It feels like ages ago when I downloaded my first iOS app in 2010. Seven years have passed and in internet time, that’s a long time. Once upon a time, “app” was the hottest buzzword out there so much so that the expression “There’s an app for that!” became a funny catchphrase everyone can relate to.

Despite gloomy projections a few years back, it’s obvious that mobile apps aren’t going away soon. In fact, more and more people are downloading apps and spending more and more time on them too, according to this article.

According to the comScore report, the number of mobile users surpassed desktop users in 2014. Gartner’s prediction narrates that over 268 billion mobile downloads will generate an income of $77 billion in 2017. The estimated global mobile app revenue was $35 billion in 2014, $45 billion in 2015, $58 billion in 2016, and a predicted $77 billion in 2017, as stated above.

But with Apple and Google Play’s app stores boasting a combined 4.2 million apps, it’s difficult to sift through an endless stream of apps to find those that you’ll actually want to download, find useful and actually use regularly.

Enter “app discovery” apps. At first blush, it seems redundant at best and counterintuitive at worst– after all, that’s another app taking up precious screen space. An app for discovering other apps? Seems like a chore. And for a long while it is. I’ve tried a few of these app discovery apps and it nearly drove me crazy going through all the random recommendations I’ve got.

For those who don’t know yet, I am a self-confessed app junkie since 2010 and still am, actually. I live and breathe apps for many years not only because I write app reviews but mostly and honestly for the thrill of a good app find. I would scroll through this endless list and try to download, test, use and delete as many apps as I can go through.I did this excessively and obsessively in the hopes of finding a gem in a sea of copycat, overpriced and underwhelming apps. Eventually, I got tired of the chase and settled for the ones that consistently sat on the Top Downloads charts or were “picked” by editors or showed up on Product Hunt — my recent go-to site for the fresh and promising apps and projects.

I did this excessively and obsessively in the hopes of finding a gem in a sea of copycat, overpriced and underwhelming apps. Eventually, I got tired of the chase and settled for the ones that consistently sat on the Top Downloads charts or were “picked” by editors or showed up on Product Hunt — my recent go-to site for the fresh and promising apps and projects.

Very recently, however, I found a new app discovery app (website) called AppMatch.com. If the name makes you think of a dating site or makes you ask if it is,  well it’s yes and no. Yes, because as I’ve realized after using it, it does feel like speed dating and Tinder combined, except that on AppMatch.com, the goal is to match users with their future favorite and can’t-live-without app (not a love interest, sorry to disappoint you Romeos and Juliets out there). App Match connects people with the apps they should be using by asking questions and then recommending apps based on your answers. The questions can range from light-hearted and fun to deeply personal. The more questions you answer, the more it learns about you and the better app recommendations it can make.

Since app discovery apps are not allowed in Apple’s walled garden, you definitely won’t find this in the Apple app store. To use App Match, all you need to do is use your phone’s web browser and go to AppMatch.com. Note that while the website is accessible via desktop/laptop, you can only use the app-matching-discovery feature using your smartphone.

This is actually great because tapping on app download links take you directly to your device’s app store so you can readily download them coming from the browser.

Check out my video review/walkthrough below for AppMatch.com.

App Review: AppMatch.com

So how does it work? Easy.

1. Open your smartphone’s native browser (Safari etc) and type AppMatch.com.
2. Sign-up/create an account using your email.
3. Start answering quiz-like questions to help App Match find the best apps for you.
4. You can quit/skip anytime you wish. Doing so will prompt App Match to display the latest app matches based on your answers.
5. From a menu that looks very much like Tinder, you have the option to “Swipe Right” for apps you like and “Swipe Left” for those you’d rather skip.

6. App Match then sorts your choices to user-friendly tabs accessible from your profile and from there you can tap on the download link that will take you straight to the right app store.

7. Rinse. Repeat.

What kind of questions does it ask?

The questions can range from light-hearted and fun to deeply personal. The more questions you answer, the more it learns about you and the better app recommendations it can make.

What about my privacy? 

Here’s AppMatch.com’s privacy page for reference. It’s pretty much the same as what’s expected from a regular website. It tells you all you need to know about what information they collect and what they do with it.

Is it free to use? Yes.

App Performance Review Metrics:

Being an “app” accessible via a website, there are major advantages because factors such as app crashes, app speed, app latency and network errors are hardly an issue and when I used it repeatedly I didn’t have any issue at all. In this regard, I’m actually effectively reviewing a website. So all the other usual suspects when it comes to app issues are low to non-existent. The UI is great, the response is quick and the overall user experience is pleasurable and even fun.

Overall Rating: ♥♥♥♥ (4 out of 5 hearts)

I have yet to immerse myself in it so I can’t say how many apps it can possibly recommend to me but I look forward to using it regularly. I also hope the algorithm will just keep on getting better and the app list would keep growing, giving way to new promising apps.

You can try this immediately for yourself since it doesn’t even need a download. All you need is your smartphone’s web browser. Oh, and did I mention it works with Android (Google Play Store) too? Oh yes, it does!

So remember, you don’t need to drown in an ocean of apps or walk away overwhelmed by the sheer volume you’re up against. Just like love and that elusive soul mate, maybe your next favorite app is on AppMatch.com all along, just waiting for you to swipe right so it can take your heart away!