Everyone encounters some challenges when looking for love. Still, as a deaf single, you face obstacles that others don’t. That can make you a little hesitant about using online dating apps, but we have you covered.
We scoured the internet, searching for the best deaf dating apps, and whittled the list down to these five. If you want fewer challenges and more chances at love, check them out.
5 Best Deaf Dating Apps
| Ranking | Dating App | Claim Trial | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | eHarmony | Try Free |  |
| #2 | Christian Mingle | Try Free |  |
| #3 | EliteSingles | Try Free |  |
| #4 | Zoosk | Try Free |  |
| #5 | SilverSingles | Try Free |  |
eHarmony – Best for Avoiding Snap Judgments
Does it seem like singles don’t take the time to get to know you? They find out you’re deaf, make some excuse, and move on to the next option. You don’t even get time to make an actual connection.
Fortunately, you can put that problem in the rearview mirror with eHarmony.
eHarmony has new members take a compatibility test and then uses the 32 DIMENSIONS matching model to pair up compatible singles. This allows the site to match people based on what they want and need.
While that sounds complicated, eHarmony makes it easy.
Matches are assigned compatibility scores, and a high number means the pair’s a great fit. Because match scores take center stage, singles stop making snap judgments and form real connections. These connections go well beyond a person’s ability or inability to hear.
Let your true self shine through and find life-long love by creating a free account on eHarmony.
Christian Mingle – Best for Finding Love and a Sense of Belonging
It’s estimated that anywhere from two to four percent of deaf people are Christians. Because there are so few religious deaf singles, you might feel like you don’t belong to the community. That’s hard to deal with, but you can find your new online home on Christian Mingle.
It’s open to singles from different branches of Christianity, so you can meet people that share your faith. And since it’s a faith-based dating site, you’ll also discover that many of the members are caring, kind, and compassionate. That means they aren’t likely to turn away from a match just because the person is deaf.
You don’t have to sacrifice your religion to find love. Check out Christian Mingle to see why we consider this one of the best deaf dating apps out there.
Elite Singles – Best for High-Achieving Deaf Singles
From Marlee Matlin to Beethoven, the list of successful deaf people is as long as the world is wide. There’s something about being deaf that makes you more resilient, which explains the high success rate. But it can get lonely at the top, so you want to find someone to share the view.
And that’s just what you’ll find on Elite Singles.
This dating app lives up to its name by attracting the best of the best. It’s full of doctors, lawyers, CEOs, and other powerful singles ready to meet that special someone. And since most of the members are looking for something serious, you can find marriage material here.
Does your idea of the perfect match include words like “ambitious” and “prosperous?” If you answered “yes,” create a free profile on Elite Singles today.
Zoosk – Best for Deaf Singles New to Dating
Have you been putting off dating because you’re deaf? Maybe you feel nervous approaching We discovered that some deaf singles put off dating because they’re worried about discrimination and harassment. After giving it some time, most of them decide to dive in and give it a try. If you’re in that category, you can set yourself up for success by using Zoosk.
Since you haven’t spent much time dating, you probably don’t know what you want. That can make it hard to get the most out of some dating apps, but Zooks is different.
See, its matching algorithm is designed to learn as you go. It sees how you interact with profiles and uses the info to fine-tune your matches. It’s so effective that it can figure out what you want, even if you aren’t so sure. And because it never stops learning, it’ll evolve with you.
Are you worried that you’ll cut down on matches if your dating style changes? That’s not an issue here. Zoosk has more than 40 million members, so you can find quality matches no matter where you are on your dating journey.
Now’s a great time to jump into the online dating scene. Head to Zoosk to create your free profile today.
SilverSingles – Best for Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf Seniors
Some people are born deaf, while others lose their hearing later in life. By the time people reach their 50s or 60s, there’s a good chance that they’ll have at least some hearing loss. And while some of those people are already coupled up, others are single and looking for that special someone.
We set out to find the spot where deaf singles go to meet and discovered that they’re flocking to SilverSingles. Unlike other dating apps that are full of people in their 20s and 30s, this is just for men and women 50 and up. It does a fantastic job of matching people based on their interests, and you can browse for men and women in your local area.
While it’s worth upgrading to a paid account, you can get started for free. Head over to SilverSingles to create a free profile, so you can start browsing.
5 Reasons These Dating Apps are Great for Deaf Singles
- Access to Deaf and Hearing Singles – You don’t have to pick a lane when using the best deaf dating apps. Instead, you can pursue relationships with deaf and hearing singles on these sites.
