Dating Services

We just got word that the dating service MillionaireMatch will be adding video chat soon to the wide list of features they offer. This is in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the priority MillionaireMatch places on the safety of their members. The new video chat feature will offer a way for members to meet virtually on a date securely without the need of an external video streaming service like FaceTime or Zoom. Johnny Du, the Chief Operating Officer of MillionaireMatch stated:

We care about the safety of our members. Keep social distancing is the most essential to protect us, …

Facebook has created a new app exclusively for couples dubbed Tuned. With it, they are able to share messages, music and digital scrapbooks with each other privately and in theory – deepen their connection.

Facebook entered the relationship app world with Facebook Dating, which has fallen flat among users as Tinder, Bumble and other dating apps have seen a surge of activity. Tuned however was created by Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team, and focuses exclusively on couples instead of singles – helping them foster an intimate virtual connection. There hasn’t been a huge marketing push like there was ahead of the launch of Facebook Dating. Instead, Tuned has had a quiet rollout, almost like a beta test. 

As dating app usage spikes worldwide in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, dating app companies are examining whether this means revenue will increase, too. Match Group recently posted a memo to all of its users that while usage is up, new (and paying) subscribers are down in the countries most affected by the pandemic, including Italy, Spain and the UK.

According to Seeking Alpha, Match Group was leading the pack a year ago with revenue increasing year over year in the billion-dollar dating app industry. And now, across the globe its star dating app Tinder is seeing a spike in user activity. It reported a record 3 billion swipes in one day on March 29th. But revenue hasn’t increased along with it.

Match Group’s revenue is gathered in two ways – from advertising on its free platform, and for charging users for premium services on its tiered services – Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold. Users can also purchase in-app a la carte options for certain features like Passport, but right now, Tinder is offering this particular feature free for all users. 

Dating app Bumble has released new features to help people connect better over the app as most of us around the world stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

One of the new features is the in-app audio/voice note ability, so you can leave a voice message for a match without having to exchange phone numbers, according to The Verge. This is a way to personalize messages with your matches, as texting can feel kind of generic after a while. It’s also another way to filter matches ahead of agreeing to a video chat.

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.

Dating app eHarmony has released a new feature called Video Date, in time to help its users form better connections over its app. This is especially timely as the world shelters in place from the outbreak of coronavirus.

Video Date is a one-on-one video chat service that is available within the eHarmony app. Touting its safety, eHarmony says the key distinguishing parts of its new feature are the security measures the company put in place. No member will be forced to exchange private information such as a mobile number, nor will they be “faced with the additional safety concerns associated with moving to an external platform,” according to the company’s press release.