About Roomster® 5M Downloads
My old app for finding a roommate just stopped working properly one day after an update. It was a real nuisance. My granddaughter suggested I try Roomster, saying it was popular. I’ve been using it on my Samsung Galaxy for just over a year now. I needed to find a new housemate after my previous one moved to be closer to her family. The sheer number of people and rooms on here is its biggest draw, no question. You get the feeling that if someone is looking, they’re probably on Roomster. It did the job in the end, but it wasn’t always a smooth ride getting there.
Core Features
The main thing you do is scroll through listings. You can put in your price, the area you want, and if you need a place that allows pets, which I do for my little terrier, Benny. That part works well enough. There’s a feature that tries to match you based on habits, like if you’re tidy or a night person. I filled it out but didn’t find it made much difference. What I did find useful was seeing when a person was last online. That saved me a lot of wasted time messaging ghosts. The chat system inside the app is fine; you don’t have to give your number out straight away, which feels safer.
Real-World Use
Let me tell you about last Tuesday afternoon. I was sitting in my sunroom, trying to find a listing I’d seen the day before. The screen was so busy with buttons, pop-ups asking me to go “VIP,” and little banners everywhere that I got completely turned around. I must have tapped the wrong thing because it refreshed and I lost my place. It’s frustrating when an app makes simple things hard. On the positive side, I did connect with a lovely retired teacher named Margaret. She had posted actual photos of her spare room, not just one blurry corner. We messaged for a week in the app before meeting for tea, and it worked out perfectly. That’s the good side of it.
Pricing & Value
It’s free, which is the right price for me. I will never pay for an app subscription, full stop. They ask you about it constantly, though. Little locks on profiles, messages saying your note will be seen faster if you pay—it’s a bit much. I used the free version the whole time and still found Margaret. So it works. But you have to have patience and be willing to ignore all the nudges to open your wallet. For a free app, it delivers what you need, but they sure don’t let you forget there’s a paid tier.
Updates & Support
The app updates itself on my phone every few weeks. I never notice anything new, just that it sometimes runs a little slower right after. I had one problem where my profile picture wouldn’t upload. I emailed their support, which was a bit of a hunt to find the address. They wrote back after a few days, not hours, but the person was polite and gave me clear steps to fix it. It worked. So they helped, but don’t expect an instant fix.
Data & Privacy
This is something I think about more now. You have to share a good bit about yourself to find a good match—your general area, your age range, your habits. I was careful not to put my exact address or phone number in the public description. The app keeps your chat inside it, which I liked. I didn’t get any strange spam calls or emails that I could trace back to using it. I made my profile visible only to people I messaged first, which felt like a sensible precaution.
How does the matching feature based on habits work in Roomster?
Roomster lets you fill out a profile about your habits, like whether you're tidy or a night person, but one user found it didn't make much difference in actual matches. It's worth setting up, but the real value comes from manually browsing listings and checking when a person was last online to avoid messaging inactive users.
Can I chat with potential roommates without sharing my phone number?
Yes, Roomster has a built-in chat system that lets you message other users without giving out your personal number, which feels safer. This worked well for one user who chatted with a future roommate for a week inside the app before meeting in person.
Why does Roomster feel cluttered and hard to navigate, and how can I fix it?
The app can feel overwhelming with many buttons, VIP pop-ups, and banners, which might cause accidental taps and lost listings. To avoid this, try using the search filters carefully and take your time tapping only what you need—or consider using the app on a tablet for a less cramped view.
What should I do if I lose my place while browsing listings in Roomster?
If you accidentally tap something and the page refreshes, you may lose your spot, as one user experienced. To prevent this, avoid clicking on banners or pop-ups, and use the back button or saved listings feature to keep track of interesting rooms.
How does Roomster compare to other roommate-finding apps like SpareRoom?
Roomster has a huge number of listings and users, which makes it more likely you'll find someone, but its interface can be cluttered with upsells. SpareRoom is often simpler to navigate and has fewer ads, but Roomster's sheer volume of active people and pet-friendly filters give it an edge for some users.
