Over 40 dating: casual fun, no games
By Lottie Williams, Head of Content
Updated · First published
Your forties are a very good time to date casually. You know what you like, you have stopped pretending otherwise, and you have no time for anyone who has not worked that out yet.
Why it works in your forties
By 40, most people have learned what a good evening looks like and what a wasted one feels like. Casual dating suits that: clear expectations, no pressure to plan a future, and room for a busy life with work, family and everything else.
You will meet people your own age, and people either side. Set your range as wide or as narrow as you like. There is no right answer, just the one that suits you.
Fitting it round a full life
Time is the real currency in your forties. "When are you free?" lets you choose weekday daytime, weekday evenings, weekends or at short notice, and people with the same windows find you. If you have the house to yourself on alternate weekends, say weekends and let the right people plan around it.
"Can you host?" helps too. Can host, Can travel, Host or travel and Hotel / neutral place save a lot of back and forth.
A profile that works at 40-something
Recent photos, a couple of honest lines and clear intention tags. Our in-depth guide to casual dating over 40 covers confidence, dating after divorce and sexual health properly, and writing a casual dating profile has examples you can borrow.
One tip worth repeating: say what you are not after. "Nothing serious" or "not at weekends" filters better than any photo.
Discretion, if you need it
Some people would rather the school gate or the office did not know. Set Discretion to "Discretion appreciated" or "Discretion essential", keep anything identifying out of your photos, and know that payments show under a neutral company name.
How it works on No Strings Dating
Age works through "Who you're looking for". Choose who you are into, an age range and how far you will travel, and Near you shows the people who match, nearest first. Want someone older, or younger? Set the range and let the search do the sorting.
Your intention tags say what you are up for, from a one-off hook-up to Regular / FWB or casual dating. "When are you free?", "How do you like to meet?" and Discretion fill in the practical side, and "Chat first" or "Video call first" suit anyone who likes to get a feel for someone before meeting.
Meeting safely
Meet somewhere public first, however well the chat has gone. Use Safety check-in to tell a friend who you are meeting, where and when, and make sure you have your own way home. Keep your address and workplace to yourself until you are sure.
Anyone who asks for money, whatever the story, is a scammer, and that is as true at 55 as at 25. Close the chat with one tap and report them. The Safety Centre has the rest.
Grown-ups only
Mature dating here means adults meeting adults. Every member passes an age check with a selfie before anyone can see them, and nothing on No Strings Dating plays on youth. Profiles, photos or messages that do break our rules, and get reported and removed.
It is not an arrangement, either. Nobody here is paid for company, and asking for or offering money, gifts or an allowance breaks our rules. If an age gap comes with a price tag, it is not dating.
Quick answers
Is 40 too old for casual dating?
Not at all. Plenty of people find their forties are when casual dating suits them best, because they know what they want.
Can I date younger people in my forties?
Yes, as long as you are both adults and want the same thing. Set your age range and the search does the rest.
How do I find people over 40 near me?
Set your age range from 40 up and choose a distance in "Who you're looking for". Near you shows matches, nearest first.
Will anyone know I am on here?
Only if you tell them. Payments show under a neutral company name, and Discretion tells members to keep things quiet.
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