Partnerships

Tinder has debuted a slew of new features, and the latest is Music Mode, which automatically plays a user’s chosen “anthem” in their profiles, putting music preferences front and center to attract potential matches.

According to Tech Crunch, the new feature will play your chosen song in a 30-second loop while people scan your profile. Music Mode integrates with Spotify, so when members link to their Spotify accounts and set their anthems, they will be able to access Music Mode.

The feature will be found via the company’s new Explore section which offers a more interactive dating app experience. This is where users can search people according to interests and strike up conversations immediately, do a round of virtual speed dating or attend a virtual event. Tinder is focusing on this section of the app for younger daters who want a more interesting, immersive experience on dating platforms.

The Bumble Shop

Bumble is moving into the online retail business by opening its first store and selling Bumble-branded apparel.

The Bumble Shop will offer a collection of t-shirts, hats, sweaters, accessories and games, according to WWD, and will be available for purchase at shop.Bumble.com. Featured items will include a varsity sweater, a bucket hat with the company’s tagline of “make the first move” in the lining, pronoun keychains, and a Question Game card game to help people connect by moving past small talk and into deeper conversations.

The Bumble Shop partnered with retro California lifestyle brand Aviator Nation to offer custom limited edition items as well, including the Ninja Hoodie, Ninja sweatpants, and Classic Truck Hat. These will be co-branded and available for purchase on the new site. Bumble plans to offer new collections quarterly, and Aviator Nation is its first clothing partner. Multiple sizes are available as well, ranging from XS to 4XL.

Image: tinder

Tinder has announced another new feature aimed at helping singles during wedding season: Plus One.

According to the company’s press release, users are now able to enlist in the Plus One option to let other Tinder users know they are looking for a date to a wedding (or that they are willing to be a plus one for someone else). Plus One is found in the new Explore section of the app, where most of Tinder’s newest features can be found.

The dating app company is also trying to incentivize people to use Plus One, offering the first 100 eligible Tinder users who join $460 to cover the cost of wedding expenses, which can add up quickly. The money can go towards travel, lodging, or even a gift for the happy couple. Tinder partnered with online wedding resource company WeddingWire, who suggested the prize money based on the average amount people spend to attend a wedding.

Dating app Hinge teamed up with US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to talk about safe dating practices during a pandemic, specifically as we gear up for “cuffing season.” Murthy stresses that dating and interpersonal connection are important, so it’s good to have some tools for doing it safely.

The six-minute video captures Murthy behind an official podium as he offers specific tips for daters meeting face to face. He advises daters to get vaccinated before meeting others, which is the “single most important thing we can do” to prevent serious side effects or even death from Covid-19. Then he advises singles to ask their dates if they have been vaccinated too, so that the risk of meeting is low for both parties.

Murthy also asks people to plan an outdoor date if at all possible to reduce risk of transmission, and also to do rapid (same day) testing to ensure neither one of you is positive and to prevent the spread of the disease further. 

Dating app Bumble has awarded new grants to three female leaders as part of its Moves Making Impact program, which honors female leaders taking on some of the greatest challenges the world faces today. 

Bumble’s “cause” feature, which funds the program, was introduced to bring attention to women who are making a real impact in their communities and the larger world, and to inspire and empower women using the app. When setting up a profile, Bumble users are prompted to choose a cause that is important to them – like public policy, human rights, or economic development, and each time you send someone a message on the app, Bumble will make a donation to a woman doing that work in her community.

The company announced the newest recipients of the fund, which focuses on human rights, women’s health, and inclusivity in art and culture. In total, Bumble has donated to eighteen female leaders through Moves Making Impact, along with Vital Voices Global Partnership.

Tinder has partnered with ride sharing company Lyft to let users purchase rides for their dates, encouraging people to meet for dates after more than a year of lockdown restrictions from Covid-19.

The new feature can be found in the company’s Explore section of the app, where a user can buy a ride credit for a person they have matched with, according to The Verge. While the person buying the ride credit can set the meeting location, time, and how much they want to spend, they won’t be able to see their match’s address or other personal information. 

If you are the recipient of a rideshare gift, you have the option to turn it down. When someone has purchased a Lyft ride for a match, the match is sent a link via a phone number or email address, and it is up to that recipient to accept or reject the ride. The Verge points out that while this is a good step in enacting some safety precautions for users and giving them some control, there should also be a way to opt out of the feature altogether. (Currently, there’s not.)