What Happened to Whim?

Whim died the quiet way, and it deserved better. This was not one of the scam feeders we keep burying. It was a real app with a real idea from a real founder: Eve Peters, out of OkCupid Labs, launched Whim in San Francisco in August 2015 on a simple bet. Skip the texting. You told the app which evenings you were free, and when two people liked each other it just booked the date, time and place, done. Her numbers made the case: on the big apps fewer than one match in ten ever turned into a date. On Whim it was nine in ten.

The money side stayed small. Whim went through 500 Startups and then raised $216,758 from 509 everyday investors on a crowdfunding page, which tells you it never landed the big venture round this category usually demands. In October 2017 Peters rebranded the idea as Tonight, a same-day version launched in New York, with plans to move Whim users over. Neither survived 2018. There was no goodbye for either app, the App Store listing was gone by 2019, and the website followed in August 2019.

The ending for the founder is the nicest one in this graveyard. Eve Peters left tech and retrained as a psychotherapist. She practices in the Berkeley area now. The woman who spent years trying to get daters off their phones and into real life went and made it her actual job.

Now the warning. Whim’s old address, joinwhim.com, is back from the dead and it is not Whim. The domain changed hands, and by 2022 whoever holds it had rebuilt a pixel-perfect copy of the original site, old slogan and all. Today that clone is stuffed with offshore casino spam links, and its download buttons point at an App Store page that has been a dead end for years. If you bookmarked Whim back in the day, do not trust anything that address serves you.

An app that books real dates with no texting still does not really exist in 2026, which tells you how hard the problem was. The sites and apps that do deliver dates are over here.

Our Original Review

The concept behind Whim sounds intriguing. However, does it really fulfill its promise? Will joining Whim result in real dates faster than other apps? We conducted a full review of the Whim app to determine how good it really is. Take a moment and read it so you can decide for yourself.

— Pros and Cons —

Pros

• Powerful free version
• Focuses on real dates, not online chat
• Intuitive user interface

Cons

• Only available for iOS devices
• Lack of messaging feature might seem odd to some

— In-Depth Whim Dating App Review —

There is no doubt that dating apps have revolutionized the way we meet people. They have made finding a compatible partner convenient and have also removed much of the awkwardness that is involved.

Even so, there is room for improvement. A dating app known as Whim is attempting to move the performance of dating apps to the next level.

Unlike other dating apps that result in protracted moments of online communication which many times lead to nothing — Whim does everything to bring about a real-world date as fast as possible. As Whim puts it, they’re all about “dating not texting.”

— Introduction to Whim —

To properly understand the Whim app, it is important to be aware of the fundamental differences that it has with other dating apps. Other apps use a combination of search and messaging features to bring people together. However, studies indicate that less than 5 percent of mutually matched online conversations end up in a real date. Put another way, that means that 95 percent of the potential matches that you engage with on other apps turn out to be a waste of your time. When you include the statistic that 80 percent of speculative messages go unanswered, that adds up to a ton of wasted time.

To combat this, Whim removes the messaging component entirely. You read that correctly, the Whim app does not have a messaging feature. You cannot engage in an online chat with prospective matches.

— How Does Whim Create Matches? —

You may be wondering how people meet on Whim if there is no messaging feature. Whim requires their members to complete a profile that provides a robust image of who they are. It takes into account everything from your physical attributes to those of your personality, habits, and outlook on life. Users must also provide the dates and times that they are available for a date.

The Whim algorithm first uses this information to show users the profiles of prospective matches. Each user indicates who they find to be good “dating material.” When there is mutual interest among users, Whim then takes the scheduling availability of those users and if that coincides, both users are notified and a dating location and time is set.

— Dynamic of a Whim Date —

When Whim creates a date for two of its members the notification that is sent to both parties includes the profile image of the other member as well as the name and address of the public venue where they will meet. It also includes the cell number of the member.

Even though Whim does not have an internal messaging system, it does require members to register their cell numbers. This, however, is only revealed during the date scheduling phase.

The purpose for this is so that both members can be assured that they will be present at the location and time indicated. Whim encourages its members not to use their time on the phone for anything beyond confirming that they will be there. Whim advocates that members use their face-to-face time during the date to get to know each other better — as opposed to over the phone.

Whim validates this methodology by citing an online dating statistic that indicates that first dates on other online dating platforms only result in relationships less than 11 percent of the time. Whim claims that their first dates result in relationships 70 percent of the time.

— Post-Date Evaluation —

In order to provide a top level of service to their members, Whim has a post-date evaluation procedure. The day following a scheduled date, Whim sends an evaluation request to both members. It asks the member how they would rate the date. There are four options for them to choose — “ugh,” “yay,” “okay,” and “wow.” Additionally, there is a text field where they can write their own comment about the date. Also, there are check boxes to report if the other person did not show up or if they engaged in inappropriate behavior.

Members that stand up their dates or that are reported to act inappropriately, face removal from the system. This further adds to the quality of the user experience as this tends to eliminate trolls and others who are not serious about dating.

— The Platform —

Whim is only available as a mobile app for iOS devices. It is not available for Android or desktop use. There is a companion website found at the URL joinwhim.com. There, users can find information about the app inclusive of a FAQ section.

When our testers downloaded and installed the app, they reported that its operation was fast and smooth. The navigation was described as intuitive. The overall aesthetic is clean and fresh. It has a white and turquoise motif that is pleasant on the eyes.

— Cost —

The free version of Whim is quite powerful. In our opinion, most people will be able to get by on the free version alone. However, a premium version is available at a cost of $19.99 per month. With the premium version, users are allowed to set up their own dates with prospective matches even if their available dates and times do not coincide initially.

— Safety —

With apps such as Whim that rely on a first date philosophy, safety is a legitimate concern. Fortunately, Whim takes great effort to properly vet their members. The profiles of new users are all reviewed by Whim staff to ensure that they meet the rigorous standards for authenticity and safety.

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