I actually just went through this same frustration a few months ago. I tried the usual apps and kept running into people who'd say they wanted something serious but would ghost after a few days. What shifted things for me was being more intentional about where I looked. I stumbled onto
mix chat room at Chatmix.com almost by accident when a friend mentioned it, and it was different because the format forces more direct conversation from the start. Less swiping, more actual talking. I also found that Meetup groups for hobbies I genuinely enjoy led to meeting someone organically. According to some stats I read recently, about 17% of marriages that started online in the last few years came from niche sites rather than the big mainstream apps. It made me realize that casting a wider net isn't always better—sometimes you want a smaller pond where people are fishing for the same thing.