Whether you married your partner years ago or just started dating, there are some ways to up your relationship game. Because we live in a world full of apps, one of those methods is to use a mobile app.
You might think spending time on your phone is what weakened your relationship in the first place, but an app like Paired can truly strengthen your bond. So what is the Paired app and can it bring you and your loved one closer?
What is the paired application?
Whether you want an app to keep your long-distance relationship alive or simply improve your connection as a couple, Paired is the ultimate guide you can easily integrate into your daily life. It’s more than a mobile app for playing fun games and taking couple quizzes; it can inspire you and your loved one to be more open and honest about your relationship.
Even if you’re already in a great relationship, the app helps you take time to focus on yourself and your partner. Paired has tons of games, questions, more in-depth conversation packs, quizzes, and even expert relationship advice. Is Paired the right app to improve and strengthen your relationship? These are the characteristics that can help you build a happier relationship.
To download: Paired for iOS | android (Free, subscription available)
Basic Features of the Paired App
The app is quite simple to navigate and understand. There are five tabs:
- The Today The tab is basically your homepage that displays all of your recent activity, weekly highlights, question sets, and your daily conversation.
- The Explore The tab is where you can search for different conversations based on their topic, such as conflict, money, work, family, intimacy, etc.
- The Discuss is where you and your partner can compare and discuss your answers or just start a regular conversation.
- The Answers The tab is where you can view all the conversations you’ve completed, including questions, games, tips, quizzes, and packs.
- The We The tab tracks your relationship progress, like your consecutive days, your calendar, the badges you’ve earned, and even your anniversary date.
These tabs are where you will find the following features, which you can use to find a deeper connection with your loved one and discover new parts of your relationship.
Thoughtful questions for your other half
When searching for conversations by type, the first option is questions. The questions are all research-based and aim to bring you closer. There are various topics, from meaning and growth to money and finances, as well as some general questions.
Once you’ve chosen a question, add your answer and wait for your partner to respond. A big part of everything you do on the paired app is that you can’t see your partner’s answers until you finish yours. So their comments can’t influence how you respond. In addition, the Paired Premium version allows you to nudge your partner to remind him that you are waiting for his answer.
While using the app, you will come across conversations called packs. They are simply groups of questions on a specific topic. Packs allow you and your loved one to delve a little deeper into an important issue.
relationship games
Games are probably the most fun and enjoyable feature of the Paired app! Games give you a fun way to find out more about your partner by answering questions on a chosen topic.
First, answer the questions from your perspective; then, answer the questions from your partner’s point of view. Games are the perfect way to test how well you know yourself and see who knows best.
Expert advice
Paired contains many tips and tricks from renowned relationship therapists, including Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Jacqui Gabb, Dr. Marisa T. Cohen and others. Every once in a while you might have to force yourself to read it all, but in the end, you’ll be glad you did. A lot of relationship advice is surprisingly revealing.
For example, a fantastic tip on communication called “‘Always’ or ‘Never’ Statements by Dr. Jacqui Gabb helps you and your partner better understand why these absolute statements are problematic. Essentially, when conversations start negatively , they will also end this way.
When you are done going through a specific tip, mark it complete and suggest it to your partner if you think they can benefit from it as well.
Paired quizzes
Compared to relationship tips and advice, quizzes are much more enjoyable and can spark interesting conversations. Sometimes you might even find that the app brings up things you never thought of talking about in your relationship!
To get the best results when taking a quiz, the Paired app motivates you to answer everything honestly. During a quiz, the app asks you a series of questions that you can rate from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” From there, it analyzes your results and compares them to your partner’s so you can see them side by side. Pay attention to the areas highlighted in red: these are the ones you need to spend a little more time on.
Monthly challenges
Each month, Paired develops a challenge that you and your partner can try. For example, the July Connection Challenge requires you to answer 20 questions or quizzes on any topic during the month. If you complete the challenge, you can claim a badge as a reward. Visit the We tab to view all your badges.
Is it worth signing up for the matched bonus?
If you don’t upgrade to Paired Premium, you can only use the app in a limited way. The free version gives you access to daily chat, but you can’t do any additional activities like answering questions or playing games until the next day.
Although you can use the basic features to chat with your partner and view your stats on the We tab, that’s about it. It is difficult to complete challenges and earn reward badges without signing up for a Premium account. Still, if you’re happy answering one question a day to spark a conversation, then you’ll be happy to try the free version of Paired.
Can you build lasting love with paired?
Paired is ideal for those who want to discuss problematic issues and improve and grow their relationship. Although the Paired app may appear to be mostly fun and playful, for some couples some responses may be difficult to hear and could even trigger arguments.
However, in a relationship, you need to air out some of those difficult thoughts so that, as a couple, you can meet the challenges on the same page. On that note, Paired is also useful for couples in long-distance relationships who feel they need help overcoming the challenges of distance and bringing pleasure into their time apart.
