If you’re single and dating, you’ve probably tried all the big apps like Tinder, Bumble, OKCupid and Coffee Meets Bagel. They all have their own gimmick, but when it comes right down to it, they’re just another way to find someone to connect with. The hard part is figuring out who to have a conversation with, who to go on a first date with, who to give a real chance.
New dating app, Hater, is offering a fresh way to filter the endless options you’re swiping through. The app will match you with potential dates based on your mutual hatred of things. Whether it’s a certain type of music or TV show (Big Bang Theory comes to mind), a pet peeve like slow walkers or people who refuse to eat a meal without Instagramming it first, or bad fashion trends like fedoras and Crocs, you can find someone else who shares your irritation— and maybe fall in love.
Created by Brendan Alper, a former Goldman Sachs employee who quit to become a comedy writer, Hater started out as a sketch idea. He told The Cut, “The more I thought about it, the more I thought ‘Hey even though this was a funny idea, it actually makes a lot of sense.”
After downloading the app, you start out by swiping through a series of people, places, things, habits, etc. and categorizing them as either hate, love, like, dislike or neutral. There are over 2000 topics to rate now, but eventually, the plan is to add user-generated topics. Since that could be a slippery slope, Alper makes sure to emphasize that they have “zero tolerance for any sort of bigotry or hate speech or discrimination.”
Even though you might not think starting out a new relationship on such a negative note is a great idea, people actually tend to bond over their mutual hatred of things. Think about it: how many times have you ended up having a whole conversation with someone because you’re the only two people at the party that genuinely hate Taylor Swift’s music? It feels good to know someone else gets you.
The app has been testing in New York since December and is set for a wide release on February 8th on iOS (the Android version will come in the spring). At the very least, give it a download to have your utter hatred for people who stand still on the left side of an escalator validated.
