How Coronavirus is Changing Dating Apps
Contributed by: kellyseal on Monday, May 04 2020 @ 11:26 am
Last modified on Monday, May 04 2020 @ 11:44 am
Coronavirus has taken over newsfeeds and has affected all of us, no matter where we live. Now, it seems to be changing how dating apps operate, too.
Dating.com recently reported an 82 percent increase in dating app usage around the world since the beginning of March, when countries began putting restrictions in place. And as Forbes points out - dating apps are moving fast to offer new ways of virtual connection to attract more users and to keep them engaged, now that they have your attention.
Conversations over dating apps have increased. Tinder reports a 20 percent increase in daily messages worldwide. Since March 12th, Bumble has reported a 21 percent increase in both messages sent as well as usage of its new Voice Call and Video Chat features, according to Daily News. New York City – where the current epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak is - had a 23 percent increase in sent messages. And Bumble Bizz reported an even higher spike in activity – a 57% increase in usage over the last few weeks – because people are thinking about their careers and livelihoods as well as dating.
As Forbes[*1] pointed out on its blog, more people are turning to dating apps for connection, and the apps are rising to the occasion.
Plenty of Fish, The League and Bumble are offering in-app video date options. Tinder has made its Passport feature free to all users so they can connect with anyone around the globe. And Coffee Meets Bagel recently scheduled an open Zoom session for its users to get to know each other, kind of like a virtual speed date session but without the formalities.
After all, physical location is irrelevant in the middle of a pandemic when we are all sheltering in place. So why not emphasize the virtual advantages of dating apps?
Apps are getting creative with offerings, too. Match has provided a toll-free hotline for people who are struggling during this time, and not only with their love lives but with anxiety and other stresses. Grindr is offering phone-sex tips on its platform. Bumble, OkCupid, Tinder and others are offering advice and links to the CDC website to stay healthy and safe. Coffee Meets Bagel is offering virtual date ideas to its users, such as playing online video games together.
And new dating service OkZoomer unexpectedly found an avid audience among college students who are struggling with having their semesters cut short. They want to date other students, even if it’s over Zoom, and so far 12,000 have signed up in only a few weeks.
Still, Forbes points out that despite this uptick in usage, dating app revenue is on its way down, so it’s likely that in-app virtual dating features will not only stick around past the pandemic – but might become another valuable revenue stream. As people weigh the cost of an in-person date against dinner or coffee, they might decide a first virtual date is more cost-effective in terms of time and money, and therefore be willing to pay for it.