Written by Spencer Cowley, Writer & Editor at Byvi
Though I know there is an app for everything, romance is a beautifully complex piece of life to which I typically hesitate to ascribe any digital influence. The Tinders and Bumbles of the dating app world never had much appeal to me over their desktop predecessors like Match .com aside from accessibility. Likewise, most relationship-building apps leave a lot to be desired in their focus on a single area of a multi-faceted romantic relationship. Some offer love language quizzes to learn more about yourself and your partner. Some offer in-app gift shopping or out-of-the-box date ideas. However, almost none of them offer all of those features.
This is one way that the new app Couply stands out from its digital pack — it offers a small but comprehensive smattering of features for partners to explore themselves, each other and their relationship as a romantic couple. Though the app is new and relatively limited in scope for now, it has already laid a strong foundation for future growth alongside the couples it seeks to benefit.
Couply’s Features
Couply is a simple app, not overstuffed with things to do but also not underwhelming in its offerings. Here are a few ways that partners can start using Couply to strengthen their relationship.
Quizzes
While plenty of people probably remember filling out compatibility tests in teen magazines, Couply leverages the popularity of common personality tests — like attachment style and love languages — to help couples discover more about themselves first. This inside-out dynamic, to me, seemed core to the way that Couply defines relationship building; knowing yourself is a vital factor in being able to know and love another person.
In addition to the four sets of quizzes that Couply currently features, two more popular tests are coming soon: Myers-Briggs and Enneagram. Couples can find multiple sets of quizzes they can take individually and then compare their results side by side. Couply doesn’t ask users to leave the app to research their results, as every quiz area breaks down your responses and the meanings behind them. Some descriptions even prompt couples to consider specific, relationship-centric ideas or suggestions based on their personalities.
Date Ideas & Conversation Starters
At the top of Couply’s user interface (UI) live the Couply Prompts — a series of date ideas and app-specific news updates. Personalized messages emphasize that these have been tailored to you and your partner based on what the app can gather about your personalities. Couply provides reasoning behind their ideas for every romantic gesture they propose, like tying an act of service to the love language it would appeal to.
I know that my partner and I are always indecisively parroting the phrase, “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” In just a few weeks of using the app, we received several prompts that let us at least consider trying certain activities. It feels like it has been training us to consider the things that our partner really values when approaching the rest of the world alongside them.
Couply also highlights a daily conversation starter lower in the UI than the Prompts, and I have consistently found myself tapping the button to share it with my partner. These short discussion topic suggestions range from imagining superhero powers to deeply examining our convictions. Of all of the features on this app, I believe my partner and I have drawn the most value from these daily conversations; we casually chat pretty much around the clock already thanks to our phones, but these daily prompts have encouraged us to seek much deeper conversation on a regular basis.
Date and Relationship Tracking
After initially being inspired by the Couply Prompts, Couply users can create their first date plan. While my partner and I haven’t actually used this feature yet, it’s certainly a worthy addition to the Couply interface, giving partners the power to schedule a true date and make it feel like an event. Set the date and time, give it a snazzy title and add a description to explain the plan to your partner. You can even link your email and calendar to schedule reminders, helping you prioritize quality time amid your busy schedules.
And, of course, what relationship app would be complete without remembering an anniversary? Couply takes very little personal information, but your anniversary date is one key point it displays on its home screen, helping you count down the days until another revolution around the sun together is done.
Couply Gift Shopping
Lastly, Couply allows its users to do some quick gift shopping, though the Couply Shop is still limited in its products. As of writing, there was only a laptop sticker and a journal available. I assume that, as the app grows, the Couply shop will too.
Why We Like Couply
The Couply app shines in a lot of ways as a tool for building better, healthier relationships. It drew me and my partner in immediately with its soft, colorful, minimalist aesthetic. Easy to navigate, its UI quickly engaged us with satisfying quizzes, date ideas and conversation prompts.
Aside from its features, Couply is an idea just as much as it is a mobile app. While it has been living on my phone, it’s encouragement to connect with my partner has been living more prominently in my mind. That little, unobtrusive reminder to keep the happiness of oneself and one’s relationship as a priority would be welcome by any romantic (or even platonic) couple.
Though the app can be a little rough around the edges in very minor ways, it’s clear the app is new and the developers are confident in their initial rollout as a test for a, hopefully, larger audience in the future.
Still, the fact that your Couply is linked to your partner’s account makes it all the more engaging — it’s like any meeting spot where you and your partner can come together for some quality time, but here, the meeting spot joins and guides the conversation. I’m looking forward to it continuing to help us know and love each other more deeply.
