Tinder costs $19.99 a month. Match.com costs $31.99 a month. No dating website is worth breaking the bank, especially if Dateline with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s is priceless.
It is no secret that dating apps can be dangerous. Users of Tinder and Hinge have been harassed, cat-fished, ghosted etc. Brianna and Kathryn pride themselves on the safety features of Squeeze. Brianna says, “We are always talking about how to make the app safer. The app cannot be used if you’re under 18 years old. There is a block and report feature. We have the power to remove someone’s access from the app. We are also looking into verification through a user’s Facebook page. In the future, we hope to add even more background checks.” Squeeze was created as a small business and is currently monitored by its founders. Instead of trusting your private information with robots or Jeff Bezos, users can feel comforted in knowing where Squeeze started and where it’s going.
Squeeze is truly for everyone. Unlike its competitors that may market to “hot singles,” inclusivity has been at the forefront of the creation of the app. Brianna says, “We want Squeeze to appeal to all sexualities and genders. Our first thought was let’s make this for everyone! Even our mother’s want to use it!” On most social media, users can choose from three gender choices: female, male, or other/prefer not to say. Squeeze not only has several gender options, but users can freely identify themselves by typing in whatever pronouns they feel comfortable using. Squeeze has over 25 sexual orientation options, users can select more than one or self-identify. No one who downloads Squeeze will be limited to a label and everyone can feel open to be who they are on an app that celebrates diversity. Brianna says, “We want the app to be for the people because we know where we started. I’m a part of the LGBTQ community and I don’t want anyone to feel left out.”
Squeeze began in a bar in Boston, but this is certainly just the beginning. When asked where they see Squeeze in five years Kathryn said, “We hope to quit our day jobs, so we can be working with the app full time. Most of all we want to see a variety of different people enjoying the app.” Online dating may continue to be challenging, dating in general is challenging. Squeeze is the kind of app that you won’t want to delete. It is a brand that was created by two friends that understand how weird the dating world is and want to improve it. Who knows, Squeeze may be the beginning of your next great love story.
Abigail Murphy 