Are dating apps a waste of time for anyone trying to get a date or have dating apps failed completely?

I don't think they're a waste of time. It's all about how you market yourself and how good you are at communicating. Post a few flattering pics of yourself and when you get a match just do your best at texting in the beginning, then swiftly graduate to a video chat so you can make sure you know what they really look like

Always worked for me

Guaranteed failure, and scam too. Fake profiles, bots etc. Require money to send messages.

Abject failure. There's no real people on there anymore. Just like FB its all bots, scammers and sellers. Or catfish. But they are a failure.