Zoosk Senior Dating Review

What Is Zoosk?

Zoosk’s founders recognized that online dating can be overwhelming, so they developed “behavioral matchmaking” technology that learns from users’ clicks, likes, and actions on the website to create better matches. Zoosk learns about you as you navigate its website rather than submitting you to the lengthy questionnaires of other dating sites.

Zoosk is not a senior-specific site like SilverSingles, but it has many active senior users. There are a few reasons for this. For one, Zoosk’s design is simple. Many dating sites overwhelm users with advertisements, excessive features, and busy websites. Zoosk is straightforward.

The company also emphasizes security. The internet can be a scary place to meet someone, so Zoosk implemented secure verification processes for photos, phone numbers, and social-media accounts so users can be sure they’re not being scammed.

How to Sign Up for Zoosk

To sign up for Zoosk, you’ll need to provide an email address or Facebook account. The site asks a few initial questions to gather information, including your gender and the gender you are interested in. The site also requires a birth date and secure password. Once you have entered that preliminary information, Zoosk will prompt you to enter your city or ZIP code to match you with singles in your area.

You must also upload a photo. According to Pew Research, 74 percent of men say it’s very important that online dating profiles include photographs. A clear, well-lit, and current photograph is not just for aesthetics but also for safety. You may not misrepresent who you are and what you look like, and you can rest assured others are subject to the same standards.

Moderators review all photos uploaded to the platform. To be approved, make sure the photo is clear, you are alone in the photo (so people don’t mistake you for someone else in a group shot), and it does not include nudity. It takes about 24 hours to finish the photo review.

Once you have uploaded a photograph, Zoosk asks a few basic multiple-choice questions to get a general sense of your identity and lifestyle.

• What’s your body type?
• Do you have children?
• What’s your highest level of education?
• What’s your ethnicity?
• What’s your height?
• What’s your religion?
• Do you smoke?

Once you have answered each question, you simply verify your email address and you are ready to browse profiles and fine-tune your profile. The preliminary questions will populate your basic profile, but you may add additional information, including an “about me” section; what you’re looking for in a relationship; your ideal date; and a list of your hobbies, interests, and favorite movies and musicians. The more information you include, the more likely it is that someone will find something interesting in your profile and want to start a conversation.

How Much Does Zoosk Cost?

It’s free to create a profile and browse other profiles, which will help you get a feel for the site and decide whether it’s for you. The free plan also allows you to send “smiles” or “hearts” to other users to indicate interest.

Most Zoosk features, however, are behind a paywall. You must pay a subscription fee to:

• Send messages to other users.
• Engage in instant chatting.
• Connect with automatic matches.
• See the profiles of people who have viewed your profile.

Zoosk subscriptions can be paid for on a month-to-month basis or in lump sums for savings.

Zoosk Subscription Pricing

In addition to a subscription, Zoosk offers a digital currency called “coins” that allows users to access special features such as boosting your profile and buying virtual “gifts” for profiles you are interested in. Both free and paid subscriptions can purchase Zoosk coins (180 coins cost about $19.95), and the more coins you purchase, the more discounts you receive.

Using Zoosk

Once you’re set up, Zoosk has a very simple interface — it’s what I like most about the site. It guides you through every feature on the site, such as the message functionality’s “icebreakers.” These suggested conversation starters include questions such as, “What did you study in college?” if you can’t think of a clever opening line.

A menu on the left side of the screen will guide you through all the features.

• Carousel: This feature allows you to browse profile photographs and either “like” them if you want to make a connection, “dislike” them if you’re not interested, or select “maybe” if you’re unsure. You may also “star” a profile if you really like a photograph or go back if you selected the wrong label on the previous photograph and want to change your answer. The carousel is one of the site’s main features, and it’s a quick and easy way to browse photographs. It also helps Zoosk learn your likes and dislikes so the system can recommend better matches.
• Online now: This feature allows you to message, chat, like, or send a virtual gift to users who are currently on Zoosk. This feature is very helpful in determining whether a profile is active.
• Messages: This inbox is where all your messages with other Zoosk users are located. Once you’ve made a connection, this is where you can view and send messages.
• Connections: When a user responds to your like or message, they automatically become a connection. This helps you keep track of your matches and allows you to remove someone as a connection if you are no longer interested.
• Views: This feature allows you to see who viewed your profile. You can also “boost” your profile here using coins, which enables more people to see your profile in their carousels.
• SmartPick: Once you’ve filled out your profile and browsed profiles, the SmartPick technology will recommend users based on your interests and browsing habits.

Zoosk Coins

Purchasing Zoosk coins offers more robust features, including boosting your profile, browsing profiles privately, buying virtual gifts that will appear on a user’s profile to pique their interest, sending unlimited messages (even the paid tier has a limit to messaging), and receiving confirmation when someone has read your message. These features increase your chances of finding a suitable match, but fees can add up since they are ad-hoc transactions instead of a flat monthly fee.

Zoosk Safety Features

Zoosk’s main safety feature is the photo-verification system, so you can rest assured that users are who they say they are. Zoosk does not regularly screen users, but the site does allow you to block or report users if they seem suspicious (such as asking for money or personal identifiable information). Zoosk also allows users to interact with other profiles only if they have an approved photograph and a verified cell phone number. It doesn’t weed out every scammer or suspicious profile, though, so make sure to approach any stranger online with caution.

Zoosk vs. OurTime

When it comes to online dating services for seniors, Zoosk and OurTime are two of the most popular options. That said, the two sites differ in terms of members and matching features.

OurTime is made specifically for older adults and, in our experience, has a much large user base of people ages 50 and older. Zoosk, however, is more affordable, starting at $7.50 per month. OurTime memberships start at $15.96 per month.

To learn more about these two dating services, read our full comparison: OurTime vs. Zoosk. If you're not sure either one if for you, check out our list of the best dating services.

Final Thoughts on Zoosk

The best thing about Zoosk is its simplicity. There are no lengthy questionnaires, so it’s perfect for people who want to meet other singles online but don’t want to spend hours crafting their profile and sifting through others. The SmartPick algorithm monitors your activity to determine compatible matches. Zoosk doesn’t have the bells and whistles of eHarmony, but it offers a no-frills, no-nonsense online dating experience.