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If you trust your friends to pick dates for you, there’s an app for that

If you trust your friends to pick dates for you, there’s an app for that

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Image: William Joel

Wingman is a new dating app that gives friends control of your love life. Where most apps start by asking users to set up a profile and swipe their way to romance, Wingman lets friends weigh in on your best qualities. Think of it as a digital matchmaker where other people get to talk you up, then send you potential mates they approve.

The app’s creator is a London-based woman who wanted to create an easy way for friends to recommend dates. Wingman (not to be confused with the airport-hookup app of the same name), requires at least two people to play: a person trolling for dates, and a trusted, willing friend. If you try to scroll alone, it’ll instruct you to find a friend to do the hunting. If you want to select dates for a friend, they need to accept your invite to the app first.

The app pulls basic, editable info from your Facebook, but incorporates your friends’ feedback (with your approval) on what makes you so darn special. It also asks for info on how you know your wingman. Are you just a friend, or is it complicated? Maybe you shouldn’t be on this app if you choose the latter.

In theory, Wingman isn’t so different from handing your dating profile off to a friend in a bar. I view dating like a wrestling match, where everyone is screaming about their personalities and throwing chairs. Occasionally, it’s nice to take a break and tag someone else into the ring. Wingman has potential as a confidence-booster, too. Your pals see beyond the personal flaws you obsess over. They absorb rejections. Their selection is a show of affection, the kind of care you’d get from a middle-school friend marching over to your crush to tell them you think they’re cute.

And then there’s the scary part. Do your friends think you have terrible taste in partners? Are all the matches they pick for you suspiciously different from your usual type? Let this app be the Rorschach test for how they view your love life.

If this still sounds strange, consider that professional matchmakers charge hundreds of dollars to clients looking for a little romantic help. You could probably con your friends into participating by buying them some pizza.