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Your shopping basket already has a diary. Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days run on 6 and 7 October, Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November, and Black Friday lands on 27 November in both the UK and South Africa.
But no discount can answer the real question: is the person you’ve been messaging worth a gift at all? A few minutes of live conversation will tell you more than a fortnight of texts. Here are the apps that make it easy, and what to buy once you know.
Text lets anyone polish every line. A live voice or video chat shows timing, warmth and humour, the things that decide whether a first date flows. It’s also the quickest way to check that someone looks like their photos.
There’s a shopping bonus, too. A relaxed call is the best gift research you’ll ever do. In ten minutes you’ll hear about the author they can’t stop recommending, the chocolate they hide from housemates or the gig they’ve booked for December.
Jot it down afterwards. When the sales start, you’ll know exactly what to look for, and what to skip.
Nobody expects a present on a first date. But if the call goes well and a second date follows, these are the dates worth knowing.
Think small and personal: a paperback from Waterstones by the author they mentioned, or a bar from Hotel Chocolat. Splitting the bill is widely accepted in the UK, so a gift should feel like a nod, never like payment.
A novel from Exclusive Books or a bag of rusks and good coffee for a picnic beats anything flashy. Traditional gestures, like offering to pay, are still appreciated by many, and agreeing to split is just as normal.
You don’t have to jump straight onto camera. Think of it as a ladder, and climb at a pace that suits you both.
The trick is a clear, small ask with an end time: “Fancy a ten-minute call on Thursday before the fireworks?” is easy to say yes to. A vague “we should talk sometime” rarely happens.
Which apps let you do all this without swapping numbers? That’s where the big names differ more than you’d think.
How we ranked them: by live features (calls, video and voice) from official store listings and help pages, with Similarweb’s Android usage ranks for the UK and South Africa (22 September 2026) alongside.
Bumble lists video chat among its free features, and you can call straight from the match chat without sharing your number. Since August 2026, either person can message first, and matches have 72 hours to reply. It’s third in the UK and fourth in South Africa.
Badoo’s store listing promises “face to face video calling” with matches. Complete its three-step verification and you can choose to talk only to verified profiles. It ranks fourth in the UK and third in South Africa.
happn shows you people whose paths you’ve crossed in real life. Once you both like each other, happn’s own pages say you can start a voice or video call from the chat. It’s a UK pick, ranked 13th there; the company says it has over 140 million users worldwide.
eharmony is built around a long compatibility quiz. PCMag’s July 2026 review notes that paying members can start a Video Date from messages or a match’s profile. It isn’t listed in the South African App Store at the time of writing.
Hinge is number one in the UK and second in South Africa, but its help centre confirms it has removed voice and video calling. Voice notes remain, so you can still hear someone before meeting. Move to a call elsewhere only when you’re comfortable.
Tinder leads in South Africa and is second in the UK. Its Face to Face video chat has been retired, and TechCrunch reports Tinder is piloting three-minute video speed dates in Los Angeles only. For now, chat in the app and suggest a call yourself.
| Rank | App | Live feature | Best for | Approx. price (UK / SA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bumble | In-app voice and video calls | Calling without swapping numbers | Premium from about £10 a week / about R180–R200 a month |
| 2 | Badoo | Video chat, verified-only option | A quick face-to-face check | 7-day Premium listed at £9.99 / about R60 |
| 3 | happn | Voice and video calls after a mutual like | People from your daily routine (UK) | 1-month plan listed at £19.99 / check in the app |
| 4 | eharmony | Video Date for paying members | Slow, long-term dating (UK) | About £10–£40 a month by plan length / not in the SA App Store |
| 5 | Hinge | Voice notes (calls removed) | Hearing a voice before you meet | Paid plans listed at about £13–£30 / about R300–R600 |
| 6 | Tinder | Text chat (video retired) | The biggest choice | Gold listed at about £7–£15 / Plus about R90–R200 |
Prices are approximate at the time of writing, taken from UK and South African App Store listings, and vary by age, plan length and promotion. All six apps are free to download. Check in the app before you pay.
Keep the first calls inside the app, where blocking and reporting work. You can end a call at any moment, no explanation needed. Check what’s visible behind you, like letters showing your address. When you meet, choose a busy public place, tell a friend where you’ll be and never send money to someone you haven’t met.
Bumble, Badoo and happn offer in-app calls, and eharmony has Video Date for paying members. Hinge and Tinder have both dropped theirs.
It isn’t usually expected in the UK or South Africa. Save it for a later date, when your chats have told you what they like.
Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty. Ending while it’s still fun makes the first date something to look forward to.
The sales calendar will fill up whatever you do. The smarter move is to fill your own calendar with a few short calls first: pick one app with live features, suggest ten minutes and listen closely.
By Black Friday, you might know exactly who you’re shopping for, and exactly what they’d love.
