When it comes to dating, we've all experienced the heartache that comes from miscommunication around expectations.
You might be ready to settle down, hearing wedding bells and picturing little feet running about, while your date might be looking for nothing more than a one-night stand.
This conversation can be difficult to navigate, but a new app is trying to make it a bit easier for everyone involved.
TapDat is an unapologetically pro-sex hook-up app, that is on a mission to break down barriers and reduce the stigma around casual sex, through consent and honesty.
The app for Brits differs from the likes of Tinder and Hinge as it puts a focus on chatting, sexting and safe hook-ups and allows users to share their sexual preferences, kinks and fetishes on their profile, as well as their HIV status and when they were last STD tested.
TapDat's Creative Director, Alice Leach, spoke to The Mirror about why the app is so important in 2022 and why people shouldn't be ashamed to have more casual sex.
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She said: "We're looking at how the conversation around sex evolves in 2022, how people are feeling more sexually liberated in terms of their sexual activities and that openness and approach to sexuality as a whole.
"But we haven't quite got that in terms of hook-up culture yet, so we're really trying to change that space.
"We want to empower people to have healthier, safer interactions, strengthening people's own sense of consent-based communication so they are drawing clear boundaries.
"We are explicitly a pro-hook-up space and when we say sex, we're also talking about self-pleasure as a lot of people looking for a hook-up situation want it to be really pleasurable.
"I think it's important that we're all honest about how we move and connect with other adults in any kind of relationship, but it's incredibly important when you're talking about a pleasure-based relationship. Whether that's your partner of six years or somebody you want to hook up with.
"Obviously, our interest with the app is creating this open space for people who do want a hook-up relationship, whether that's for a day, a season, or a regular, committed hook-up.
"And just by creating a clearer path, I think we're going to reduce the amount of miscommunication and hopefully harm. You know, we've all been heartbroken, thinking something is going to happen when it's not.
"We've also probably all had quite a lot of bad sex because we don't know what we like and we don't know how to communicate what we do like if we know it and that's a real shame.
"I think anything that anyone can do to increase the safety of sex and having good sex is an amazing thing and that's why we're really proud of the app."
Leach went on to share some of the more interesting features of TapDat - including how they're working to avoid users getting any unsolicited X-rated snaps, as she herself has previously been sent NSFW images on LinkedIn.
"Everything in the app is consent-based, for a recipient to see a message you have to consent," she explained.
"You're given options at every touch point, so you can delete the message without opening and seeing it, or consent to read it and you can change the settings at any point.
"The same goes for photographic imagery sent between two people in the app. We are very keen to make sure there was never a space where you'd get an unsolicited or graphic image.
"As a woman, this was something that was incredibly important to me, as someone who has received unsolicited imagery on LinkedIn, I champion anything we can do to make things safer."
They also have a full verification process users can opt into with profile photos in order to verify their identity and get a blue tick - and there are cautions in place with the kinds of pictures you can use on your account.
Full-frontal nudity isn't allowed, and neither is any imagery containing violent items like guns. They also don't permit any photos with other people in them and none of anyone under the age of 18.
The app's founder, Rupert Evans, was also keen to make it easy for even the most introverted and nervous of users to share their intentions.
If you're interested in hooking up with someone you can let them know by pressing a button. Simply tap the fishhook icon and they'll get the message.
Leach added: "Our founder, Rupert, he's not the most forward person and he felt like a lot of the spaces that existed already were so gregariously sexual, that it was quite off-putting for the more kind of introverted person looking to just have a more casual sex-based relationship. So that's really where it's all coming from."
And for those that are curious but a bit anxious to take the leap into the world of casual sex and hook-ups, she says the key thing to remember is that it's "just an app".
"It's just a safe space to connect with other like-minded people, there is absolutely no requirement to act on anything and honestly if you just want to come on you can just chat, you don't have to do anything unnerving. You'll just find a safe space to explore any curiosities you might have."
Do you have a dating story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
