Features

Live video chats might be the future of dating according to recent reports, and new Washington D.C.-based dating app Spottle is betting on it.

The way Spottle works is simple: you download the app, and then you can join live video chat sessions on Thursday and Saturday nights at 9:00pm eastern time. The way it works is like an online “spin the bottle” session according to DCist.com, and also acts much like a virtual speed dating event.

Jiayuan now allows users to livestream.

In technology-forward China, single people are looking to new ways of connecting with each other via dating apps beyond the traditional swipe. Now, online dating companies in China are experimenting with livestream, and soon U.S. companies could follow.

Gizmodo reported on the trend of Chinese dating apps integrating livestream features into their platforms. Jiayuan, China’s largest dating app, launched its new livestream feature this past January with an interesting twist. Instead of two users opting to chat with each other over the app in private (like with Facetime), a user can set up a chat topic and see if someone wants to join. Once one person accepts and the two start a chat, it becomes a broadcast where other users can watch and comment.

Image: Facebook

Got a secret crush on someone in your friend circle? Facebook now has a feature for that. At its annual F8 developer conference, the social networking company unveiled the newest addition to its dating product: Secret Crush.

Secret Crush allows users to select up to nine Facebook friends they want to stealthily express interest in. Each user who is selected will receive a notification saying “A friend added you as a secret crush.” The sender’s name will not be revealed unless the recipient also puts the sender on their Secret Crush list. If a mutual crush occurs, Facebook will make the match and reveal the names. If their feelings are not reciprocated, the secret admirer’s identity will remain a secret.

Hinge has taken a bold new step in differentiating itself in a crowded dating app market. Its new branding campaign was just unveiled with the slogan “designed to be deleted,” assuring users of its intention: to help them find serious relationships and get off the app for good.

According to The Verge, Hinge has also debuted a new redesign to put this message front and center for users. The new profile creation process utilizes animation and prompts for users to add information about themselves, adding the tag at the end of each suggestion: “so you can delete us.”

Image: Snapchat

Snapchat announced that third party developers will soon be able to integrate its Stories feature into third party apps. Most notably, dating app Tinder will be among the first apps to debut the feature.

According to The Verge, Tinder plans its Stories rollout this summer.

Snapchat Stories is the defining feature of the Snapchat app, where users could post videos and photos that would automatically disappear in 24 hours. The service became incredibly popular after it launched, especially among young people who preferred its platform to Facebook, which at the time didn’t have its own stories feature.

Every April Fools’ Day, brands vie to nab headlines by pulling off outrageous public pranks. This year’s notable gags include Google claiming to have invented a plant language translator, Spotify giving listeners disco-infused Discover Weekly playlists, and McDonald teasing eaters with milkshake-flavored dipping sauces. But the award for 2019’s most memorable prank goes to Tinder, which shook up the online dating world and inspired heated debate with a faux feature announcement.

A March 29 blog post introduced the world to the Height Verification Badge, a tool purportedly designed to stop “height fishing” and enforce honesty on the dating app. “Height-lying ends here,” proclaims the post. “To require everyone under 6’ to own up to their real height, we’re bringing truthfulness back into the world of online dating.” The post’s guide to using the feature directs users to input their real height and submit a screenshot of themselves standing next to a commercial building for comparison. Fake screenshots show an error message instructing a dissembling user named Tyler to enter his correct height.