Dating & SocialPut the Phone Down — Go on a Real Date
Sundate is a location-aware dating platform engineered to do the one thing no other dating app dares — get you offline and into the sunshine.
200K+
Registered Users
72%
Real Meet-Up Rate
4.5★
App Store Rating
25K+
Dates Happened
About the Project
Dating, Redesigned for the Real World
Sundate is a location-aware social dating platform encouraging spontaneous real-world meet-ups — surfacing compatible matches nearby, suggesting activity-based first dates, and rewarding users who step away from screens and into real connections.
We built the full iOS and Android app including the location matching engine and activity suggestion system — engineering a product where every interaction is optimised for one outcome: a real date.
The Challenge
Dating Apps Keep People Dating the App, Not Each Other
Most dating apps are engagement machines — they incentivise swiping and chatting while creating friction around actually meeting in person. The client's research found that 60% of dating app users had never met a single match in real life.
Sundate was designed to invert this: the entire product funnel optimises for a real-world meet-up, not app sessions. Every feature — from the 48-hour chat window to the activity suggestion engine — was designed to get users offline and into the sunshine.
Industry Stat
60%
of dating app users have never met a single match in real life
Client research, 2023. The problem Sundate was built to solve.
Our Role
What We Built
Mobile App Development
Full-stack iOS and Android native apps with smooth, performant UI and offline-capable core features for reliable real-world use.
Proximity Matching Engine
Real-time location-aware matching with configurable distance radius, activity preference weighting, and privacy-first data handling.
Activity Date Curation
AI-curated local activity suggestions based on matched users' shared interests, current weather, and real-time venue availability.
Project Goals
Four Features. One Mission.
Proximity Matching
Surface compatible matches within a configurable distance radius with activity-preference weighting — find people nearby who like what you like.
48-Hour Chat Window
Conversations expire if no date is suggested — creates real urgency without pressure. The clock starts when you both match.
Activity Date Suggester
Curated local activity suggestions based on match shared interests and current weather — coffee in the rain, park picnics in the sun.
Date Confirmation & Check-In
In-app date planning, meeting point sharing, and post-date review flow — the full journey from match to meet-up, managed inside Sundate.
"The 48-hour chat window was our most controversial feature in testing. Then we ran the numbers: users in that cohort arranged 4× more real-world dates. The urgency was the product."
Sundate Product Team — Apptechies
Solution
Every Feature Designed to Get You Out the Door
Weather-Aware Date Suggestions
Coffee shops in the rain, park picnics on sunny days — every date suggestion is powered by live weather data and local venue availability.
Compatibility Beyond Personality
Compatibility rated not just on personality but on shared preferred date activities — compatible hobbies mean better first dates.
Trusted Contact Protection
Trusted contact feature shares date location and sends automated check-in pings — real-world meet-ups need real-world safety.
Results
Numbers That Tell the Story
200K+
Registered users in first 8 months
72%
Of matched users arranged a real-world date (vs 15% industry avg)
25,000+
Dates confirmed via in-app check-in
#1
UK's best dating app for real connections — The Guardian
Tech Stack
React Native · Node.js · PostgreSQL · Google Maps/Places API · Twilio · Stripe · AWS · Push Notifications
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Let's Build Something That Gets People Offline
If your app idea is bold enough to change how people connect in the real world, we're the team to build it.