Chemistry Forever Dating App Debuts in India, Putting Security First

Chemistry Forever aims to “disrupt” the dating app market in India by offering AI Face Verification to curb the proliferation of fake profiles.

The new app is coming out strong in terms of security, which has plagued the dating app industry for years. According to The Hindustan Times, the app has had over 10,000 downloads in its first two months (it had a soft launch in September of last year). So far most of the profiles on the app are verified, though users have the choice to opt-in for Face Verification. 

According to the company’s website, the registration process is simple. After downloading the app, it asks the user to upload a recent profile photo (to be verified later in the process), and offers users “stars” for each completed step of the process to make their profiles more appealing and complete.

Once you have completed the first few steps of registering and filling out the profile, the user has access to the People tab where they can see potential matches and message another user. Typically, they will have to wait to be matched before messaging, but each user is given six free “Proposal messages” they can use without first matching.

The last step is the Face Verification, where the app’s AI compares the user’s profile picture with a selfie to instantly verify. This earns the user another star.

The app offers 3 types of subscriptions: Chemistry Premium, Chemistry Crown and Chemistry Club. Users can download the app for free, and then click on the rocket icon for details about pricing.

There’s a lot of opportunity for new apps in the Indian market, as it’s one of the fastest-growing populations of singles under 30, and attitudes towards dating are rapidly changing.

Popular apps like Bumble have taken steps to cater to users in India, including launching a video series with national celebrities discussing their own dating challenges and preferences, as well as changing attitudes.

Tinder has created a series of ads for the Indian market highlighting the autonomy women have with dating apps, and how they can choose the experiences as well as the people they date, showcasing the way young people meet and date is rapidly shifting.

Chemistry Forever’s chief operating officer Shubash noted in the company’s press release that: “the pandemic appears to have permanently altered India's courtship customs. Even in tiny towns, more and more young Indians are turning to dating apps to find romance and friendship, preferring video talks over in-person dates to get to know one another."