Dating apps are the ultimate place for you to match and meet new people, so what happens when this virtual dating bubble bursts and someone you know pops up on your profile?
The majority of friendships tend to stay fairly platonic for the most part. Maybe sometimes you have a moment, get a bit drunk and sleep with a close pal, but you’ll often shrug it off as a mistake and hope you can move past it without any tension or awkwardness. If they’re more of an acquaintance, you tend to just try and avoid future contact. But what if it hasn’t even got to that part yet, what if you see your friends, an acquaintance, or a long-lost lover you’ve been yearning to get back in contact with? Or maybe it’s someone you want to romantically stay well away from.
These sorts of situations can sometimes be funny, an opportunity to shoot your shot or just make you completely cringe. Any of these feelings sound familiar?
Whatever you may feel, BARE has you covered with some top tips on what to do next time you see someone you know on your dating profile.
When a good friend sends you a like
Let’s start off easy and begin with scenario one. This should just be a laugh. You both know each other very well, you know it’s a giggle and can send a flirty, jokey or friendly message without any worries. Heck, you could even practise some one liners on one another to see how they sound.
When you find the friend that you’ve always fancied
Welcome to scenario two, this is when the situation gets slightly tricky, but a whole lot more exciting… Picture this – you’re hungover, craving affection and hop onto BARE to seek some attention. Does this ring any bells? Then as you’re swiping through, you see a friend of a friend that you’ve always fancied, but have been way too shy to make the first move. BAM! Shake off that hangover as it’s your time to shine.
1) Flirting with friends can be risky territory, but don’t overthink it – shoot your shot ASAP. Give them a like straight away. But don’t just leave it there, sending a like isn’t clear enough. You have to be brave and drop them a message to make your intentions obvious.
2) You might be feeling a little shy to do this. Don’t worry, we’ve got you sorted if you want to send a flirty message but if you don’t, send something funny with a sprinkle of flirt, “fancy seeing you here” and then throw in a comment about something on their profile to break the ice. This may seem bold, but you have to remember you’ve been in lockdown for a whole year! There’s no more time to waste – shoot your shot my friend!
3) If the worst case scenario happens and they don’t reply, unmatch them like it never happened. The beauty of dating apps is that they allow you to keep on swiping until you find someone else who gets you excited! If you see them out again, keep it light and jokey to avoid any awkwardness.
Help! Send them to the friendzone
Now time for the sitch that is not only sticky but can be bloomin’ awkward! Scenario three is when a friend of a friend or the person you see at your local sends you a like, but you really do not fancy them. However, you bump into them regularly, so you feel uncomfortable rejecting it.
Unfortunately you’ve got to be brutal – reject the like and suck it up the next time you see them. Or if they’ve messaged you – ignore or respond with an extremely friendly message, spelling out that they are in the friendzone. It might seem harsh, but it’s better to squash it now, rather than drag it out. We’ve all been on the receiving end of a pie, so don’t feel bad giving it!
We hope these tips prepare you for the next time you’re swiping and you get a little surprise by seeing someone you know. Don’t be alarmed – remember to make it a laugh, shoot your shot or end 
it before it can even begin.
At BARE we believe in open-minded and honest dating, so be true to yourself and listen to your feelings. Download our dating app as you never know, maybe matching that friend will begin a whole new romantic journey you never knew existed.
