Features

Dating platform Feeld debuted an updated app with more features in early December, only to find that users were having trouble logging in or using the app at all.

In a statement posted on its website about the app’s troubled relaunch, Feeld said: “Since our app update on Friday, we’ve been listening to your invaluable feedback, and understand your concerns about some of the changes, technical issues, and our responses. We know that some of you missed out on Feeld dates, Connections and experiences, and we are working on meaningful ways to make this right.”

After almost two weeks of continued problems, the dating app provided another update in mid-December.

The founder of Hinge, the fastest-growing app in parent company Match Group’s portfolio, says AI will change the game for dating apps.

McLeod spoke to the Financial Times about a range of topics, including Hinge’s success and where he sees it going, and the advances with generative AI. He noted that the key with AI and dating apps is continually “dialing up the sophistication of our matching algorithms” so that it continues learning about the nuances of preferences and delivering better results, according to The Financial Times.

“Every single time someone goes on a great date, we can look at all the information that led up to it, “ McLeod told the Times. “Everything from their profile information to their behavior on the app, to how many matches they had at the time that they met.”

Dating app Grindr has announced a strategic partnership with Ex-human to add an AI assistant to its platform.

According to Decrypt, Ex-human is a bit different from the familiar AI tools we’ve seen, which focus on answering fact-based questions. Instead, Ex-human is designed to engage in “emotionally resonant and meaningful conversations” according to Decrypt.

In fact, the AI model offers virtual companions like imaginary geishas and popular figures like Elon Musk. The companions are designed to show expressions and reactions to different prompts, so the user feels more engaged with the bot.

Tinder and Hinge have recently released new ultra-premium subscriptions for what they called “motivated daters,” but a significant population of singles would rather not pay the steep price for a dating app experience. In fact, the more companies try to monetize dating app features, the more it seems to turn off daters altogether.

A recent report from Bloomberg found that people are gravitating back to in-person events like speed dating, which saw a 63 percent increase in participation this past year according to Eventbrite. And they are reluctant to pay the $500 subscription for Tinder or $60 subscription for Hinge, though Match Group has noticed an uptick in revenue since releasing the premium services.

According to Bloomberg, third-quarter downloads for Hinge were the app’s best ever and that 1.3 million of its users pay for a subscription. Bumble will be offering short term subscriptions as well as its own high-priced premium service in the coming months.

Image: Bumble

Bumble For Friends, the signature dating app’s standalone app that focuses on helping people find friends, has debuted new AI-based features.

The app announced one new feature dubbed “Plans” which helps users organize a meet-up in real life, and lets them invite up to 15 people. They can create public or private plans from the app, according to Tech Crunch, but the private plans require the planner to send invitations to specific members in their network.

The feature resembles the MeetUp app, where you can organize an event and invite members of your group to attend. Bumble offers options to grab coffee, eat out, do a workout together, “something outdoors” or a night out. Then you can make it public or private, and the last step is choosing the friends from your Bumble network to invite.

eHarmony has revealed the next chapter in their journey with the introduction of an updated visual identity. The update features a contemporary wordmark, a modern color palette, and a minimalist icon – all designed to elevate the user experience and attract more singles on the dating service.

eHarmony states that "these changes not only underscore our dedication to innovation but also strengthen our commitment to fostering meaningful and enduring connections."

Many of the larger dating apps recently like Tinder, have also revamped the design of their dating apps. These companies feel with the worst of the pandemic behind us now, dating singles are looking for a change. A redesign helps with this transition and keeps many daters on the service they started on, instead of moving to another.