The Scoop: Today, many people prefer the company of someone racially and culturally different from them. Open-minded people know never to judge a book by its cover, particularly when it comes to dating. Swirlr helps singles overcome the challenges in finding those types of relationships. The niche platform connects a diverse cross-section of singles who share similar passions and are interested in interracial dating.
Fifty-five years ago, just 3% of people in the US were married to someone of a different ethnicity, according to data collected by Pew Research. By 2015, the percentage of newlywed couples who were of different races jumped to 17%.
Those numbers show how general attitudes have changed about interracial relationships, and how many people enjoy spending time with someone who has a different background.
Swirlr is a modern dating app that helps connect open-minded singles looking for interracial love. It is part of the Interracial Dating group of sites.
Dorian, a black man from the United States, met Catherine, an Asian woman from the Philippines, through through the group’s websites. At first, neither had a paid membership, so Catherine could only send him a Flirt (a simple sign of interest) when she found his profile. It took six months before Dorian upgraded to a premium membership to message Catherine, and he said it was well worth it.
“For me to go to the next level, I have to know the feelings I have will be the same in person,” Dorian said. “That’s why I traveled halfway around the world to see her.”
He booked the 17-hour flight to Manila, where he met Catherine and her family. They traveled to her home province of Pampanga, and soon they realized the feelings they had developed through video chatting were real. By the end of the week, Dorian proposed. That was in 2017, and they have been thriving in their relationship ever since.
“She makes me a better man,” Dorian said. “She’s more than I could ever ask for in a woman and a life partner.”
Subscriptions Provide More Features and Network Access
A spokesperson for Swirlr said the app and its sister platform, TemptAsian, are part of the InterracialDating.com network. Each site focuses on helping people find the type of person they seek, whether for a date, friendship, or lifelong partnership.
TemptAsian is targeted to Asians who want to date non-Asians and to non-Asians interested in dating Asians.
Anyone can post a profile on the site and send Flirts as Catherine did, but users need to upgrade to a subscription to connect in a more meaningful way. Once users upgrade, they can see who is interested in their profile and start conversations with those they find attractive. It’s free to reply to messages.
And unlike many other dating apps, users without a subscription can do a global search for someone who shares their interests. The mobile-responsive website works seamlessly to help users flirt with people of different ethnicities.
Of course, sometimes love is right around the corner. That was the case for Christina and Giovanni, both residents of Newark, New Jersey. Christina, who is of mixed race, found Giovanni, who is Asian, unlike any other guy she talked to on the platform.
They met on her birthday, after talking about music and many other topics through the site. Giovanni drove two hours to see her, and they went to dinner. The chemistry was evident, and he even won over her family on the following date.
“I knew it after that night,” she said. “I invited him to my birthday party. He brought my mom a flower, for raising me. Who does that?”
Singles of All Races and Ethnicities Use the App
Most Swirlr and TemptAsian users are over 30, but younger people are welcome on the platform too. Anyone who is interested in interracial dating can mix things up on this niche dating platform.
The spokesperson told us that Asian women see a lot of interest from white men on the platform, while asian men are most popular with Black women. No matter what your preference, there is someone for everyone on Swirlr.
“Our members come here to find people interested in interracial relationships. And if things go right, this can lead to a lifetime of joy and happiness,” the website reads. “Once people get into an interracial relationship, they may be interested in keeping it fun, or they may be looking for something more serious like interracial marriage.”
The app is relatively simple, and that’s the point. The goal is to make it easy for users to connect with people they find attractive. The spokesperson said the team behind the app knows how important it is to match with someone interesting and unique.
“Most of our team members are in multicultural relationships themselves, so we practice what we preach,” the spokesperson told us.
Their stories are similar to that of Bjorn, from Sweden, and Megha, who is Indian. Bjorn said he signed up for other dating sites to meet local women, but he was always more attracted to women of other ethnicities.
Initially, he said he just wanted a way to flirt with women around the world. All that changed when he connected with Megha.
“A few days after I started using the site seriously, I met Megha, and sparks flew,” he said. “Now, only a few months after we met, we’re getting married. She’s the love of my life.”
Swirlr: New Messaging Capabilities Will Make Dating Easier
The spokesperson said both Swirlr and TemptAsian plan to launch a new messaging app in 2022. It will make it even easier for members to chat and learn about each other, no matter where they are.
For example, Melissa, a white woman, connected with Jonathan, an Asian man, after both were site members for a couple of months. She lived in New Jersey, and he lived in California. Luckily, she had a business trip that allowed them to meet up in the Golden State.
At first, Jonathan was shy. But that wasn’t what he was thinking on the inside.
“I’m gonna have beautiful babies with her,” he remembered thinking. “I proposed three weeks before our next meet-up and, because of the distance, I did it via video call. It was stupid, I didn’t think it was gonna work, but she said, ‘Yes.’”
The Swirlr team has heard plenty of success stories and wants to foster many more. That’s also why the platform emphasizes online safety for users. The team offers a list of tips for singles and shares the importance of being cautious whenever they meet someone they don’t know for the first time. If there is a problem, such as someone pressuring them to send money, Swirlr encourages users to report the concern so the team can handle it.
The team also offers users plenty of great insights and tips through the Swirlr blog, which recently published an article about code-switching. That term refers to people who adapt the way they look, speak, or act in different social situations.
“Yes, code-switching might get you a second date. But is it a sustainable strategy?” reads the post. “Those who have used it say it isn’t long-term.”
Instead, as Swirlr believes, the best method is to be yourself — no matter your ethnicity.
