FORBES – May 26 – New data gathered by the dating app company S'More suggests that putting chemistry ahead of "hotness" and relationships over casual encounters may become the new norm in online dating, and some of the biggest players in the industry are getting in on the trend. S'More survey found that physical attraction was no longer rated as the most important factor when searching for a potential match. "Covid-19 certainly changed the equation," says CEO Cohen-Aslatei. "But beyond that, our data shows that people are starting to expect more from dating apps. They want real connections, not the fake photos and hyper-sexualization that has characterized so much of online dating over the past decade." S'More has developed a suite of features aimed to reduce the superficiality of online dating, and slow down the process. For one, users aren't able to view a clear photo of a potential match until they have had a meaningful conversation with that person. S'More is not alone in its effort. Tinder and Bumble recently added games to their video product, MeetMe added blurred video dating, and Chispa, a Match Group app for Latino and Latina singles, connects daters based on answers to trivia games. MuzMatch, a Muslim-focused dating app, also lets women keep their profiles blurred from men.
Category: Reporters – Mark Travers
Jigsaw CEO – How to Build the Perfect Dating App
FORBES – Apr 22 – According to Pew Research, 31% of U.S. adults have used an online dating site or app. Among these users, 18% are currently active on one or more platforms. But close to 50% of Americans view online dating as unsafe. Jigsaw, a U.K.-based dating app company that launched in the U.S. in 2020, worked with the survey research company OnePoll to understand people's frustrations. 7 in 10 users said they find the experience shallow and superficial. Two-thirds of them were sick of being judged only on looks. On Jigsaw, the faces are initially covered with a digital jigsaw puzzle. Swapping messages with matches makes the jigsaw pieces fall away to reveal the face underneath. "We are not saying looks don't matter – just that they're only part of the picture", says Alex Durrant, CEO and co-founder of Jigsaw. "We think the shift from 'hot-or-not' swiping to more personality-focused dating apps will continue.
Compatibility Before Photos? A New Dating App Takes a Personality-First Approach to Online Dating
FORBES – Jan 20 – The team at Birdy, a new dating and relationship app, has built their entire business around the premise that compatibility is more important than appearance. When users download Birdy, they take a personality survey, inspired by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), to determine which of the 16 different personality types they are. Based on the compatibility matching algorithm, the app will suggest users with the most compatible personality types. Next, they have to create a Story that shows who they are without showing their face.