6 of the saddest Valentine's Day apps (and one good one)

(Image credit: CC BY: Sister72)

last updated 8 January 2015

Valentine's Day is ultimately what you make of it. Still, that's easier said than done when a holiday patently designed to celebrate relationships places pressure on couples to do something while overtly excluding those who can't (or won't) participate. Case in point: This week, Apple's App Store and Google Play were flooded by an influx of cheap Valentine's Day-themed applications that feel haphazardly thrown together with the purpose of eeking every last penny out of this lovey-dovey time of year. And even worse is that many of them are being included on other publications' round-ups for "Best Valentine's Day Applications." Don't be fooled — most of them are pretty terrible. Here, in no particular order, are some of the worst offenders found on lists far and wide (and one really great app worth downloading):

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Logging onto OK Cupid on Valentine's Day is quite possibly the most depraved thing you can do to yourself if you're looking for love. It isn't that the service itself is bad. It's just that like with virtually any dating app, you're going to end up horribly disappointed by the results 98 percent of the time. Tonight, at least, close OK Cupid, order take-out, and live to fight another day. Price: Free for iPhone and Android

This table-booking app was on everyone's list for some reason. I guess it could be helpful for scavenging a last minute place for Valentine's Day dinner, but let's be real here: All the restaurants actually worth going to were booked weeks ago, and what you're left with are stressed-out, overworked servers who are going to rush you through your meal so that the couple with an 8:00 pm reservation can be put through the same spin cycle. Stay in. Maybe cook something. Or perhaps fire up Seamless. (Maybe Seamless is the best Valentine's Day app?) Price: Free for iPhone and Android

Do your insides melt when you read quotes about love? Do you like quotes about love written in cheesy fonts with hearts everywhere? Well, if you're one of those people, this app is probably for you. Ostensibly, all it does is beam corny love notes directly to your lover's phone, because Googling "quotes from the Notebook" and sending an iMessage was obviously too much of a burden for you in the first place. Price: Free for iPhone and Android

Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

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