Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) is a free online dating app service based in San Francisco that was designed to help singles meet new people and make connections.

Users sign into Coffee Meets Bagel using their Facebook profile and then add a few extra details about themselves and preference criteria for a future. Alternatives to Coffee Meets Bagel OkCupid. Because the system uses algorithms that piggy-back social media activity such as Facebook, it will try.

Launched in 2012 by three sisters Arum, Dawoon, and Soo Kang, the app is unique and has a differentiated way of meeting new people via Facebook as compared to other apps in the online dating market. Currently, the app is estimated at 400,000 new members each month. The app is available for download for both Android and iOS on Google Play and App Store.

Creating a profile and sign up process

Creating a profile on this platform is relatively easy. The app allows you to sign up using your Facebook account. Once you log in, you need to answer some simple questions that provide information about yourself and details about your ethnicity, height, education, occupation, and religion. The app can automatically get a maximum of 9 photos from your Facebook account or you can also upload some directly from your phone.

Coffee Meets Bagel draws most of the user information from the Facebook account. On your profile, you can also list all your interests which are key in determining the type of matches that you attract. You can also attach a 140-character caption about yourself.

After login, you automatically get free Coffee Beans, which is the app-in-currency that users use to unlock premium features or to upgrade.

How does it work?

The app differentiates itself from other dating apps focusing more on quality over quantity. It has two main sections, Bagels and Discover. The customized service #LadiesChoice is unique to the app and each day at noon, men will receive up to 21 quality matches which are referred to as “Bagels”.

They can select to either Like, Pass or Connect.

If they like someone who liked them too, it is a match. This app allows women to just see the best potential matches who have already “liked” them.

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There are a number of ways to get more Coffee Beans. You can either; purchase more in the Bean shop, perform some fun tasks like voting in Photo Lab, fill out your Coffee Meets Bagel profile or invite your friends to join the app. Additionally, you can earn more beans by using the platform regularly, sharing on social media and giving feedback such as why you passed on a specific match.

Profile Features

Once you log in, you won’t be able to see the names of other members before connecting, but most of the other basic information is available.

• Users on the premium platform get the option to see how their profiles rank compared to the other profiles on the app.
• The profiles on CMB cannot be searched manually, one has to match another user in order to connect or send a message.
• In a bid to be more professional, Coffee Meets Bagel profiles are presented to highlight the user’s occupation and education qualifications. This makes the app a favorite for individuals looking for a more serious relationship rather than a hookup.
• In case you need to change any information on your profile, the app allows you to edit that easily making it flexible.
• The profile pictures are also visible to all the users for free.

Free Account

With a free account, the features are very basic for both Android and iOS. Once you create your profile, you get to browse potential matches’ profiles. You also automatically get free Beans that you can use to unlock more features.

Premium Account

The premium account allows you more advanced features such as activity reports and read receipts. This feature is available for both Android and iOS users. As a subscriber, you will receive your monthly 6000 beans and pay for subscription at $35 per month.

You are also able to access an activity report every 72 hours for all your Bagels. This includes statistics on your match on their chat activity, who sends the first message and time taken to reply to messages. The app developers introduced this feature to reduce the many cases of “ghosting” associated with many dating apps. By showing this data on activity, members can decide on whom to engage.

Additionally, with this update, you can know when your Bagel reads your messages. An icon will appear with their profile picture next to the most recent sent message showing if they have checked what you have sent. An advantage of this is that it keeps the conversation going and users can figure out who is serious or not.

An upgrade also gets you access to information on mutual friends for all your matches. Since the app operates mostly using your Facebook profile, you can get the more connections based on the mutual friends you have. This subscription will also get you:

• 15% more Beans on all purchases
• Unlimited Woos

You can pay for your subscription via credit card, PayPal or your mobile phone.

Communication

Connecting

Coffee Meets Bagel uses their advanced matching algorithm to curate the best matches for their users. Once you get the bagels for the day, the user can choose to either Like, Pass or Connect. The app gives men only 24 hours to “pass” or “like” on women. With the #LadiesChoice feature on the app, women are provided with 6 matches who have liked them every day. If the users connect, a private chat opens up for them to communicate within seven days.

