Marriage

Iranian singles have a new state-approved dating app to help them find spouses, but so far, young people aren’t so excited about using it. The app is called Hamdan, which means “companion” in Persian, and was developed by a team from the Islamic Propaganda Organization.

According to the BBC, people living in Iran use dating apps, but Hamdan is the first app to be legally approved by the government. The app’s technology works like a regular dating app using AI to better understand what users are looking for and to help find matches, but the process goes beyond just matching. The app says it is “only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage,” according to reports.

Users can’t just sign up – they first have to verify their identity and undergo a psychological test before they can use the app. And when a match is found, there is a more circuitous route to actually meeting each other in person. The app introduces families, not just the singles who match, and it also provides a so-called “service consultant” to not only introduce the families, but “accompany” the couple even after they get married, for a period of four years.

Singles in Japan have the government on their side when it comes to finding a mate. The country’s Cabinet Office is asking for budget approval for a new dating service that is driven by artificial intelligence.

According to CNet, Japan currently has government-run matchmaking, so it’s not a new idea. About 25 of Japan’s 47 prefectures offer state-run services similar to an online dating app, where people complete basic profile information and are given a list of people who match their criteria. However, introducing AI could change the game with more targeted matchmaking abilities.

Now that COVID-19 has created a surge of activity and interest in dating apps, many singles around the world are turning to them to find love. In light of this, Japanese officials have an eye on AI to drive better, more curated matches, with their goal being to help people start families.

Facebook has created a new app exclusively for couples dubbed Tuned. With it, they are able to share messages, music and digital scrapbooks with each other privately and in theory – deepen their connection.

Facebook entered the relationship app world with Facebook Dating, which has fallen flat among users as Tinder, Bumble and other dating apps have seen a surge of activity. Tuned however was created by Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team, and focuses exclusively on couples instead of singles – helping them foster an intimate virtual connection. There hasn’t been a huge marketing push like there was ahead of the launch of Facebook Dating. Instead, Tuned has had a quiet rollout, almost like a beta test. 

Match Group is serious about its expansion in the Asian market. It just announced the launch of its new app Pairs Engaged – a “marriage concierge” service to compete with the country’s popular arranged marriage industry.

Pairs Engaged is the opposite of the company’s star dating app Tinder. There’s no casual glancing through photos and swiping left and right. Instead, the customers Match Group is targeting are looking to get married within a year and are serious about the search process.

In big news for the dating app industry – Democratic Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg met his husband on Hinge. And after his public remarks praising the dating app, it seems Hinge has also seen a spike in gay users.

Fortune reported that the app has seen a 30 percent increase in gay memberships since April 1^st, around the time the rising star mayor of South Bend Indiana disclosed he used the app and ended up meeting his husband Chasten on it.

“We’re proud of all of the relationships we’ve helped set up — including Mayor Pete and Chasten,” Hinge CEO Justin McLeod told Fortune. “We’re happy to see that their love story has encouraged even more members of the LGBTQ community to find their person on Hinge.”

There’s always a risk when a couple gets married – a common statistic people have cited is that when you get married, there’s a 50 percent chance you’ll get divorced. However, recent data points to changing times and changing attitudes towards marriage. According to a new study, divorce rates have plummeted - thanks in large part to Millennials.

A study by Maryland sociology professor Philip Cohen, who analyzed U.S. Census data from about 3.5 million households, shows that the divorce rate in America has plummeted 18 percent from 2008 to 2016. He credits Millennial women with the decline, as on average, they have waited past the age of 25 to marry, and are more likely to have already earned a Bachelor’s degree by the time they tie the knot.

The study also found that people ages 35 to 44 – Generation X included - were also less likely to divorce now than they were in 2008.