I heard it was how Amy Schumer met one of her boyfriends, and everyone I knew on it seemed to be matching with Pete Davidson. Raya is frequently described as a “celebrity dating app,” although during the short time I was on it, it would have been better described as a “celebrity dating app + Ginny.” Yes, I tried Raya, but decided to delete it after three dates. Ultimately, I learned that celebrity dating just isn’t for me (spoiler: I never met a celebrity).

Raya describes itself as a “private, membership-based social network.” It has an option for professional networking, https://www.datingranking.net/disney-chat-rooms in addition to dating. To get access to it, you have to be invited by a friend and then have your profile approved by the app via them scanning your social media. Despite its networking theme, everyone I know on the app uses and describes it as a dating app. Still, I would come to learn that the exclusivity, as well as the emphasis on professional networking, has the potential to make Raya a little less fun and flirty and a little more business casual.

Raya, a dating app designed to be deliberately exclusive, had long held a strong allure for me

I was so excited when Raya approved my profile. I’d heard so much about it from friends, and I desperately craved the invite. My friend invited me in , and I started swiping ASAP. In my first few months as a Raya app user, I didn’t actually use it to go on dates. I was about to move to LA, so I figured I’d date when I got there. I still thought it was worth the $8.99/month to swipe through and see if I could spot any celebs (I only saw the roommate’s boyfriend from Love and a guy I’d seen in taxicab videos – uhhhhhmazing). Continue lendo →