Communication

After matching, the app gives the users 7 days only to initiate a conversation. Once the 7-day window expires, you will have to spend beans to initiate the conversation again for an additional 30 days. This means you have to pick it up immediately to keep a connection with a user.

New users on this app have an opportunity to create 3 icebreakers that provide information that can only be seen once you match with someone.

Make sure to add bits of interesting topics that will serve as a conversation starter once you connect with someone. This does not appear on your public profile.

After matching, one of you has to initiate conversation on the private chat. Similar to text messages or WhatsApp messages you can send text, emojis or gifs to your match. All your messages are listed on the Feed tab where you can scroll through to catch up with your match at any time. Tinder has an instant notification system that pops up each time you have a new message as long as you are connected to the internet and if you choose to be alerted in the settings.

Unique Features

Coffee meets Bagel gives a unique experience to its users. It is designed with a number of different features that can are not common on other dating apps. Some of them include:

#LadiesChoice

Unlike other dating apps, where users are bombarded with hundreds of profiles to swap all day, Coffee Meets Bagel tones down the work for its users. The app is very good especially for the ladies as they have full control over whom they talk to. With the limit of 6 matches only out of people who have liked them, they only chat with people who are interested. As a result, this app has more women than men at a ratio of 60:40 who are looking for more meaningful relationships.

Icebreakers

This is one of the most interesting features on the app. The creators included the “Icebreaker” section that encourages members to include at least 3 key things about them that will not be shown on their public profile. Once you connect with someone you like, these icebreaker snippets will be the first thing visible to your potential matches and are good in keeping the conversation going. This feature is very favorable for introverts or individuals who struggle with starting a conversation.

Question of the day

Coffee Meets Bagel developers added a new video feature which includes a question of the day part. This is unique to the app and it allows the users to record an 8 seconds long video answering the daily question. This is stored in the video section where the other users can browse them. This feature keeps things more interesting as users get to learn the personalities of their matches before they even meet up for a date.

Woo

Just like the “Super Like” feature on apps like Tinder, sending someone a Woo shows that you are really interested in them. This is not free though and the user has to use Beans. Sending a Woo to someone get you noticed faster and lets them know how special they are. You can also keep track of how many beans have been deducted per Woo that you send out.

Open Sesame

This feature allows you to unlock and get to know the mutual Facebook friends between you and your current match. This is activated when you are on a premium subscription.

Discover

Coffee Meets Bagel added the Discover for users to explore and discover more Bagels outside of your daily curated matches. However, this will cost you Beans as the users may be not within your preferences. Once you see a Bagel you like, use your Beans to ‘Take’ that match by clicking on the heart icon. If the “like” you back, they will not be charged any beans on their side. A special addition to this feature is that you can play matchmaker for a friend and ‘Give’ the Bagel to a friend by simply clicking on the arrow. The same rules apply for Discover panel as the Bagels refresh every day at noon.

Photo Lab

Coffee Meets Bagel has this feature to let you find the best photo for your profile from the members on the app as well as give feedback to others by voting. This is not only fun but you get more Beans once you vote on other people’s photos. You should get a maximum of 100 votes per day to get Bean rewards. The results of the votes are also unlocked using Beans.

Give and Take

The Take feature gives you more exposure to app users that may not necessarily meet your set preferences. Once you take a Bagel in the Discover section, your profile will also appear on the Discover tab until you meet a match. If they “like” you back, it’s a match and they do not spend any Beans on their side.

On the other hand, the Give feature is a fun way to play matchmaker. Recommend a past match or Discover match to a friend and if they check the match you earn a maximum of 300 free beans per friend per day.

Rematch

With 205 Beans, you can get a Rematch –that is if you missed a match or they did not respond within the 24 hours as designed by the app. CMB gives you another chance to “like” or send a message to the match.

