As we revealed in our last issue, dating in Berlin really can be a bit of a nightmare, with half of Berliners rating dating in this city as difficult. We also revealed that this is a bit of a problem of perception – lots of you are actually in relationships, so it’s not like dating is impossible. However, if you’re currently active in the dating scene, you’ll know it really is hard work.
But here’s the catch: when you match with someone you like, you can’t actually chat with them in the app.
Swiping, matching and chatting can feel like a part-time job, and the number of text exchanges that don’t convert into real-life dates can be maddening. But behold: the winds of change are blowing. Breeze was developed by a group of former students from the Netherlands in 2020, and it has just become available in Berlin. What makes Breeze different is that it is an offline dating app. Yes, that sounds weird – but it’s not that the app is offline, it’s just that’s where the dating takes place, and the whole app is geared towards that. The focus is also on quality over quantity. Instead of a seemingly infinite number of people to swipe through, twice a day Breeze will present you with a curated selection of compatible profiles for you to peruse. But here’s the catch: when you match with someone you like, you can’t actually chat with them in the app.
Rather, the only option is to meet them offline. After connecting with someone, you are taken to a so-called date picker where you select your preferred activity, time and location for a date. All of the available locations are Breeze partner bars or cafés, so they will know what’s what and create a nice, comfortable and safe environment for you. The app itself is free, but every date you go on costs €9. This money covers your first drink at the bar, and has the bonus effect of severely cutting down on no-shows. It’s refreshing to see an app use a different tactic for monetisation and get revenue from successfully setting up dates instead of gamifying the dating app experience and trying to get users to spend as much time as possible swiping and chatting.
- Find out more about Breeze here.
