A new dating app called Sonder is taking an unconventional approach to online matchmaking, deliberately making its sign-up process frustrating for users — and the strategy appears to be paying off.
Unlike the streamlined, frictionless onboarding experiences that most tech companies strive to create, Sonder has chosen to do the opposite. The app's intentionally cumbersome registration is designed to filter out casual users and attract only those who are genuinely invested in finding meaningful connections.
At the heart of Sonder's philosophy is a radically different approach to user profiles. Rather than offering structured templates with standardized fields for age, height, and interests, the app encourages users to build something closer to a mood board or digital collage, with no defined format guiding the experience.
The concept draws more inspiration from the early days of social media than from modern dating platforms. Developers have described the aesthetic as closer to MySpace than LinkedIn, a deliberate nod to an era when online self-expression was messier, more personal, and arguably more authentic.
This stands in sharp contrast to the dominant design language of apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, which have long relied on polished, uniform profile structures to make swiping quick and effortless. The swipe-based model, while popular, has drawn widespread criticism for reducing human connection to a series of snap judgments.
Sonder's bet is that the extra effort required at sign-up will cultivate a more engaged and intentional user base. The friction, it seems, is not a bug but a feature — one that signals to users from the very beginning that this platform demands more from them than a few tapped photos and a two-line bio.
The app arrives at a time when many users are expressing fatigue with conventional dating apps, citing superficial interactions and a sense that the platforms prioritize engagement metrics over genuine compatibility. Whether Sonder's bold design philosophy translates into lasting success remains to be seen, but its early traction suggests there is a real appetite for something different in the crowded online dating market.
