New Video App Heartbeat Melds Snapchat And Online Dating
Contributed by: ElyseRomano on Thursday, October 22 2015 @ 09:02 am
Last modified on Wednesday, May 24 2023 @ 12:37 pm
From the founder of Wyldfire, the ladies-led dating app, comes a new Snapchat-style app for online dating called Heartbeat. This may be the first time video has been so deeply integrated into the dating app format, but it won't come as much of a surprise to the tech savvy.
Snapchat is killing it in the mobile apps game. Though it skews heavily younger, it's becoming as commonplace to those of a certain generation as Facebook is to the generation before. It was only a matter of time before the competitive online dating industry attempted to steal some of Snapchat's style.
“Young people haven’t had a dating product that lets them communicate in their language,” said Brian Freeman, founder of Wyldfire and Heartbeat, in a press release. “The current dating app format feels far too hook-up-focused. Instead, Heartbeat is about establishing genuine human connection, in an instant, without allowing creeps to take the reins. This is the future of online dating.”
Safety is of the utmost importance on Heartbeat. All men interested in using the app must be pre-approved by a team of women before they can sign up. Communication can only be initiated by female users, though on Heartbeat it's live video chat (think something like FaceTime) rather than emails or text messages.
When you download the app, you will see a Heartbeat timeline – essentially a combination of Snapchat stories and an Instagram feed. Each uploaded story or "Heartbeat" will be automatically erased in 36 hours so your timeline is never overcrowded.
Female users receive one daily match suggestion selected through an algorithm called "BAE Watch." Men seeking additional search ability and compatibility suggestions from the BAE Watch algorithm can boost their membership to VIP status for an additional cost.
As an alternative matching option, women can scroll through their timelines, “like” Heartbeat videos, review profiles (a mix of a person's most recent Heartbeats and biographical information), and initiate conversations with prospective dates.
Freeman hopes that the video format will alleviate fears that users aren't talking to real people and will make users more accountable for what they say. He also hopes it will allow them to create deeper connections, by offering the opportunity to read body language and interpret tone in a way that text cannot achieve.
Heartbeat's target demographic is people in their twenties. Users in that age range are the 'digital natives' who grew up with smartphones in their hands, making them the most likely to be naturally drawn to the app.
Heartbeat officially began development only a few months ago, but the app is set to launch on November 20, 2015. To be among the first to use Heartbeat, sign up now at GetHeartBeat.co.