Pokémon Go Might Just Be the Perfect Dating App (Yes, Really)

Augmented reality is going to change the way people relate to sex and dating. It has to—most new technologies find some useful application in those arenas. But no matter how AR ends up altering people's love lives, surely no one expected the shift to be heralded by a rogue Charizard.

Less than a week ago, it would've been easy to assume a young person determinedly flicking at their smartphone screen in a bar or coffee shop was swiping through potential dates on Tinder. This week, it's far more likely they're playing Pokémon Go, the mobile game that is currently taking over the US and is already ensconced on more Americans' Android phones than Tinder managed to find its way on to in four years. Yes, Pokémon Go is now the single person's pastime of choice, and it's more than just a way to catch 'em all—it's a way to find a catch.

"It's perfect as a dating game," says Karen North, professor of digital social media at the USC Annenberg School. "You meet someone with a common interest, engage in that activity together, and get a new challenge for tomorrow and the next day."

So far, Eevees and a Flareon have already led to at least one meet-cute. "I caught a few Pidgeys and one Eevee, nothing special," Reddit user UnityTreeofSavior wrote shortly after the mobile game launched. "I was about to start walking back home then some girl asked, 'hey, are you playing Pokémon Go too?' Then we just talked about Pokémon." The girl may have had a “far superior” Pokémon Go collection, but UnityTreeofSavior snagged something even better than a Venusaur: a date.

Despite being a highly modern way to meet someone, finding a mate through Pokémon Go actually has a lot more in common with more old-school, in-person methods of cruising than those provided by Tinder or Hinge. Sure, it lives on smartphones like those apps, but since its AR gameplay requires you to be outside, Go is far more social than swiping in your living room. It's not the same as joining softball league or going to a singles mixer, but it does provide a better way to start talking to someone than complimenting their shirt or asking their astrological sign.

"If you’re out and you see somebody playing, it's like at a bar: it gives you a shared social situation," says North. "Plus, it breaks through the awkwardness, by providing a natural pick-up line."

She's right— and at least one enterprising player has tried a Pokémon-inspired opener so far.

Whether or not Pokémon Go eclipses Tinder as the best way to find a mate in the long term will depend entirely on what kind of luck people like @JESSlC_NT and UnityTreeofSavior have. But should Tinder lose territory to Go, even temporarily, it only has itself to blame. The dating app, which lets you swipe your way to a match rather than pouring over online personality profiles, appealed to the young, smartphone-equipped set by turning dating into sport. It's only logical that they would then turn a game into a new way to meet people.

"Tinder has been able to lure in younger daters because people play Tinder before they date on Tinder," says North. "They’re lured into using the app by playing the game."

Of course, most users stop using Tinder after entering into a relationship. Pokémon Go players, however, still have plenty to do in the game after their meet-cute—something that, if current players' relationships are any indication, could prove problematic to their burgeoning love.

Yes, losing your partner to Pokémon Go is hard—probably even harder than finding them there. But hey, chances are you could meet your new Pika-boo the next time you hit the gym.