FORBES – The increase in online dating is obvious as singles obey isolation and quarantine rules. This means people are more exposed to a variety of scams and threats. The personal security app UrSafe tracks the user, offering hands-free activation by voice recognition while synchronizing with emergency services via 911 if a problem arises. The service’s FollowMe and Check-In features let friends and family follow loved ones in real-time to ensure everyone gets from A to B safely.
Month: April 2020
Dating Via Video Chat Takes off Amid COVID-19
CTV NEWS – Apr 21 – Since the outbreak of coronavirus, a number of video-based dating apps have begun to surface, including Swivel and Quarantine Together. Even established dating apps such as Bumble are making adjustments to adapt to the new reality. One of the latest apps helping users connect via video is Teleport, formerly known as Firstdate. Founded in Toronto, the platform features a series of paid speed dating "events" organized by professional matchmakers from across the world. Users are hand-picked to join events based on compatibility. They meet with five people for six minutes each in an effort to find a match. The unique thing about the app, explained co-founder Chad Goodman, is that users can't look at each other's profiles before meeting. The app currently has ~6K users and is active in 21 countries. According to Goodman, video allows people to focus on what really matters when looking for a partner – a great connection. Hinge has a new "Date from Home" feature where users can tell someone whether or not they're ready for a virtual date.
by Jennifer Ferreira
See full article at CTV News
See the top news on Quarantine Together See the top news on Teleport Dating
See the top news on Swivel See the top news on Hinge
The Top Dating Industry News, Podcast
OPW – Apr 21 – Bumble's New Features, Match.com's Vibe Check, eHarmony's Video Feature, Tagged's 1:1 Video Chat & Blind Date, Shaadi to Conduct Weddings Through Video Conferencing.
For the top weekly dating industry news in ~2 minutes subscribe to OPW's Two Minute Tuesdays (TMT) podcast on Breaker , Google Podcasts
, Spotify
, Anchor
, Overcast
, Radio Public
or Apple Podcasts
. Listen to the trailer for the channel.
Q&A With co-Founder of Dating App Filter Off
DAILY CALLER – Apr 20 – Zach Schleien, one of the co-founders of the dating app Filter Off, joined the Daily Caller's Stephanie Hamill to discuss virtual dating in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Like other dating apps, Schleien says his dating app has also seen a significant increase in users during the coronavirus pandemic. Schleien says his dating app is 'catfish-proof,' because people actually are using video to connect rather than posting photos.
Seeking Arrangement App Gone From the Chinese Apple App Store
REPUBLIC – Apr 20 – Seeking Arrangement is a widely popular sugar daddy dating app that was launched by MIT graduate Brandon Wade. The social networking app offers pay-to-play relationships usually between older, wealthier men, and young women. Seeking Arrangement, which was launched in China in 2015, was later removed from the iOS App Store in the country. The app had also not been available on multiple Android stores such as Tencent MyApp and 360 Mobile Assistant. After the removal, the Chinese site had been rebranded where sugar daddies and sugar mommas were called "successful people," and sugar babies were termed as "charming sweethearts". The company's spokesperson had also stated that the company looks to create a high-end marriage and love social platform for the Chinese audience, which will be different from the sugar-dating market in the US and other countries.
Bumble Partners With Uber Eats
GIZMODO – Apr 20 – Bumble and Uber Eats offer 25% discount on delivered food. To get the discount, users need the Bumble app; start swiping in Date mode and match with the Bumble x UberEats profile to get their discount code. The offer is limited to Bumble users in London, Birmingham, and Manchester where Uber Eats is available. Bumble has also rolled out a Virtual Dating badge so users can see who's up for online meetups in the absence of real world meets.
Match CEO Says Video Dating Will Be Lasting Trend Post-Coronavirus
CHEDDAR – Apr 18 – Hesam Hosseini, CEO of Match told Cheddar Friday that despite being stuck at home, people are still looking to mingle. Many couples have been trying 'video dates' to connect with each other, although the CEO said couples started trying that method even before the coronavirus outbreak began. "Video has been around within dating, but adoption has been pretty low. We ran a survey and during COVID-19 we found that ~70% of singles are now interested in trying video, which is what led us to launch Vibe Check on Match," he said. Vibe Check is an in-app video calling service that allows singles to safely video chat with each other before deciding whether to exchange phone numbers. Hosseini thinks video dating will last after the pandemic is over.
eharmony Introduces “Video Date”
PR NEWSWIRE – Apr 20 – This one-on-one video communication feature helps members continue creating meaningful connections in their search for a relationship while practicing social distancing. eharmony has seen a 27% increase in messages in April compared to March as social distancing and stay at home restrictions have been in place. The video function is available only after two members have initiated a conversation and sent several messages back and forth.
ODA Appoints Gitte Bendzulla to its Board of Directors
ODA – Apr 20 – Gitte Bendzulla, General Counsel & Managing Director of Spark Networks has been co-opted to the ODA board. The ODA was set up in 2014 to develop and maintain standards that give users assurance and ensure businesses trade responsibly. It seeks also to inform policy makers and to promote messages to users that minimize the risk of harm. Spark Networks is America's second largest dating company, with headquarters in Berlin, Germany, and offices in New York and Utah. The company's portfolio of dating apps includes Zoosk, EliteSingles, Christian Mingle, Jdate, SilverSingles, eDarling and JSwipe among others.
Confinement: Dating Apps Are Getting Better Thanks to Video
L'EXPRESS – Apr 19 – Before the coronavirus, dating was held over a drink. Now, they take place by camera. Nothing stops the quest for a soul mate. Not even containment. Dating apps are running at full speed.
"Among all dating players, we are witnessing a 20 to 40% jump in activity, whether it is the number of messages exchanged or new subscribers," notes Mark Brooks, consultant and president of Courtland Brooks & IDEA.gp. Tinder even beat its record "swipes" at the end of March.
"There was indeed an air gap at the start of confinement," says Clémentine Lalande, director of Once. "But it quickly gave way to a lasting rebound in interactions between users".
"The week following the announcement of confinement by Emmanuel Macron was marked by a marked drop in activity," confirms Héloïse des Monstiers, France director of Meetic. "But very quickly, discussions resumed. On Easter Sunday we even registered 20% more [users] than Valentine's Day."