Bumble

As a growing number of people began social distancing, they are turning to dating apps for connection – and specifically, logging on to Tinder.

Tinder reported that it received over 3 billion swipes in one day – Sunday March 28th – the highest number ever recorded in the app’s eight-year history.

The company also noted in a press release that daily conversations have increased about 20% across the globe, and the average length of conversations is 25% longer. In the US, conversations have been up an average of 19% and the average length of a conversation is 8% longer.

Virtual Dating Increases in Popularity

Popular dating apps Tinder and Bumble have not seen a drop-off of users since the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic and people began isolating at home; in fact, user activity has spiked over the past few weeks.

Roughly 25 percent of Americans have been ordered to stay home and avoid gathering with others according to a report by CNBC. But dating app users aren’t letting this deter them – instead, they are opting for virtual dates as they work from home and isolate from others.

A report from Mother Jones said that from March 12-22, Bumble saw a 21% increase in messaging among Seattle users, one of the first cities affected by the growth and spread of the virus. Two other hot spots, New York and San Francisco, saw a 23% and 26% surge in messaging, respectively. A total of 87 million people use the app worldwide.

Coronavirus is affecting everyone around the world, and dating apps are pivoting to address the situation as it impacts their users.

Tinder has already put ads on its app that link to the CDC website with helpful tips on hand washing and social distancing. Grinder has also issued warnings to its users about practicing safe hygiene. 

OkCupid has seen an increase in use and has added some conversational prompts related to coronavirus, since that’s what daters want to talk about the most, especially in areas like New York where the virus has hit hard.

It’s the 2020 election season, and political campaigns are competing for young voters – and turning to dating apps Tinder and Bumble for help.

Young campaign volunteers are using dating apps to chat with their matches and advertise for their candidates over dating apps, according to International Business Times. Some are even springing for premium versions of Tinder so they can change location and engage voters in other states. Still other app users are advocating for more political engagement, including announcing in their profiles that they only date registered voters.

Bumble is shutting down gay dating app Chappy, part of the suite of dating apps under parent company Magic Lab. Bumble will integrate the service into its own app, effective February 28th.

According to Culture Map Austin, Bumble is encouraging Chappy users to download Bumble and try it out, offering them a week of its premium service for free. Chappy is no longer displaying profiles so essentially the search function is turned off. By the end of February, all of Chappy’s user information will disappear from the app.

Chappy posted an FAQ about the closure on its website, stating: “We’re joining Bumble because we have the opportunity to take what we’ve built together here to the next level by creating a space for healthy and safe connections across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Bumble is committed to fighting all kinds of inequality, and we’re excited to land our spaceship safely in the Bumble Hive.”

Match Group announced the roll out of new filter features for its star dating app Tinder, following suit with Bumble, who rolled out similar features late last year.

The filter features include both free and paid options, according to Tech Crunch, but Match Group did not disclose many details, other than comparing the features to Tinder U, which filters matches solely to other nearby college students. 

Match Group aims “to make the utility of Tinder better and more efficient,” according to CEO Mandy Ginsberg, who just announced she’ll be leaving the company after fourteen years at the end of February.