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Chispa, one of the most popular dating apps for Latinx daters, said its subscriber base has grown to over four million, a twenty-eight percent increase from this time last year, according to the company’s press release. This milestone was shared just before they announced their second piece of big news: a partnership with Tragos, a popular card game among Latinos. 

Tragos offers questions centered around Latinx culture, with some references in Spanish, like “Do you fear la chancla?” or "Ever get hit with '¿y el novio/ la novia?' at family gatherings?" The point is to spark conversation – opening the door to talk about upbringing or current social topics, and hopefully build connection.

Chispa will offer an in-app version of the game so its users can play with their matches, and hopefully forge connections.

Dating app OkCupid has predicted that August 1st will be the most popular day to schedule a date in 2021, thanks to the rollout of the vaccines for COVID-19 in the U.K.

According to Mashable, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged that all adults will be vaccinated by July 31st, and in response, OkCupid projected that there will be a huge spike in people getting together the next day. Singles have felt especially isolated this past year, with virtual dating becoming the preferred option over meeting someone in person. But the rollout of the vaccine seems to be changing attitudes and comfort levels among the dating app’s users.

This projection is assuming that the vaccine rollout goes smoothly and there will be enough doses in the country, which might not be the case, Mashable warned. To date, almost 18 million people had received their first dose of vaccine and about 620,000 had received their second. These numbers met the government’s target for mid-February, with 15 million people now vaccinated in the U.K.

Utah House Committee

The Judiciary Committee in the Utah House of Representatives just passed a bill that would allow people to search the legal records of anyone they meet online, providing new safety measures for online daters.

The bill would allow Utah residents to have easier access to a service called Xchange, which provides information from Utah’s public court system, according to The Daily Universe, the paper published by Brigham Young University. Right now, broad access is limited, but if the bill is passed, residents can opt to pay a monthly fee to use it and get relevant history and information on potential dates.

Some female Bumble app users are purposely matching with Trump supporters to identify participants in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and then promptly turning them into the FBI.

One Twitter user posted that she had seen dozens of rioters using dating apps in the DC area and wondered whether it would be useful to law enforcement to gather evidence from these platforms. Immigration Attorney Allison Norris responded, saying her friend was already collecting evidence against them: "She's matching with MAGA bros and they’re bragging and sending her pics and videos of them in the Capitol," she tweeted. “She's sending them to the FBI." 

Swiping through a lot of profiles quickly might seem like a benefit of online dating, but according to a new study, too many choices can lead to a “rejection mindset” for daters.

According to PsyPost.com, researchers from the Netherlands found that people tended to close themselves off when using dating apps because they get overwhelmed by the number of choices presented. A seemingly endless stream of profiles increases feelings of dissatisfaction, which in turn causes them to reject even more potential dates, especially the more they swipe.

Dating app Hinge has rolled out some impressive new features to help users connect with matches who spark their interest, and to help them engage in conversation.

According to Adweek, the app is offering new visuals that don’t resemble a traditional dating app, intended to capture the attention of its users – specifically, hand-drawn illustrations of people, dogs and plants in a color palette of purple, green and red. These illustrated characters will also offer users prompts and tips for starting conversations. Hinge intends to create more warmth and fun to the dating app experience, which they feel will help users connect.