Snapchat’s success has influenced everyone from Instagram to Facebook, and now Bumble is getting in on the game. The dating app will soon launch BumbleVID, a feature that allows users to create stories with unlimited 10-second videos that automatically delete after 24 hours.

BumbleVID will be familiar to singles who already use Snapchat and Instagram. Users can record their videos from directly within the Bumble app, and personalize their clips by drawing on the videos. Eventually the company plans to introduce additional features, like filters and geotagging, that will also be recognizable to regular social media users.

After a video is posted to a profile, it can be viewed by anyone who comes across the profile while swiping. The videos will also appear on the connections and conversations page, providing easy access to the video stories of anyone you’re connected with or currently talking to.

Match Group reported fourth quarter and full year 2016 financial results, revealing a mix of highs and lows.

“Match Group executed well in our first full year as a public company,” said Greg Blatt, Chairman and CEO. “We had strong double digit revenue, operating income, Adjusted EBITDA and PMC growth, generally on track with our expectations at the time we went public. As we roll into 2017, we’re confident we can maintain that momentum.”

Q4 2016 highlights include:

In an era so steeped in dating app culture, users are finding increasingly inventive ways to swipe. Gone are the days when these apps were just about meeting a mate - today they’re used for everything from connecting with business partners to finding tour guides while traveling.

In the latter case, singles update their location in the app, then post a note explaining that they’re visiting and looking to meet locals who are interested in showing them around (what happens after the tour… well… that’s anyone’s guess). It can be a great way to immerse yourself in a destination, but according to a new report, it may be safer in some states than others.

The report by highspeedinternet.com and home security company Safewise used the FBI’s most recent crime data, plus STD rates from the Centers for Disease Control, to rank all 50 U.S. states and D.C. according to safety for online daters.

Online dating industry giant Match is looking to distinguish itself from the more popular dating apps like Bumble or Tinder. In an effort do this and to attract new customers, Match unveiled “Missed Connections,” a location-based feature that allows users to see other members they have crossed paths with in real life.

For example, if you walked in your neighborhood park this morning or grabbed coffee at your favorite coffee shop, you can see who on Match did the same and reach out to them.

The new feature offers a more organic approach to dating. Match hopes it will help people connect more easily in real life instead of relying on messaging, which has become an issue with many dating app users. In Match’s upcoming “Singles in America” survey (which will debut in early February), 55% of singles say they feel that technology has made it more difficult to connect with others in real life.

See Date Spots and Mixtape

Coffee Meets Bagel has launched two new tools to help its busy singles find love.

Since 2012, Coffee Meets Bagel has strived to stand out from the swipe-saturated mobile dating crowd. The app makes dating efficient and accessible by presenting members with one curated match each day at noon, eliminating the need to sink hours into searching.

The stripped-back strategy won over users around the world, and Coffee Meets Bagel has steadily expanded its reach and offerings over the years. The company secured $7.8 million in a Series A financing round back in 2015 and has introduced an array of new features, including Photo Lab and Send A Woo, in the time since.

The latest additions to the CMB family come courtesy of collaborations with Yelp and Spotify. The pair of web apps, called DateSpots.co and Mixtape, are designed to ease the awkwardness of getting to know someone new.

Here is the summary of the 10th annual Dating Sites Reviews Choice Awards. These awards honour the best dating apps an websites of 2016 in 11 different categories. These will be the dating services worth checking out in 2017 if you are thinking of trying online dating using a app or website.

Our top award is the Single's Choice Award and is decided by poll that all of our visitors can vote in. This poll ran from mid October 2016 until January 1st 2017. The poll asks 2 questions. The first questions asks you to recommend your choice for the top dating service from a selection of the ten leading dating services on the internet. The top three dating services who receives the most votes will be the recipient of a Gold, Silver, and Bronze award. The second question is similar, but it asks you to recommend your selection from eight of the most popular free dating services. With the free category there is only a gold award.

Single's Choice Award

Recipient Match.com

Our Gold Single's Choice Award for 2016 goes to Match.com. This popular online dating service continues to capture our top award year after year thanks to a large membership which makes meeting new people easy.

For full award information see the article: 2016 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award

Recipient eHarmony

Our Silver Single's Choice Award of 2016 goes to eHarmony. This online dating powerhouse is no stranger to our awards and usually earns several every year. This year eHarmony went through a number of changes allowing members to find matches on it's service even easier.

For full award information see the article: 2016 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award

Recipient Elite Singles

The 2016 Bronze Single's Choice Award recipient is Elite Singles. Everyone has seen their TV commercials and have come online to see what all the excitement is about. This is the first year that this dating service has participated in our awards and it is already one of our visitors favorites, and a winner!

For full award information see the article: 2016 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award

Recipient Plenty of Fish

The 2016 Single's Choice Award for a Free Site recipient is POF. Plenty of Fish continues to be as popular as ever and is our visitors first choice this year which is no surprise.

For full award information see the article: 2016 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award - Free