HoopFrog®: The Dating App That Wants You to Leave

Picture a quiet evening, a phone glowing in one hand, and a thumb moving through faces without really seeing them. Many singles know that tired feeling, and it is the one Michael Reed set out to end. As Founder and CEO of HoopFrog Inc., he built the HoopFrog® dating app around a bold idea: the best outcome is a member who no longer needs the app.

"Most dating apps want you to keep swiping. We want you to stop, because you've found someone," Reed says.

Why the HoopFrog Dating App Was Built From Scratch

HoopFrog Inc. was founded in 2023 and is headquartered in St. Albert, Alberta. When Reed first looked at existing dating-platform software, he found it too limiting for what he had in mind. He and the HoopFrog team made a harder choice. They would build their own.

The platform's pairing, messaging, safety and trust systems were designed and written in-house from the ground up. Security and privacy were part of the plan from day one, not features added later. In an industry shaped by a few global giants, HoopFrog stands as an independent, Canadian-built alternative.

"HoopFrog is what dating apps look like when the goal is the relationship, not the time-on-app," Reed says. The brand promise reflects that goal in three words: Present. Connected. You.

Trust You Can See on the HoopFrog Dating App

Fake profiles are getting harder to spot, and romance scams cost people both money and heartbreak. HoopFrog responds by making safeguards visible rather than hidden.

Members confirm a real mobile number and their age before messaging anyone. The platform is for adults 18 and older only.

Each profile also carries a public Trust Score out of 100, along with a plain-language list of which checks are complete. A selfie is compared with profile photos, and photos are screened on upload. Members can raise their score with optional extras. A friend can vouch through a written testimonial. A location badge can confirm a member's city while showing only the town. A voice or video greeting adds another human signal.

"People should be able to see who they're talking to before they say hello," Reed says. "That's why every profile shows its checks and a Trust Score out of 100."

These checks are safeguards, not promises of perfection, and HoopFrog treats them that way. In-app alerts flag conversations that show signs of a romance scam or financial abuse. A guide to avoiding romance scams is available. Members can report or block from any profile or conversation, with built-in crisis and support resources close by.

Real Connection Instead of Swiping

The HoopFrog dating app replaces the endless carousel with focus. Intros show one complete profile at a time, with clear choices. A short values and lifestyle questionnaire then explains each introduction through a topic-by-topic "Why this connection?" breakdown. Values count the most, followed by relationship goals, lifestyle, location and shared interests. Each member's individual answers stay private.

Voice greetings and video intros are free, so members can hear a real voice and see a real person before saying hello. Video greetings receive automatic closed captions, translated into the viewer's language.

Icebreakers give members ready-made openers. Flares signal extra interest. When the chat is going well, members on the optional VIP plan can use voice and video calls inside the app, so phone numbers stay private until a member chooses to share them. HoopFrog also hosts local events, giving members a way to meet face to face.

Kinder Dating

Gentle nudges appear when a chat goes quiet. A one-tap Kind Goodbye lets a conversation end politely instead of fading out.

"Ghosting hurts," Reed says. "A Kind Goodbye takes one tap, and it lets both people move on."

Members can set an optional daily time limit and receive a gentle reminder.

Messaging is free for every member, with every connection. There are no tiers, boosts or add-ons to buy.

"Saying hello shouldn't cost money," Reed says. "Messaging on HoopFrog is free."

Privacy and Control, in Seven Languages

Members on the optional VIP plan can use Invisible mode to hide online status, read receipts and typing indicators. Private photos are visible only to approved connections. Do Not Disturb pauses calls. Phone numbers and passwords are encrypted, and two-factor sign-in is available to protect each account.

HoopFrog works on the web, as an Android app on Google Play, and on iPhone through Safari. A native iOS app is coming soon. Travel mode supports members on the move.

The platform speaks seven languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese and Welsh. HoopFrog is one of the very few dating platforms offered in Welsh (Cymraeg). For Reed, the choice is personal, a nod to his family roots in Pontypool, Wales. Welsh speakers, he believes, deserve a modern, safe dating platform in their own language, not a translated afterthought.

HoopFrog is growing city by city, with founding members in each new area, while welcoming singles everywhere. Its sister brand, DateSteady, a brand of HoopFrog Inc., brings the same trust-first approach to singles over 50.

A Love Story Behind the HoopFrog Dating App

Reed found his own best friend in Meaghan, and that experience shaped his conviction that online dating can be kind, safe and genuinely useful.

"Meaghan is my best friend, and she is the reason I believe in this," Reed says. "Everyone deserves to find that."

Every design choice, from visible checks to the Kind Goodbye, points toward the same goal: a real relationship, reached with respect.

Singles looking for dating that respects their time, privacy and heart are invited to explore HoopFrog, where creating a profile and sending a first message are free. Journalists can find media resources at the HoopFrog press page or write to press@hoopfrog.com.

Explore More About HoopFrog®

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