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).

Tinder has announced that it will be releasing a new video chat feature in the second quarter of this year. This news comes as people around the world continue to socially distance in the wake of the coronavirus, and as its parent company Match Group shared that the app’s subscriber growth had slowed.

Match Group didn’t give specifics about Tinder’s new video chat feature and what it would look like, but they did indicate they were testing the waters with a new video chat platform on another one of its apps, Plenty of Fish. POF offers a live stream video platform where users can observe and weigh in with likes and comments on other user’s live streams. The app is also offering a virtual speed dating feature called NextDate, which allows users to meet and talk briefly with several matches before deciding whether to take the video chat to a one-on-one conversation.

Dating can be confusing, which is why so many people turn to their friends, social media or a Reddit forum to ask questions or to understand and resolve challenges they face. If you aren’t familiar with using Reddit, there are some very popular subgroup discussions for a wide range of topics that involve dating. 

Reddit is an open platform where people can anonymously post their story, question or dilemma and open it up for others to respond. Users can subscribe to different topics and get notifications when a new thread is added, or when their thread has a new comment. It’s a place where you can take a really deep dive into a subject that interests you.

There are a number of popular online dating communities on Reddit. We put together our own choices for you to check out:

CEO of POF, Malgosia Green

Image: POF

Plenty of Fish (POF) has had a reputation as a hookup app among dating app users, but under the direction of CEO Malgosia Green the last two years, the company is pivoting to create a more engaging and authentic experience for users.

In a recent interview with Green posted on the company’s blog, she discusses her primary goal to create a more authentic online dating experience at POF. The company’s research found that 84% of singles said they wanted more authenticity in dating and think all face filters should be banned. As a result, POF was the first to implement a face filter ban and committed to auditing 70 million images and removing face-filtered images. 

GROWLr which calls it self "The Bear Social Network" is a dating service for gay singles. Late in April they launched live 1 on 1 video capabilities for both their iOS and Android apps. Since we are in the in the midst of the pandemic this one-on-one video chat feature is now free for all members. This gives GROWLr members the ability to connect with others through live video while still being safe at home and self isolating.

In a 2 week period at the end of April over 50,000 different members have tried out the live video on GROWLr. This averages out to 15,000 members everyday live video streaming with another member. These statistics shows people wanted the ability to do 1 on 1 video calling built into the app since it provides a quick, secure and easier way to meet and socialize with others during the pandemic.

POF is taking virtual dating to the next level with a new initiative called NextDate Social Hours on its POF Live! platform.

NextDate is like virtual speed dating, where users have the opportunity not only to meet new people but also win prizes for participating. Users can go to POF Live! and hit the “go live” button to join while the speed dating hours are in session. They can join NextDate by clicking the heart at the bottom on their screens.

Once a user has joined NextDate, they will get paired with a potential match who has also joined. Then each of you is given some prompts to ask questions and get to know each other while other participants can watch and send hearts and other virtual gifts of encouragement, according to POF’s blog.