Valentine's Day's best apps - whether you're a singleton or a couple

Valentine's Day is coming, and whether you love or hate the time of year when everything gets plastered in bright red hearts, smartphone apps might just hold the key to making life better.

From restaurant booking aides to fresh ways to find a date, here are our pick of the tools to help you survive the annual romance-fest.

Looking for a date - or something more serious?

If you're single but don't especially want a relationship - or, conversely, seeking something that's a bit more than a flash in the pan - then why not look into an app designed to introduce you to new people?

Some people call these apps "sex" apps, and that's true to some extent, but you can also chat to new people and even if you don't go out on the 14th, you might still have some text-based fun. Either way, you'll be able to amuse yourself while the rest of the world goes potty about Valentine's Day.

Tinder

The concept of Tinder is simple - you swipe right when you like the look of someone, and left if you don't. It's superficial, but once two people match, only then are they able to chat to each other. Some people just use it like this, and enjoy meeting new people to talk to, while others use it to arrange dates.

Verification takes place via Facebook, and you can add up to six photos. Search options include gender, age and geographical location. The developers are keen to expand options for Tinder matching.

A word of advice - Tinder and similar apps don't dispense with the rules of polite society, so remember that basic etiquette doesn't go out of the window when you're sending photos to other users.

Grindr

Grindr is aimed at gay, bisexual and bicurious men, and will mark its sixth anniversary in March. Straight men are driven crazy by how this app works - and while Tinder was billed by some as 'the straight equivalent', it's turned into a more conventional dating app in many ways.

Grindr allows you join a tribe that best describes your taste, and find like-minded men. Users can chat and share photos, while the app also employs geolocation to suggest potential matches in the area.

Dattch

The nice thing about Dattch is that it's exclusively for women. Like Tinder, it uses your Facebook profile to confirm who you are. Once you're verified, you can pick the people you like and start chatting.

The company blog for Dattch admits that the name is rubbish too, and they're probably going to change it at some point. Users have also mentioned some teething problems getting with the app But for now, this is a good starting place for US and UK-based women who identify as LGBTQ, although some users have complained about problems with it working.

Plenty of Fish

This long-running service is mainly web-based, but has an app too. Although Plenty of Fish is aimed at forging lasting relationships, according to its founder Markus Frind, it's also used as something of a hook-up service too.

That said, the company separates people by the sort of relationship they're interested in, so hopefully you shouldn't have too much trouble finding what you're looking for

OkCupid

Another traditional service that's been running for over a decade and now has an app - but OkCupid appears much more aimed at serious relationships than any of the other services. That said, it's also a lot less populated than Plenty of Fish. Even so, if you're after a more gentle pace it's ideal - some people tell us they don't want to date constantly, but take a slower, more long-term approach.

OkCupid allows you to search by criteria including age, location, gender, sexual orientation and the type of relationship you're interested in. It also uses algorithms, including 'match questions', to help you find someone you should be attracted to - how effective that is, you'll have to discover for yourself.

For those in relationships

If you've already found that special person, then what can you do on Valentine's that doesn't just make someone else rich? Well, these app suggestions should help you have a great night without getting ripped off.

Urbanspoon

There are a few food-finder apps available, but we quite like Urbanspoon because it allows you to do some pretty nice things.

For one, you can select things that are important to you. So, find a restaurant that is kid-friendly - say, if you can't find a babysitter - or that has a romantic atmosphere. There's also a funky "shake" feature, which allows you to find a random place to eat somewhere near you, but you can choose to lock location, price and cuisine type if you have preferences. It's a nice idea if you don't care what you eat, but want to stay with a certain price range.

Urbanspoon doesn't allow you to book tables, but OpenTable is worth getting too, which does. There are also discounts listed against restaurants that offer them, as well as a clear indication of what time you can make a reservation.

Hotel Tonight

If you're looking for having a bit over "overnight fun" on Valentine's, then why not get Hotel Tonight? The premise of the app is to offer you last-minute hotel deals at a cheap rate. But what makes the app worth having is the fact that the hotels tend to be cool and boutique like - ideal for Valentine's day.

That said, there are also cheap deals with rooms for £60 or so in London - which is a bargain. Cities across the UK are covered too, so there's no need to be based in the capital to get the most out of the app.

Between

So, you want to send naughty pictures to your partner? It's probably best to avoid apps that might allow you to send your bits and pieces to the wrong people.

Between allows you to share messages and images with your other half. You can also share calendars and to-do lists - which, unless you find that kind of thing romantic, is probably best left to the other 364 days of the year.