Matchmaking App Cheers Launches in New York
Contributed by: kellyseal on Tuesday, December 03 2024 @ 03:03 pm
Last modified on Tuesday, December 03 2024 @ 03:10 pm
Cheers, a new matchmaking app founded by former Instagram engineer Sahil Ahuja, has launched in New York.
The new app is focused on building connections by offering a similar format to social platforms like Instagram, where users can add unlimited photos and videos to their profile (similar to social media apps), so other users get a feel for who they are. Cheers uses AI in some of its features as do most dating apps now, including for photo selection and to set up user profiles.
According to Tech Crunch[*1] , Cheers is differentiating itself from apps like Tinder and Bumble by offering posting features and friend-matchmaking in addition to romantic connections, leaning heavily into the social media model.
Cheers also hooks into your existing online friend network to find matches for you (similar to many previous dating app models, including Facebook’s). Cheers users can even swipe right on a match on behalf of their friend, or share their profile with another user.
In fact, Cheers requires users to invite individuals from their contact lists, ensuring that networks are the primary connection tool for users (and also to expand its own userbase). The app restricts its users to only three matches per day (similar to several dating app strategies, including Coffee Meets Bagel’s when it first launched and limited users to one match per day). Cheers told Tech Crunch that it is focused on these types of engagement strategies to promote more “focused and purposeful” dating interactions.
According to Tech Crunch, Ahuja believes that modeling his dating app after a social media platform allows for a better user experience, not only because users can get more insight into potential matches, but because the matching is better (since there is typically a friend connection). He said it’s particularly beneficial for female users, who often feel unsafe meeting new people on dating apps.
Ahuja told TechCrunch: “I’ve talked to a lot of women who have felt that that’s actually something that is really beneficial for them because if they see people on there with a friend, it validates this is a legit person. They’re not sketchy. It’d be okay to go out with them in real life.”
Using friendship connections isn’t new for dating apps. Hinge got its start with friend networks, where users were sent potential matches who were friends of friends. Tinder also developed a feature where friends could pick matches for users, and Wingman’s entire platform is based on using friend and family connections to generate matches.
The app is currently only on iOS, and only available to New York residents. To find out more, visit Cheers[*2] directly.