Mingle2 Review

Editor’s Summary

It’s rare to find a dating site these days that’s actually free, but Mingle2 is just that. Not only is the online dating site free, it also boasts an impressive number of active users, as can be seen in the community section, where over 6 million posts have been made to date. Unlike other sites that force you to match before connecting, Mingle2 allows users to take their pick of discovery options, which may be through mutual matching or through the tradition search route.
 
The search features of the site are rather detailed, offering up a variety of ways to search, such as by username or by who’s online. To show up in search results your profile needs to have at least the basic info filled out, which means when you do search, the results you get won’t be all empty, half-completed profiles. From search results, you’ll find profiles that host a handful of ways to show interest such as by email, adding to favorites lists or “nudging” -- which can be anything from sending a kiss to sending a kick in the butt.
 
The site’s other primary matching feature, called Mutual Match, is a “hot or not” like game that allows you to vote no, maybe, or yes on profiles presented to you. Upon voting “maybe” or “yes” on a profile, your profile will be presented to that user the next time she logs on. Uniquely, from the search feature, you can request to be matched with a user, which provides a little more intimacy and can help insure she’s interested in you, before you spend too much time showing interest in her.
 
The desktop and mobile web version of the dating platform is ranked #30 in the category of relationships and is growing in size, attracting an average of 9,390,000 users per month over the last six month -- which is nearly three times the number of users compared to last year. This desktop and mobile web version of the site keeps users engaged for an average of 8:49 minutes as they visit an average of 10.39 pages. The online dating site has both Android and iOS apps available to make finding others for casual encounters or for a date that much easier. The iOS version has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating in the App Store, while the Android version has a 4.3 out of 5 star rating in the Google Play store and is rated #6 in the dating category in the U.S. The desktop site attracts an average of 2.9 million visitors per month, each of whom spend an average of nearly 10 minutes on the site per visit. The desktop site attracts an average of 2.9 million visitors per month, each of whom spend an average of nearly 10 minutes on the site per visit.
 
Overall, the site doesn’t have a ton of fancy bells and whistles but it does the job of connecting singles with other singles for free. Profiles are minimal but do provide more information than swiping apps, meaning your chances of success do not solely ride on a profile picture alone. The platform is ideal for those looking to upgrade their online dating game from the traditional free apps or simply for those wishing to expand their online dating pool of candidates beyond those people that geolocating apps showcase.

IN-DEPTH

Sign-Up & Login Process

Mingle2 features a short, 30-second sign up process on the homepage in which users provide information -- including email address, date of birth, sexual orientation and sexual orientation seeking (man or women as options for both), and location. Upon clicking signup, users create a username and password, select primary interest in joining site (dating, activity partner, friendship, relationship, or intimate encounter), confirm city, and may optionally upload a photo.
 
After these two short info pages are completed, users are directed to their homepage from which more detailed profile information may be entered regarding appearance and lifestyle; this is also where you can set profile preferences such as “show testimonials” and “display my friends.” If writing is more your forte, there’s an optional open-ended bio section that may be completed, along with a tagline field. It’s worth noting that to be included in searches so others may find your profile, the fields of height, body type, ethnicity, marital status, current children, children wanted, religion, and drinking and smoking habits must be completed.

Logging in to Mingle2 takes either your username and password combination, or the email address you used to sign up and the password associated with your account. It's just that simple, and the option to use either your username or your email means you should never forget how to log in to your account.

Members & Messaging

Mingle2 primarily encourages users to mutually match with each other although there are various search options to get you there. The main methods of discovering others take place via search (by basic, advanced, who’s online, or interests) and by Mutual Match, which is a “hot or not” style game allowing users to select Yes, No, or Maybe to display interest.
 
Search options can get quite detailed, although the basic search is fairly straightforward. Basic search allows members to search using filters of sexual orientation, age range, and distance from an inputted zip code. To get more precise, head over to the advanced search option, which allows users to filter by any of the required search fields (height, body type, ethnicity, marital status, current children, children wanted, religion, and drinking and smoking habits). For a quicker route to communication, browse through the “who’s online” search option, which only show active users on the site. Finally, users may search by interest. To rediscover a user there’s a “search by username” option and searches may be filtered to show only users with profile pictures.
 
Upon discovering others in searches, users have a handful of options to show interest and get the conversation rolling. From any profile, users may send an email, add a profile to favorites list, add a profile to friends list, request to be matched with said user, or “nudge” her. Nudge options are similar to Facebook pokes in the way that they allow users to show interest in a more playful fashion by sending a nudge, blowing a kiss, sending a “big hug,” sending a wink, or, uniquely, a kick in the butt.

Throughout every profile the site continues to encourage users to match with the profile they see, suggesting users do so throughout the profile page and in other areas, such as a link about the email box entitled ‘Don’t know what to say?’ which directs users to match. Matching lets that individual know someone is interested in her without revealing who, until that profile likes you as well! When a “mutual match” happens, in which both users show interest in each other, both usernames are revealed and a match notification is sent to each party.
 
The Mutual Match discovery option is simply a faster route to finding others who are interested in connecting. Selecting No is self-explanatory as it skips over those users, but by selecting Yes or Maybe, one’s profile will be shown to those users upon their next login. From the Mutual Match section users can see a list of their matches, as well as others who have clicked Yes to their profile.

The homepage, while somewhat outdated in style, does hold a decent amount of relevant information, making the online dating platform easy to navigate. At the homepage, or main section, you’ll find an overview of all recent activity, such as relevant users who have updated their profile or viewed yours. The homepage also contains a section that displays your potential matches, your mutual matches -- who are people you want to meet that also want to meet you -- and your friends. From the homepage you can access all areas of the online dating platform, and even get technical assistance, with a convenient Frequently Asked Questions box.

Key Features

- Quick, easy signup process
- Multiple, detailed search options
- Home Screen displays all recent activity and relevant updates
- Mutual Match ensures you interact only with others who show interest in you as well
- Show interest by “nudging” other users in a variety of ways
- All those who show up in search results have a minimum of 10 profile fields completed
- Option to turn on Stealth Mode and browse invisibly
- Active community section full of forums and over 6 million  posts
- Users select reason for using the site, leading to greater transparency

Safety & Security

Mingle2 collections personal information about users and openly admits, ‘We share the information we collect with third-party business partners who commit to comply with applicable laws concerning their usage of the information.’ While on the site, users may block others they do not wish to interact with. While on the site, users may block others they do not wish to interact with. In the settings area, users have the ability to limit who can send them mail, turn off instant messaging, browse invisibly, or turn off (or deactivate) their account. For more information about safety and security on Mingle2 review the Privacy Policy.

Main Competitors

• Tinder
• Pure

Screenshots