New Dating App After Seeks to End Ghosting
Contributed by: kellyseal on Friday, October 25 2024 @ 04:04 pm
Last modified on Friday, October 25 2024 @ 04:12 pm
Dating app After just launched in Austin, Texas, and is aimed at ending the pervasive problem of ghosting on dating apps.
According to Tech Crunch, when someone “unmatches” a person on After, they are required to let the app know why before they can keep swiping. It can be for any number of reasons – from distance issues to just a general vibe of non-interest, and the app will send a kind message to the other user in return. The idea is to give the person who was ghosted some closure with a reason why the other person is no longer interested, while also reminding them this one match experience isn’t an indication of who they are or what they are worth.
For two people who matched on the app and neglect to message each other, the app will end the match. If one person doesn’t respond to a match’s message, the app will nudge them to send a message. If they still don’t reply to a conversation, the app unmatches them and the user who didn’t respond can’t use the platform until they provide a reason for letting the match expire.
The app was launched by Katie Dissanayake, who worked at dating app HUD which advertises itself as a hookup app that’s “fun without strings attached.” Dissanayake said that at HUD she learned everything about the process of setting up a dating app from trust and safety to product development, according to Tech Crunch[*1] .
She was motivated to create a dating app that addressed dating app fatigue, and started with a focus on the ghosting problem. In addition to giving people closure, she told Tech Crunch: “I think [the anti-ghosting feature] holds people accountable.”
Another interesting feature the app provides are badges that indicate whether someone is local to the city or if they are just a visitor, providing more transparency to potential matches. After also plans to introduce a mental health check-in feature where users can reflect on their feelings about dating, and if the app thinks you’ve been using it too much, it will suggest a break.
The app currently operates only in Austin, and launched about a year ago. Dissanayake has plans to expand in Texas, but not yet outside of the state, according to Tech Crunch.
“I’m really passionate about growing a little community first before moving on because nothing is worse than opening an app up and then you have, like, one user in each state, and it just doesn’t work for anybody,” Dissanayake told Tech Crunch.
The app is available to use for free[*2] , but certain premium features users pay for. Subscribers get access to a number of paid features for about $20 per month. The company hasn’t reported whether it is looking for VC investment.