If the apps have you worn out, you’re not alone. In a 2024 Forbes Health survey of US dating app users, 78% said they’d felt burnt out by them. The good news: people still meet in real life all the time. It just takes a slightly different plan.
1. Go where you’ll see the same faces
One-off nights out are hit and miss. Things you do every week are better, because you see the same people again and a hello turns into a chat. Think run clubs, a social sport team, a regular class, the same Saturday market. On the Gold Coast? Here’s where singles actually meet.
2. Go solo sometimes
In a group, you’re a closed circle. On your own, you’re approachable. Take a book to the cafe, sit at the bar, join the class without your best mate.
3. Make it easy for someone to say hi
Most people won’t approach because they don’t know if it’s welcome. Put your phone away, look up, smile at people. Or wear something that starts the conversation for you, like a Hanky Drop shirt.
4. How to approach someone you like
- Keep it light and about the moment: the coffee, the dog, the band.
- Ask a question, not a line. “Is that any good?” beats anything you’ve rehearsed.
- Give them an easy exit. If they’re not up for a chat, smile and move on. No harm done.
- If it’s going well, say so: “I’d love to keep talking. Want to grab a coffee sometime?”
5. How to tell if someone’s single (without asking)
Honestly, you usually can’t. That’s the whole problem. You can look for open body language and someone who’s on their own, but the only sure way is to ask, kindly, or to look for a signal they’ve chosen to give.
That’s why we started Hanky Drop. We want people to meet in the real world, get off their phones, and find genuinely good people.
6. Say yes more
The birthday drinks where you only know one person. The friend’s housewarming. The work thing. Plenty of couples still meet through friends of friends, and you only meet them if you turn up.
Try the shirt
A Hanky Drop shirt says Emotionally available? on the back, with a code people can look up to see a bit about you first. It’s the easiest way we know to tell the room you’re open to a hello. See the shirts.