Red App : Dating App Design & Development
Summary
Red App is a mobile dating platform for those looking for intentional, emotionally safe relationships. Surrounding itself in the Red App brand, “Reclaim your worth. Choose a love that chooses you back,” it promotes individuals in the process of reclaiming their worth and healing from relationships that are unhealthy.
About Red App
Most of the applications designed for dating sites are designed to be fast and efficient. Red App is founded on trust and intention. Profiles are verified, and only mutual matches can talk, and each user has tools to protect themselves.
Markeltree developed and created the entire product: the mobile app, the back end and an admin panel to manage and analyse. Built with React Native and Expo, the app is the same experience across iOS and Android.
The Challenges
Every project starts with real problems. Here are the core challenges we tackled for this engagement.
Dating Without Safety Is Dating Without Trust: Impersonation, “cat fishing” and harassment are commonplace on online dating platforms. Safety could not be put in a setting menu, since it is a part of Red App, healing and empowerment. It needed to be a part of each transfer, from signing up to chat.
Swiping Rewards Speed, Not Intention: Most of the swipe based apps force people to make snap judgments, primarily based on pictures, and consequently shallow matches and burnout. Red App required discovery based on relationship intent, shared values and personality while maintaining the speed and fun of browsing.
Verification Without Drop-Off: Verification is important for keeping users safe, but onboarding can be a long process, leading to drop off. The flow needed to gather the information required for good matching, to verify that each person was genuine, and to be brief and comforting.
Fade Without Good Conversations: There are a lot of matches that aren't even conversations, as no one knows how to start. Red App required a memorable moment in the match, some profile prompts, and a conversation experience that makes it easy to send the first message.
Profit and Purpose: The app is funded through premium plans, boosts and super likes. However, the pay-to-win approach wouldn't fit with the value and respect-oriented brand and it would make free users feel disrespected. The premium layer would need to introduce value that would not damage the free experience.
One Brand Two Platforms: It needed to be exactly the same on both platforms (iOS and Android), and make smooth swiping, loading images, sending and receiving messages reliably, and getting the same push notification when they received and sent it, happen from one codebase, not two.
Privacy and Control for Sensitive Users: There are many users who are trying to rebuild their lives after suffering from some bad experience. They wanted control over who they could see, what they could share and how they could be notified, and that they could leave and delete their data whenever they wanted to.
Core Features Implemented
A breakdown of the core components built and delivered for Red App.
Onboarding & Account Creation
An easy and quick registration process that ensures that customers do not drop off during the process.
Capabilities include:
- Register using email, phone number (OTP) or social login (Google / Apple / Facebook)
- Account verification
- Progress indicator and guided, step by step profile setup.
- Secure login sessions
- Password recovery
- Make it clear what the terms and privacy policy are at the registration stage.
New users can easily register and start an existing profile in just a few steps.
Profiles
Professional-looking profiles with a sense of personality and substance.
Capabilities include:
- This option allows you to add more than one picture that can be reordered.
- Photo verification
- Bio and personal information
- Interests and tags
- Conversation prompts
- Relationship Purpose and wishes
- Before publishing, check out what the profile looks like.
Profiles allow the user to give themselves a good presentation, but they also give the other user a true context, beyond the photo.
Discovery
Quick, meaningful browsing made easy through an intent-driven discovery experience.
Capabilities include:
- Swipe or browse interface
- Filters for age, distance and relationship objectives
- Suggestions based on common interests and tastes
- Before making a decision, view the profile from full-length.
- Smooth card animations
- Quickly load images from the cache.
Scrolling time is reduced and time finding others who want the same is increased.
Matching
A mutual-match system to maintain respectful and desired connections.
Capabilities include:
- When two people like each other, they form a match!
- Pair the screen with a question to make the first message.
- Preference logic (with compatibilities, interests, intent).
- Matches with new and recent connections
Only matched users can message each other, thus unwanted messaging is eliminated at the source.
Real-Time Messaging
A chat experience to make matches real conversations.
Capabilities include:
- One to one chat will be available in real-time for matched users.
- Photo and media sharing.
- Voice notes and video calls (if available)
- Read receipts and typing indicators
- A conversation list with the number of unread messages.
