A note from Dawoon Kang, co-founder & -CEO of CMB

Listen, we know that dating sometimes gets a bad rap. And we totally understand why! Putting yourself out there is scary, and it’s disappointing when things don’t work out the way you want them to.

But here’s our counterpoint: Dating itself isn’t all that bad, it’s the dating-the-wrong-people part that makes things so hard. You know who we’re talking about: the ghosters, the game-players, the “I know we’ve been seeing each other for three months but I’m not ready for anything serious,” kind of people.

But that’s where we come in. My sisters and I believe everyone deserves a fair chance at love. So, we created a dating app where you can spend less time on the wrong people and more on the right.

Sure, dating is still tricky sometimes. But CMB is here to help you every step of the way, from setting up your profile to meeting someone new to navigating a first date. Let’s dig into how we’re doing dating differently, plus everything you need to know to make the most of Coffee Meets Bagel.

What to Expect

While social media apps, like Instagram and Twitter, are convenient tools when used purposefully, they’re also time-sucks. Infinity pools. Black holes. They’re happy to grab your attention and suck you into endless scrolling: photos of your friends’ vacations, breaking news, pop-culture trends, cats playing the piano.

And when dating apps exploded onto the scene, most of them followed this pattern. In fact, this study says more than one in 10 dating app users swipe for over 14 hours a week.

This didn’t vibe with us, so we chose a different approach.

Dating for the serious dater

At CMB, we’re here for the dater who’s ready for something serious – and tired of wasting time on the people who aren’t. In fact, we’re so serious about being serious that we ask upfront what you’re looking for when you sign up. Only interested in a casual relationship? You’re welcome to join, but you won’t find that here.

This approach has attracted a special kind of community, with over 91% of CMB Daters looking for a serious relationship. That means you won’t be stuck wading through a sea of singles who aren’t on the same page.

And on top of a curated community, we’ve made it so online dating doesn’t have to be your whole life to be successful. Instead of making you swipe all day on the wrong people, we’ll introduce you to select people we think are the best fit.

Checking Your Bagels

We’ll use information — like the preferences you set and who you’ve liked or passed on in the past — to introduce you to your best potential matches (aka bagels). Then, we send them to your Suggested section in the app just once per day.

And then, before you can see your next bagel, make a decision to like or pass on them. Every time you like or pass on a bagel, we’ll learn more about you and your type, so tomorrow’s bagels will only get better.

It may even take a week to get your first match (when you like someone and they like you back). But that’s OK, too. Instead of feeling swipe-fatigue like on other apps, you can take a break and just live your life. We’ll continue working in the background to set you up with someone great.

Learnin’ the Lingo

Now that you know what to expect, let’s dive into a few terms that will help you better navigate Coffee Meets Bagel.

💜 Bagels: Your potential matches (That means you’re someone’s bagel, too!)

💜 Suggested: Suggested is where we introduce you to your best potential matches every day at noon. Liking in Suggested is free, and since we’re always learning more about your type, our suggestions will only get better. That means less swiping and more matching.

💜 Discover: The section that’s “the schmear on top,” for when you want to browse extra bagels nearby beyond our suggestions. They may not meet your preferences, but we think they could still be a good match. Use beans to like bagels in this section.

💜 Beans: Earn beans by signing in, exploring, and more. Trade them in to unlock special features such as liking extra bagels. Need more beans? Pick some up at the Bean Shop.

💜 CMB Premium: Our subscription package includes special features such as: Likes You, where you can see everyone who likes you at once and match instantly; Three Boosts a month, so you can get up to 5x the views, plus likes that get shown sooner; and Premium Preferences, which let you set relationship goals, smoking habits, and more in Suggested.

The Next Steps

Now that you know what to expect, make sure you’ve checked these must-do’s off your list:

Lots of love and kindness to you as you embark on your dating journey! Remember: it might take time, it might feel slow, or it might even feel discouraging at times. But, I hope you savor and enjoy the process!

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Excited to start matching? If you haven’t already, download Coffee Meets Bagel on Android or iOS.