The ultimate goal of dating apps is real-life love, but all too often, users find their swipes end in ghosted message threads. Though services like How About We have emerged to encourage singles to take their digital romances offline as soon as possible, many still struggle to turn online matches into in-person connections.

A recent trend in online dating appears to be yet another effort to connect users IRL. Apps from Bumble to Happn to Tinder are opening spaces and hosting events around the world to bring their members together.

Bumble opened its first physical location in New York City earlier this summer. Dubbed ‘The Hive,’ the installation was clad head-to-toe in Bumble’s branding and offered users and non-users alike a date spot, a place to hang with friends, a co-working space, or a quiet respite from the buzz of city life. The Hive featured a coffee bar, a real bar, and a shop with Bumble merchandise. It also hosted styling sessions from Drybar and a series of talks and social events.

Dating apps catering to exclusive clientele are becoming an increasingly prominent part of the industry. The League may be the most famous example, but there’s also Inner Circle and the mysterious Raya. Even Tinder has gotten in on the game with Tinder Select, a secret, members-only version of the app for its top users.

Loveflutter is the latest company to jump on the elite bandwagon with a new premium version of its app, called BLUE. BLUE promises to admit users into an exclusive world full of “celebrities and other Twitter blue tick holders” - in other words, you can woo Twitter’s hottest verified singles, providing you too have that little blue check by your name.

In a world overrun by YouTube stars and Instagram influencers, BLUE may sound like a ploy to appeal to today’s social media-obsessed singles - and in some ways it probably is - but it also serves a genuine purpose: safety.

Dating apps are proving to be a surprisingly loud voice in the fight against hate, harassment, and cruelty.

First, Tinder spoke out for animal rights by asking users to remove photos taken with tigers, which are often mistreated in the name of letting tourists take selfies with the world’s wildest inhabitants.

Then, OkCupid took a stand against harassment and unwanted, sexually explicit messages by introducing a Member Pledge to remind users to treat each other with kindness and respect.

Now, following the violence and tragic death of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia, dating services are again stepping up to ensure their users can meet in a safe and welcoming space, free from hatred and discrimination.

Online dating may have started as a young person’s game, but it’s rapidly become a platform for singles of all kinds to make connections. Services like OurTime.com, Senior People Meet, and Stitch cater to older users in search of love and companionship, and now they’re joined by a new offering from Snap Interactive: 50more.

SNAP, a leading provider of live video social networking and interactive dating applications, announced the US rollout of its newest platform on July 12, 2017. 50more was built to celebrate life and the enduring potential for romance and enrichment for singles over 50 years of age. The service aims to create higher quality connections by matching based on three key compatibility factors: vitality, openness, and culture (VOC).

VOC-driven matching is rooted in scientific principles to effectively bring people together with similar interests, passions, and goals. The service sends users a selection of personalized introductions each day, carefully selected based on each individual’s VOC percentage, eliminating the need to spend hours searching for matches.

Elvis sang, “A little less conversation, a little more action please.” But according to a recent survey from Plenty of Fish, today’s singles are looking for exactly the opposite.

Conversation Nation, the largest study ever conducted on the subject, asked more than 2,000 singles across the United States to weigh in on the importance of conversation in the search for love. Sixty-five percent called conversation a lost art, yet a whopping 90 percent of singles surveyed said they would rather talk all night on a first date than have sex all night.

An increased dependency on social media and digital devices has changed the dating landscape forever. Now, instead of locking eyes from across the room and timidly saying “Hi,” many singles are starting relationships by swiping right and sending strings of emojis. Sixty-one percent of singles believe the rise in technology usage has impacted our ability to have meaningful, face-to-face conversations.

Despite that discontent with the quality of modern communication, singles still rely heavily on conversation to connect. Nine out of 10 respondents identified a good conversation as the gold standard for a great date, while only one in 10 gave sex that coveted position.

The guys-posing-with-tigers-on-Tinder trope isn't just a played out profile pic, it's a global phenomenon that’s inspired Tumblr, blogs, think pieces, and a scolding letter from PETA. It may now be coming to an end.

To honor International Tiger Day on July 29, Tinder announced it’s taking a stand against photos taken with tigers and other wild animals.

“While most of us are on Tinder to find a soulmate or a date, appearing on the app isn't fun for everyone,” reads PETA’s original letter. “What might, at first swipe, look like a harmless picture actually means that someone was caged, dominated, and tied down or drugged before their photo was taken and uploaded online. If this happened to one of your users on a Tinder date, you'd block the profile of the person responsible immediately. Unfortunately, this is the reality for tigers, lions, and other big cats who are featured in an alarming number of Tinder profile photos.”