If you’ve been using dating apps recently and have hit it off with a special person, you may be wondering when to delete a dating app after meeting someone. Whether you met this person online or in real life does not make a huge difference. If you’d met online then they will obviously know that you use dating apps. However, if you met in real life, they may or may not know.
When deciding when to delete a dating app after meeting someone, it’s helpful to consider how well you feel the relationship is going. You’ll need to be honest with yourself about your feelings for them and whether they are compatible with you. Furthermore, you’ll want to consider whether there is any level of exclusivity between the two of you, whether implied or stated. You may even want to directly address the issue of deleting dating apps to see how they feel.
There’s no right or wrong time to delete a dating app after meeting someone
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to deciding when to delete a dating app after meeting someone. As with many things concerning relationships, it really depends on the two people involved. One person may be quick to fall for someone and immediately make this person a big part of their life. As a result, they may delete their dating apps without hesitation and focus all their time on this new person. However, another person may need a lot more time to get to know someone new. They may need to see how the relationship evolves over time and view deleting their dating apps as a big decision.
Reasons for deleting a dating app after meeting someone
- You really like this person
- You’ve been on several dates and things are going well
- Deleting dating apps allows you to focus on your current relationship
- It’s respectful towards the other person
- You wouldn’t like the idea of them being on dating apps
- The two of you have established that you are exclusive
When to delete a dating app after meeting someone: 6 questions to ask yourself
| The 6 Questions To Ask Yourself Question 1. How do you feel about them? Question 2. How do they feel about you? Is the feeling mutual? Question 3. How many dates have you been on? Question 4. Are the two of you exclusive? Question 5. How would you feel if you knew they were still using dating apps? Question 6. Is the person you’re seeing still using dating apps? |
Question 1. How do you feel about them?
It may sound obvious but if you like this person a lot, then you’ll feel more inclined to delete your dating apps. For some people, regardless of how many dates they’ve been on, if they really like someone, that’s reason enough to delete their dating apps. They may like the other person so much that they are fine with putting their eggs in one basket, even when the relationship is relatively new. If this is you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with deleting your dating apps simply because you really like this person.
On the other hand, some people will tread more cautiously. They may need more time to get to know another person before figuring out their own feelings. It may take a long time for them to build up enough trust with the other person before stopping online dating. Only once they are certain about the relationship will they consider deleting their dating apps. There is nothing wrong with this at all.
Question 2. How do they feel about you? Is the feeling mutual?
If you like this person a lot, do you think the feeling is mutual? Has the other person expressed that they equally enjoy spending time with you? Sometimes it’s clear when you feel that special chemistry with another person. From the conversations you share and their body language, you’ll know if someone feels strongly about you, too.
When you are into someone, it’s very reassuring when they are reliable in responding to you and planning dates. If they allude to the future and follow through with these plans, you’ll know they are serious about you. Basically, if you feel that the two of you really like each other, you’ll feel more inclined to delete any dating apps you’ve been using.
Related: Online Dating: When to Become Exclusive
Question 3. How many dates have you been on?
If you’ve only been on a couple of dates with this person (and especially if you met online), there’s no obligation to delete any dating apps. It’s pretty much assumed nowadays that the first few dates are for getting to know each other without any commitment. However, going past the 3rd date seems to be a benchmark for deciding whether there is genuine interest between the two of you.
Basically, the more dates you’ve been on, the more expectation there is that one should delete their dating apps. If you’ve been on over ten dates with someone and things are going great, then deleting dating apps may just feel like a natural thing to do. However, if you’re still holding onto them, ask yourself ‘why?’ There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s important to figure out your own reasons for wanting to keep them. Is it because you’re still not sure about where your relationship is going?
Question 4. Are the two of you exclusive?
If it’s established that the two of you are in an exclusive relationship, then it’s important that the two of you are on the same page. Exclusivity means different things to different people. For many people, exclusivity means not going on dates with other people. However, some people may feel that staying on a dating app and chatting to people is still acceptable. Furthermore, being ‘exclusive’ may not necessarily mean that the two of you use terms like ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend.’
It’s fair to say that many people who regard themselves as being in an exclusive relationship would not be thrilled with the other person being on dating apps. To some degree, staying on dating apps kind of defeats the purpose of being exclusive as you are constantly entertaining interest from new people. Many people accept that being in an exclusive relationship means deleting dating apps.
Question 5. How would you feel if you knew they were still using dating apps?
If you knew that the person you’re seeing had dating apps installed on their phone, how would that make you feel? If the idea makes you feel unhappy or jealous, then possible they may feel the same way about you having dating apps, too. Basically, it’s always good to treat others in relationships the way we wish to be treated ourselves. If you feel that your relationship has reached a stage where it would be disappointing (or a betrayal of trust) to discover one person was still on dating apps, then that may be reason enough to delete them.
Question 6. Is the person you’re seeing still using dating apps?
If you met on a dating app then it’s easy to figure out if they are still actively using it. Many dating apps nowadays show when a user was ‘last seen.’ Alternatively, you may have seen that their phone still has dating apps installed. Basically, if it’s obvious that they have not deleted dating apps themselves then you may feel a bit conflicted about whether to delete yours. If you are in this situation, it’s understandable if you are hesitant to delete your dating apps and need more time to see how the relationship progresses.
How to bring up the issue of deleting dating apps with the person you are seeing
Some people will be happy to delete dating apps when they feel their current relationship is going well. They are happy to make this decision based on their own gut feelings on the relationship. However, other people may be unsure about when to delete a dating app after meeting someone. They may need to firstly establish where they stand with the other person. They may need the topic of exclusivity to be discussed first. It’s possible that they want a mutual agreement that both people delete their dating apps.
- Tell them how you feel about the relationship e.g. “I really enjoy spending time with you and feel things are going well”
- Ask the other person how they view the relationship
- Ask any questions about exclusivity or titles e.g. ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’
- Ask them if they use any dating apps
- Explain that you still have dating apps installed on your phone
- Ask how they feel about deleting dating apps
- See if you can come to a mutual decision about whether to keep or delete dating apps
Enjoyed this article? You may also find these articles useful:
