General News

Dating app Tinder came under fire for banning users of its platform when they posted statements and photos supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Shortly after the backlash, the company reversed their decision.

Millions of people around the world have been protesting police violence in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Black Lives Matter and other racial justice organizations have crafted petitions and promoted donation requests as the movement has progressed. Some Tinder users were spreading the word through their Tinder profiles in order to further promote these petitions and causes, and dozens reported being banned from the platform.

According to BBC, one user took to Twitter to announce: “Yesterday, I changed my Tinder bio to 'All Black Lives Matter. If you don’t think so, swipe left.” That user was banned shortly thereafter.

Dating app WooPlus has just launched a major update of its app with a new look, logo and user experience in February, and a month later, it was the number one trending dating app on Google Play as registrations jumped 50 percent.

The self-described “dating app for curvy people” announced version 5.0, which includes new updates to profiles, a dating “assistant” to help guide users, and a new feature to curb ghosting behavior. This was good timing for the company as people went into lockdown worldwide in the wake of the pandemic, and many people isolating alone were turning to dating apps to feel connected.

The new profile update is described in the company’s press release as “unfolding,” because users can spend time with each profile swiping through their photos to get to a description – and therefore get a better sense of who they are. The company said that it allows users to show themselves more vividly and let people get to know them instead of judging quickly and moving on. 

Tinder Introduces Global Mode

Image: Tinder

Tinder announced that it will soon be rolling out its new Global Mode feature which allows Tinder users to match with anyone regardless of where they live, with no geographical limitations.

Global Mode will allow users to opt in for their profiles to be visible to users around the world, and will allow them to match with people from other countries, according to The Verge. It differs from Passport, which allowed users to pick a city (typically a travel destination) so that they could match with people in that specific location. Global Mode expands this capability without limits, and it’s free.

Image: hinge

Dating app Hinge will be rolling out a new in-app video chat feature. Earlier this year, the company added an option for users to let their matches know if they were interested in a video date, and this latest option expands on that.

The company also announced the official launch of Hinge Labs, the first in-house research group to study online dating behaviors beyond just surveying dating app users. One of Hinge Labs’ first projects will be to examine how its users respond to video dating by testing in select markets, according to Mashable. These cities include Dallas, Denver, Miami, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. The company will roll out the feature globally later this summer.

As summer begins, more places around the world are preparing to re-open public places after shuttering due to the spread of COVID-19 - including parks, beaches, and some restaurants and offices. Many daters have spent the last several weeks virtual dating from the comfort of their homes, but now according to Mashable, they are considering whether or not to take those dates offline and meet in person. They are also navigating what that might look like. 

COVID-19 has interrupted typical dating practices, but it’s also introduced us to the upside of virtual connection. Zoom dates have become popular in recent weeks not only because the pandemic has forced people to rely on technology for interaction, but also because people like the idea of getting to know someone better before actually meeting.

Bumble and Airbnb announced a partnership to provide a curated list of virtual dates to its dating app users featuring experiences from around the world.

Like most dating apps, Bumble has seen an increase in usage and messaging the last couple of months as people shelter at home in the midst of a global pandemic, and has sought to engage their users through its new video chat feature. The partnership with Airbnb is its latest effort to encourage connection while we shelter at home.

According to Travel + Leisure magazine, some of the date options include going to a speakeasy jazz club in Amsterdam or learning to cook Mexican street tacos with a professional chef, which have relatively low price points for a date ($12 and $9 per person, respectively).