- Communicate with Your Fingers – Are you nervous about chatting with people right out the gate? You can send messages and text chats inside of these apps, so you can set your nerves to the side and get to know your matches.
- Highlight Your Personality and Interests – Being deaf doesn’t define your life, and it won’t be the main story on these dating apps, either. Each one finds matches based on personality and interests, so you can let people know the real you.
- Safe, Harassment-Free Spaces – You don’t have to worry about people mocking you for being deaf on our favorite dating apps. If you encounter any problems, report the person to customer support, and they’ll take care of it for you.
Niche Deaf Dating Apps
Deaf and Dating – This app is open to hard-of-hearing and deaf men and women looking for friendship and love. And while it has a lot of promise, it’s low on features. Plus, scammers run rampant on here. We’ll keep an eye out to see if the developers add more features and cut down on scams, but for now, we don’t recommend it.
Deafs.com – This deaf dating site has some cool features that make it fun to use. Unfortunately, it’s yet to attract many members, so you might only find one or two matches in your state. Also, it doesn’t have a mobile app, which is frustrating for singles on the go.
DeafSinglesMeet – It has promise and seems to be adding lots of new members by the day. With a growing userbase, there’s a good chance you can find a local match. Still, we’re not impressed with the design, interface, and features. Hopefully, it’ll build on what it has, but for now, we view it as a work in progress.
Deaf Dating Zone – It’s never a good sign when you’re the only person online on a dating site. And that’s what happened to us when we logged into Deaf Dating Zone. Also, the retro site design takes us back to the days of dial-up internet, so we’re going to pass on this one.
Meet Deaf Singles – You can match with deaf and hearing singles on this app. We like that a niche deaf dating site gives both options, but we aren’t impressed with the clunky design. Plus, the profiles are too basic to find out much about people without striking up a conversation.
FreeDeafDating.co.uk – This dating app has the same problem as most of the other niche sites. It’s poorly designed and has few members, making it hard to make connections.
Video Chatting Tips for Deaf Singles
You’ll probably match with lots of singles when using the best deaf dating apps. Before moving things into the real world, it’s important to video chat first. That way, you can make sure your match is legit and see if you feel a spark.
While most people take video chatting for granted, it’s a bit different if you’re deaf. This is especially true if you connect with someone that doesn’t know sign language. Some singles choose to read lips, but that’s a real challenge on a video call.
Fortunately, you can use a video chat service that provides closed captions. Right now, Skype is a cut above the rest in this category. It provides live captions, so you can connect without the stress.
When Should You Reveal You’re Deaf?
So, there are three schools of thought about the right time to reveal that you’re deaf. People tend to let others know:
- On their dating profiles
- Before meeting in real life
- After an in-person date
While being deaf doesn’t define you, we don’t recommend waiting until meeting in person. If your date doesn’t know you’re deaf, it could cause some confusion and issues.
For instance, what if your date says something when you aren’t looking, and you miss it? If you don’t respond, your match might think you’re rude or uninterested. That confusion could lead to a dating disaster.
Instead, we recommend disclosing it on your dating profile or before meeting in real life. But which one is right for you? Let’s explore both.
If you don’t want to connect with people that discriminate against deaf individuals, putting it on your profile will save you time and headaches. Plus, you might attract some hearing singles that know ASL.
But on the other hand, some people prefer to wait until chatting with singles online. Then, their matches get to know them before they find out they’re deaf. While you might come across a match or two that leaves the chat, you’ll discover that most people are down with dating deaf singles, especially when they feel a connection.
We recommend trying both options to see which works best for you. Since you can edit your profile at any time, it’ll be easy to try different disclosure styles.
Should You Only Date Deaf Singles?
If you use one of our recommended deaf dating apps, you’ll have access to deaf and hearing singles. We chose those apps for a variety of reasons, including the large userbases that make it easier to find your match.
Since you’ll likely match with people on different sides of the hearing spectrum, you have a big question to answer. Should you only date deaf people, or would it be better to be more inclusive when looking for love?
On the one hand, you’ll have shared experiences if you date a deaf person. This can make it easier to bond with your matches while reducing your stress.
But on the other hand, your ears only make up part of who you are. You can also share experiences with people through travel, work, interests, and more. By opening yourself up to people who can hear, you’ll be able to find matches based on personality and traits.
We recommend going into online dating with an open mind. See who is out there and find your match, regardless of hearing ability.