Mirror Mirror

For premium users, this feature lets you see your average rating compared to other male and female users on CMB. Based on your recent 10 matches, it generates data on how your profile is performing weekly.

FAQ

What is the app’s design?

Users use the app to make connections, chat and meet new people. On the website interface, the users are directed to download the app either on Android or iOS. The site also gives real-life stories on some of the couples that met via Coffee Meets Bagel. However, the app is where all the connection takes place and one has to install it on their phone first before logging in to Facebook and creating a new profile.

Why does Coffee Meets Bagel use Facebook accounts?

The reason why Coffee Meets Bagel requires its users to sign in using a Facebook account is to help them identify fake accounts. Using the information on mutual friends of a user, the chances of connection are always higher. However, contrary to what many people would assume, they app does not post anything on the users Facebook page or inform your friends on the platform that you have joined the app. The app values privacy and does not share the user’s name until they make a connection with someone on Coffee Meets Bagel.

How do I deactivate/delete my account?

Coffee Meets Bagel lets you put your account to hold first before permanently deleting it. On the app, you will select “Settings” then “Deactivate” and scroll down to permanently delete your account. Once you delete your account, you lose all your data and any connections you had made and in case you want to come back to the app you have to start afresh.

Are there any success stories?

In today’s world of online dating, there are so many new apps being launched regularly. As of May 2018, Coffee Meets Bagel was estimated to have 11,000,000 members from USA and 400,000 new members joining each month. Coffee Meets Bagel claims to have thousands of serious relationships and marriages from their app. They have marketed the app to people looking for serious relationships.

Similar apps

Pros

• Focus on quality over quantity. Users are not overwhelmed with matches and unwanted messages, so women get people who are interested in more serious relationships rather than hook ups.
• Premium membership reduces time wastage by providing an activity report. This lets you know more about your match early in advance and helps in deciding whether you need to move to the next step.
• Most of the users on Coffee Meets Bagel are young people between 24-35 years.
• The Coffee Meets Bagel texting platform is only available for 7 days before the conversation expires. This helps the conversation to move faster and faster responses.
• Private and low-key dating experience because your profile cannot be viewed by every member and is not searchable

Cons

• You are limited to a number of matches per day which limits the number of people you can meet.
• Your dating pool is basically small as it consists of mutual friends from Facebook, which means you could be matched up with someone you passed up before or an ex.
• Coffee Meets Bagel is not as popular as compared to apps like Tinder and so unless you live in a big city like New York, your dating pool will be very small.
• The matching criteria use only the basic information provided –height, ethnicity, religion, and distance.
• Subscription to the premium account is more expensive at $30 as compared to apps like Tinder who charge $10 for the Tinder Plus.

To Sum It Up

Coffee Meets Bagel is an app for individuals looking to make serious connections. With the rise in dating apps, it is estimated that over 55% of American singles are using dating apps this year.

Many of the apps targeting Millennials such as Bumble, Tinder and OkCupid are reputed to be for casual hookups. Coffee Meets Bagel is a fresh breath of air, as it gives more preference to women and limits the number of messages and users viewing your profile. The app allows you to take your time and weigh your options before meeting any new person.

For serious professionals looking to save time, this is the app for you. Although there are cases of fake profiles, it still ranks higher in terms of being an effective tool for setting up new meaningful relationships. The downside of the app is that it is not big in all cities and is limited to users in some geographical locations.

• Usability
• Community
• Communication
• Match Making
• Safety
• Value

Summary

Coffee Meets Bagels is a web or mobile-based dating service that is designed to go a little deeper than surface level. With technologies in place to filter out too many matches, CMB is designed for the working professional who is looking for more than a casual meet-up.

Last Updated on

Coffee Meets Bagel is the free dating app with a goal to ‘brew meaningful connections and bake curated matches.’ The app was first launched in 2012 by three sisters who were disappointed with the range of dating apps and sites on the market. The aim was to reach out to those who found dating challenging due to their busy schedules and women who desired more control on dating sites. The app takes a different approach to dating, encouraging users to meet in real life and ditch the computer screen!