- Easy access to match profile and prompts
Safety & Moderation
Built-in Safety Features, not hidden in settings.
Capabilities include:
- Report and block all profiles and chatrooms
- Photo verification to minimise fake profiles
- A buffer area for moderating reports.
- Warnings, suspensions and removal of accounts.
- Privacy-first default settings
Users are always protected within one tap.
Premium Features & Monetization
A high quality layer to support the product without sacrificing the values.
Capabilities include:
- The free tier includes the core features.
- You'll get more value from the premium subscription plans.
- Provides a lift to profile visibility.
- Super likes to stand out
- In-app purchases are included in the App Store and Google Play.
- Subscription management
Visitors are able to pay for additional visibility, but free visitors still enjoy a full experience.
Notifications
Timely alerts which do not intrude on the user.
Capabilities include:
- Get notifications of new matches, messages, and likes!
- Activity alerts
- Users have control of the types of notifications.
Settings & Privacy
Complete control for users who require feeling in control and secure.
Capabilities include:
- Pause or hide profile
- Opt-in and opt-out options
- Any account can be deleted and data can be controlled.
- Privacy policy, terms and support links
How We Built Red App
Discovery & Product Planning
First, we explored the issues with current dating apps that people encounter, such as fake profiles, harassment, and shallow swiping, which is characterized by speed over intent. We studied users looking for healthy and meaningful relationships and how the importance of trust and verification impacts sign-up and retention. We also looked at features and monetization models of the competitors and charted the direction the Red App brand should have in terms of tone and design. This led to a transparent plan from downloading and getting onboarded to discovery, matching, and chat.
Core Development
The plan was then followed by designing the interface in Figma, creating wireframes, prototypes and designing a system that reflects Red App's warm and grounded identity. We have then developed the basics of our React Native app with Expo, such as navigation, authentication, user accounts and user management. The capabilities of uploading and verifying photos, discovery feed with filters and the logic for matching were created in parallel with the backend API, DB and the first version of the admin panel. This provided us with a working platform that users could register with, create a profile on and begin to find others with.
Advanced Features
We then layered on the elements that make Red App feel full and safe. Real-time messaging was developed with read receipts and typing indicators which can help matches become real conversations. Along with it came report, block, and moderation workflows, ensuring protection in one click and a queue for admins. We have also introduced premium plans, boosts, super likes, push notifications, privacy controls and complete admin dashboard that includes user management and analytics.
Optimization & Deployment
The final part of the process was all about speeding up the app, stabilizing it and getting it ready for real users. We optimized swipe animations and image loading on lower-end Android devices, and improved the reliability of chat and notifications on iOS and Android. We then conducted a security and data-privacy audit and ran tests with Expo EAS internal distribution builds. After everything was running smoothly we wrapped up the app, and submitted it to the App Store and Google Play.
Key Outcomes & Impact
Quick sign up, using verified profiles you can rely on
Search and browsing focus on who you want to meet, not only pictures
Messages are sent only after a true match, so fewer random chats get through
Safety settings show up on each profile and in chat
Money comes from a model that keeps the app fair, with no pay to win
Privacy controls are built in, plus you can delete your account anytime
Admin features help with moderation and healthy growth
The platform is set up to add new tools, locations, and languages later
From day one, Markeltree knew what Red App was supposed to be. I didn't want yet another app structured around an endless cycle of 'swipe, swipe, swipe.' I wanted to build an app where people can feel safe and they know there's a layer of verification there, where we can set the tone and feel of the community. Red App's system for verifying profiles, matching, and messaging, as well as the reporting and blocking features, have all given our users more confidence, while the admin dashboard has made it easy to keep a close eye on the community. Our users have given us fantastic feedback about how our app looks on iPhone and Android, and the app most certainly represents our message: 'a love that chooses you back.'
Ready To Become Our Next Success Story?
Let's build measurable results that transform your business growth.
Get in Touch to Discuss Your Vision With Our Industry Experts
What our customers say
Markeltree’s AI solutions helped us optimize our data workflows and decision-making process. Their team clearly understood our objectives and delivered a practical, results-driven AI implementation.
