When you walking down the street, sitting at a bar or during a night out, do you have the experience that you feel you have crossed paths with your soulmate? No chance to start a conversation in this encounter?

Happn is the app that connects you to the people you cross paths with every day, the ones who are already a part of your routine without you realizing it!

In this full Happn app review, we’ll cover the topics of what is Happn, how does Happn work, the unique features of Happn and most importantly, is Happn right for you.

Is the Happn dating app better or worse than other popular dating apps like Tinder or Badoo? Is it will really help you find your soulmate?

Let’s keep reading the find the answer.

Happn Review: Basic Facts

1. Who owns Happn?
   Didier Rappaport founded Happn along with Antony Cohen and Fabien Cohen.

2. When was Happn created?

Happn was launched in February 2014 in Paris, May 2014 in London, and September 2014 in New York City.

3. What’s the concept of Happn?

Every time you cross paths with someone on Happn in real life, their profile shows up on your Timeline. The application helps you find people you’ve crossed paths with within a few kilometers’ radius, whether you saw them or not.

4. How many people use Happn?

By 2018 Happn had reached 50 million users across 40 countries with 6.5 million monthly active users. From Jan 2014 to June 2019, Happn has had about 72 million downloads

5. How to download and sign up Happn?

Happn can be downloaded from Google Play and Apple Store. Then, connect using your Facebook account, cell phone number, Google account or Apple ID if you have an iPhone.

How Does Happn Work?

Happn, like Grindr, uses geolocation to match users with other users nearby. Every time you cross paths with someone in real life, their profile shows up on your Happn timeline. However, what sets it apart from apps like Tinder is the proximity restriction. The entire concept of the app is built around finding matches with people you have actually encountered, or almost encountered, during your day.

To create an account on Happn you need to connect via Facebook, cell phone number, Google account or Apple ID if you have an iPhone.

Then, how to find people on Happn? Happn has no free search feature available. You may only find other members when they appear on your timeline. Other members may appear on your timeline if you have the same preferences and if you crossed path with them within the 250-meter radius.

If you find someone you like, then you can click the heart button on their profile to express interest. If the person hearts your profile as well then either member can start a conversation. You may not chat or receive a message from anyone if you have not both liked each other.

Happn Review: Special Features

We believe that all features in Happn aim to help you find your soulmate easier. Here are some special features in Happn.

1.     Hello

Let other members know that you want to talk– send a Hello! Each member has ten free Hellos once they sign up. Once it runs out, you will have to purchase through a premium subscription. Also, you can earn “Hello” by inviting your friends to discover the app by sharing your referral link, directly from the page “My Account”. You earn 5 Hellos for each accepted invitation.

2.     CrushTime

Happn has a “CrushTime” feature which is a game that users can play within the app and hopefully spark a connection.  For each game, a 4-profile grid will display and you will have to guess who has Liked you. Get it correctly to be able to send a message to that user instantly. If you have guessed it wrong, a ‘like’ will automatically be sent to the user that you chose. The first try is free. If you want to play again, you must send a “Hello” in order to find out which profile has Liked you.

3.     FlashNote

FlashNotes are personalized messages you can send to a happner, even before you get a Crush. They’re your best ally to make sure you get noticed by that special someone. To use this, you have to choose something about the other member based on his/ her profile (photo, description, crossing location) and ask a personalized question based on it. You can also send a FlashNote without a message. The person you contact will still be notified and know you’re interested.

4.     I’m up for…

Show what you’re currently up for the next six hours. Let the other members know that you are open to dining out, getting some drinks, watching a movie or simply going out or and taking a walk.

5.     Happn Map

The Happn Map is a bit like your Timeline in the form of a Map: you can find all the main locations where you have crossed paths with users during the 14 previous days.

Happn Costs and Prices

Like many other dating apps, downloading and using the basic features of Happn is free. However, if you want to date more efficiently, you may subscription the Premium version. In addition to enjoying the app without ads and getting up to 10 Hellos to send per day, the Premium subscription now gives you access to the list of people who have Liked your profile, lets you schedule Invisible mode, hide key personal information, rewind when you skipped over a profile too quickly and use the Video call feature 5 times for up to an hour. 

Here is the cost of the Premium subscription.

Happn also uses a virtual currency called Coins (also called Hello’s). Coins are purchased separately and used for a number of premium features such as sending a Hello, saying “I’m up for”, or “I’m in”.

• 10 coins for $2.99 ($0.30 per coin)
• 60 coins for $14.99 ($0.25 per coin)
• 100 coins for $16.99 ($0.17 per coin)
• 250 coins for $39.99 ($0.16 per coin)

Happn Review: Is Happn App Safe to Use?

Since Happn is a location-based app, many people will ask, “is Happn app safe to use?”.

To be honest, Happn is not completely safe.

Happn has had some serious security issues with users’ Facebook accounts in the past. In 2017 WIRED revealed that several dating apps, including Happn, didn’t properly protect the privacy of their users. 

Back in 2016, Happn was in trouble as well. At the time, the Consumer Council of Norway discovered that the company was violating its own privacy policy. Happn promises never to share your personal data with anyone else, but turned out to be doing this anyway. They sent data to an American marketing agency called UpSight. 

Worse, since Happn actively follows your (GPS) location and shows it to other users in certain circumstances, you’re at risk. 

The good news is that Happn really does something to protect its users. For example, it offers a comprehensive guide to safety and best practices on its website. Then, it allows you to block and report users.

However, like any dating app, there is always the potential for misuse. When you are arranging a meet up with a stranger, never reveal too much information via messaging, always arrange your date in a public, in a busy location and inform a friend or relative of your plans.

Is Happn Worth a Try?

Pros:

• The app’s core features are free.
• Simple profiles and Facebook/Google account/Apple ID integration make it fast and easy to set up an account.
• The app attempts to replicate the experience of meeting in real life to make online dating feel a little less distant and digital.

Cons:

• Matches are based solely on proximity, so you won’t have any to choose from until you cross paths with another person who is actively using the app.
• Due to the limited filtering and data, you have on the other users, it’s impossible to curate your matches as much as maybe you’d like to before meeting them.
• Users from low-population areas will struggle to find matches.

Verdict:

At the end of the Happn review, we would say that Happn is right for anyone looking to connect with nearby singles. The app is easy set up and use, but since it is location-based, you need to live in a major metropolitan area to use it effectively. If you do, you can download it and have a try. Let Happn make dating happened!