Age – 25 – 34 years

Gender – 60% women, 40% men

Coffee Meets Bagel Update

Users -7 million

Matches – 50 million

70% of users are looking for a serious relationship

The sign-up process is extremely quick and easy with Coffee Meets Bagel as the app is based through the users Facebook profile. This means that the app pulls information such as age and location via Facebook, eliminating a long signup process. Your Coffee Meets Bagel profile pictures can also be taken from Facebook and users can display up to 9 pictures. Additionally, users are encouraged to complete small statements about themselves that will be displayed on their profile such as ‘I like…’ and ‘I appreciate when my date…’ This will be great for anyone that struggles with writing their own bio! One of the other special features of this app is that 3 ice breaker questions can be added to your profile during the sign-up process, catching the eye of your potential matches by adding to the appeal of your profile.

Matches based on Facebook friends – Coffee meets Bagel uses an interesting algorithm which attempts to connect users who have at least one mutual friend on Facebook, which is why you are requested to sign up via your Facebook profile.

24-hour time limit– Coffee meets Bagel model is based on encouraging matches to ditch the phones and meet up in real life for dates. This is why they have strict time limits on matching and chatting. Once a potential match appears on your page, you only have 24 hours to like or pass the profile. Once a match is made, the chat stays online for only 8 days before it deletes. The whole aim of this to challenge the current dating culture where people are messaging for long periods of time without ever meeting.

Icebreaker Questions – When initially signing up, users have the option to add 3 ice breaker questions to their profile. This helps matches to skip the small talk and make meaningful conversation. This also takes the fear out of not knowing what to message someone first! The conversation should be flowing in no time!

The matching process on CMB is unique to other apps as matches are curated through Facebook friends. CMB tries to find at least one mutual friend amongst matches, however this could become awkward as you could come across a lot of people you already know!

There are two different ways users can find matches – either by the ‘Suggested’ or ‘Discover’ page. The Suggested page contains only the users CMB think you are most compatible with, but these matches are only based on 5 criteria – age, height, distance, ethnicity and religion. The Discover page allows you access to more potential matches and even shows you the accounts that have already liked you! In the Discover page you have the chance to ‘Give’ or ‘Take’ profiles. If you choose to ‘Take’ a profile you then match with them whilst the ‘Give’ option allows you to send a profile to a friend who might like that user.

CMB gives you new matches every day at noon. Men can receive up to 21 Bagels (matches) every day whilst the women are presented with the bagels that have already liked them. This might seem like a small number of matches compared to other popular apps; however, the goal is to eliminate the effort of swiping through matches by giving only the highest quality matches. With each Suggested match you have 3 options (Pass, Like or Comment) but you only have 24 hours to use one or the match is gone! Similarly, you only have 24 hours to strike up a conversation or you lose your Bagel.

In terms of privacy, each and every profile is personally checked by a member of staff for authentication. Users are also able to flag accounts that appear suspicious whilst using the app and these are then reviewed in detail by the CMB staff. Recently, they introduced a model which detects scammers on the site! If you are worried that linking your Facebook account will jeopardise your privacy, fear not! CMB will never access your account, post anything on your account or publicly link your Facebook profile to your CMB account.

Coffee meets Bagel is a unique app that encourages users to leave behind their screens and meet up with their matches, making it a great app if you are ready to start meeting other singletons in real life. This is made possible by only allowing matches 8 days of communication via the app before the match deletes.

Matches can tend to be limited as matches are made based on only 5 criteria which are age, height, distance, ethnicity and religion. As well a this, you men only receive up to 21 matches every day. However, users can also use the ‘Discover’ feature as a means of finding other potential matches.

Coffee Meets Bagel Without Facebook

Overall, the app takes a creative turn to dating and you get a lot of great features for free! We recommend combining Coffee Meets Bagel with another quality free dating app such as Luxy or Prospr to gain even more potential matches!

Coffee Meets Bagel Sign Up Without Facebook

Submitted by Dating Apps Free author Taylor