Dating Services

LGBTQ singles can face a challenging dating landscape. Bars aren't always the best place to meet, and though dating apps are an option, many cater to a hookup-oriented market and most focus solely on lesbian women or gay men. Qutie, a up-and-coming app from LGBT Media Inc., hopes to change that - with a helping hand from the iconic entertainment company Atari.

“We created LGBTQutie after being frustrated with the limited options for LGBTQ people looking for relationships, friendships and meaningful connections,” says Qutie’s campaign on StartEngine, an equity crowdfunding platform. “Our app is inclusive of the full spectrum of LGBTQ sexual orientations and gender identities. LGBTQutie is more than just another dating app. We are community-focused and provide users with content that is relevant to them including LGBTQ specific news, blogs and events.”

Live video chats might be the future of dating according to recent reports, and new Washington D.C.-based dating app Spottle is betting on it.

The way Spottle works is simple: you download the app, and then you can join live video chat sessions on Thursday and Saturday nights at 9:00pm eastern time. The way it works is like an online “spin the bottle” session according to DCist.com, and also acts much like a virtual speed dating event.

Jiayuan now allows users to livestream.

In technology-forward China, single people are looking to new ways of connecting with each other via dating apps beyond the traditional swipe. Now, online dating companies in China are experimenting with livestream, and soon U.S. companies could follow.

Gizmodo reported on the trend of Chinese dating apps integrating livestream features into their platforms. Jiayuan, China’s largest dating app, launched its new livestream feature this past January with an interesting twist. Instead of two users opting to chat with each other over the app in private (like with Facetime), a user can set up a chat topic and see if someone wants to join. Once one person accepts and the two start a chat, it becomes a broadcast where other users can watch and comment.

Image: Bumble

Starting in June, artificial intelligence will shield Bumble users from unsolicited lewd photographs sent through the app’s messaging tool. The AI feature - which has been dubbed Private Detector, as in “private parts” - will automatically blur explicit photos shared within a chat and warn the user that they’ve received an obscene image. The user can then decide if they want to view the image or block it, and if they’d like to report it to Bumble’s moderators.

“With our revolutionary AI, we are able to detect potentially inappropriate content and warn you about the image before you open it,” says a screenshot of the new feature. “We are committed to keeping you protected from unsolicited photos or offensive behavior so you can have a safe experience meeting new people on Bumble.”

Image: Facebook

Got a secret crush on someone in your friend circle? Facebook now has a feature for that. At its annual F8 developer conference, the social networking company unveiled the newest addition to its dating product: Secret Crush.

Secret Crush allows users to select up to nine Facebook friends they want to stealthily express interest in. Each user who is selected will receive a notification saying “A friend added you as a secret crush.” The sender’s name will not be revealed unless the recipient also puts the sender on their Secret Crush list. If a mutual crush occurs, Facebook will make the match and reveal the names. If their feelings are not reciprocated, the secret admirer’s identity will remain a secret.

Image: Bumble

Bumble famously banned mirror selfies and introduced new photo moderation rules in 2016. The updated guidelines served to further Bumble’s mission to create a safe, friendly platform where users were encouraged to interact with the same kindness and courtesy as they do in real life. Two years later, Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd is taking that mission offline and into the Texas legal system.

A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives in March would making sending an unsolicited nude or sexual photograph a misdemeanor punishable with a fine up to $500. Wolfe Herd, who has been campaigning to make so-called ‘cyberflashing’ a criminal offence, has worked closely with legislators and lawmakers to set the bill in motion. If passed, the bill would take effect September 1, 2019.