Dating Services

In the wake of Grindr’s ‘Kindr’ initiative to stamp out sexual racism on its platform, two other gay dating apps are following suit.

UK-based Chappy recently announced a major relaunch and rebranding that includes both cosmetic changes and a zero tolerance policy for abuse. In a press statement, Chappy announced it has been working closely with Bumble on its redesign and strategy, which is focused on creating a safer and more inclusive space for gay and bisexual men to connect.

“At its heart, Chappy is engineered to empower gay men to form positive, healthy relationships based in kindness and mutual respect, and that’s something I’m extremely passionate about,” said Sam Dumas, Chappy’s Global Head of Brand as of August 2018. “Collaborating with tech titans like Andrey [Andreev, founder of Badoo and an investor in Bumble] and Whitney [Wolfe Herd, co-founder of Tinder and CEO of Bumble] is an incredible opportunity. I’m honored to be a part of what’s going to be an inspiring next chapter for the brand.”

Facebook Dating recently launched in Colombia, months after the company announced the new service at its developer conference in May. There’s been a lot of speculation, but now the first users are getting a taste of how the service will work.

According to Mashable, Facebook Dating is completely separate from your traditional Facebook profile, so you can feel free to search for potential dates without your activity showing up on your main Facebook page. Users can opt-in from the main menu where you find groups, Marketplace, and events. Then you can create a profile by adding photos and information, like where you went to school.

One of the main differences of Facebook’s service (as pointed out by Business Insider), is that Facebook is not matching people within their social media circle like other apps, so there’s no concern you’ll be matched directly with your online friends, which was an initial concern among users. Instead, Facebook Dating is connecting users according to interests and activities. Based on these attributes, Facebook by default will include friends-of-friends as well as strangers unless you only want to see people with no mutual connections.

Facebook has officially entered the dating app game, launching its new feature Facebook Dating exclusively for users in Colombia. Since the announcement of the new service in May at the company’s annual developers conference, the online dating industry has been anxious for how Facebook might upend the market.

Facebook chose Colombia because online dating is a “pervasive behavior” there according to Nathan Sharp, product manager for Facebook Dating. The country has a population of 48.6 million, giving Facebook the opportunity to see how people use it and how it compares to other dating apps. There are about 200 million single Facebook users globally, according to Sharp, a huge population to reach.

The service is currently available only through the social media giant’s mobile app, and users have to opt in to the service to use it. Also, Facebook Dating is separate from the regular Facebook service, so a user’s dating activity will not be visible to friends on social media. Facebook intends to compete directly with dating apps, but the company’s focus is on connecting people to form relationships, moving away from superficial swiping that’s popular on apps like Tinder.

OkCupid announced that it has rolled out a new feature to allow users to prominently display their pronoun preferences in their profiles. This is an important step for the industry as a whole in acknowledging and including people who identify outside of traditional binary male/ female gender roles.

OkCupid users have had the option to include pronoun preference information in their bio (or “self summaries” section), so potential dates know how they identify. This wasn’t optimal for many daters, since not every potential match takes the time to read through a profile. Making it a feature and giving it a dedicated space allows users who identify outside of traditional gender norms more inclusivity in the online dating experience.

Tech companies traditionally work to keep consumers addicted to their devices, but one dating service is taking the unusual approach of encouraging users to set down their smartphones.

Bumble’s latest innovation is a “Snooze” mode that lets singles pause their activity on the app. According to company CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd, the feature is designed to help daters curb social media obsession and take a digital detox without missing out on potential matches.

"It's time to encourage users to focus on themselves and mental health and take care of themselves and not feel trapped in this warp of a never-ending stream of social connection," Herd told the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.

Spark Networks SE, a leading provider of niche dating sites including EliteSingles, Jdate, and Christian Mingle, has revealed its first half 2018 financial results.

In a press release, Chief Executive Officer Jeronimo Folgueira called it “a very productive first half of the year” focused on building a strong foundation for sustainable, long-term revenue growth.

“Our growth strategy remains focused on EliteSingles, our newly added Jdate, JSwipe and Christian Mingle brands, and the recently launched SilverSingles brand,” Folgueira said. “All three of these areas performed well in the first half of the year and we expect to carry our current momentum through the second half of 2018 and into 2019.”