India

Dating app OkCupid is offering more ways for LGBTQ+ users to identify themselves, and is rolling out the expanded offerings during Pride month.

OkCupid announced the move in a blog post, letting users know that by the end of June, there will be a dedicated space where LGBTQ+ users can choose from a list of over 60 identities to let other members know who they are and how they identify.

In addition to sharing their identities, users can also filter for the types of people or relationships they prefer, giving them more flexibility in their searches.

Image: okcupid

Dating apps OkCupid and Tinder are reaching out to users in India to encourage them to get vaccinated, including offering in-app educational guides and access to an all-new vaccine center.

Tinder users in India will now be able to add their vaccination status to their profiles, as well as being able to encourage others to get vaccinated, according to a report from Indian Express. The stickers range from declaring your own status as “Vaccinated” to “Vaxing soon” to encouraging others to get vaccinated with “Immunity Together” and “Vaccines Save Lives.”

OkCupid is offering similar badges for those who want to declare their vaccination status. The company expects displaying these badges will increase match rates 35 percent, an extra incentive for its users to get vaccinated. The companies have already rolled out vaccination badges in the U.S. and the U.K.

Tinder was testing a group video chat feature before its parent company Match Group struck an acquisition deal for South Korea social discovery company Hyperconnect.

The new feature was called Tinder Mixer and was being tested in New Zealand before it was scrapped, according to Tech Crunch. Tinder Mixer allowed people nearby to join group chats and play online video games together, adding to the app’s existing one-on-one virtual chat feature.

Tinder Mixer was discovered by researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, who found references to the feature in the app’s code. However, Tinder shut it down quickly and told Tech Crunch it’s not impacting its “product roadmap” for this year. However, Paluzzi’s findings about Tinder Mixer shows that Match Group is experimenting with new social discovery features through its dating apps, which shines some light on the company’s deal with Hyperconnect.

Image: Bumble

Dating app Bumble has released a new safety guide for online daters in India to address safety issues and the rise of cyber bullying, which are rampant on online platforms.

The guide is part of a new initiative called “Stand for Safety” according to The Hindustan Times. The move is in partnership with Safecity, which helps women across the country to identify, prevent and combat abuse on online platforms. 

Bumble conducted a survey among its users in India and found that 83 percent of women experience online harassment of some kind, and one-third of women experience it at least weekly. Almost 70 percent feel that cyberbullying has also increased since the pandemic took hold and lockdowns began. These numbers alarmed company executives, whose mission it is to improve safety for women on its platforms, so they decided to take action by publishing the guide. 

India has seen a surge of new online daters thanks to Chinese dating app Lamour, but many are not so happy with the service.

L’amour was the most downloaded dating app in India in 2019 according to Sensor Tower analytics firm, gathering 14 million users in the first six months. (By comparison, Tinder got 6.6 million downloads during this same time period.) Since the lockdowns, the app has been gaining steam.

India is still a growing market with huge potential when it comes to the dating app industry, and Match Group and Bumble have focused resources on expanding their user bases in the region the past few years. However, it’s been dating app L’amour that is garnering attention according to Quartz News, with ads that say “find a girlfriend in a week” to lure new (male) users. When they click on the ad and download the app, they are presented with photos of attractive potential matches and messages directed to them, asking “are you the one I’m looking for?” 

Match Group is expanding its portfolio with the acquisition of Hyperconnect, a popular South Korean social media company. Match Group purchased the company for $1.7 billion in stock and cash, according to an announcement made by the companies.

Match Group CFO Gary Swindler said in an interview with CNBC that the move to acquire Hyperconnect positions Match Group for further growth, as social discovery apps are a new way for people to connect beyond dating apps. Virtual connections have been in increasing demand since the start of the pandemic, with people isolated in their homes and feeling disconnected. Social discovery apps have been hugely popular and are expected to grow at a faster rate than dating apps, particularly in Asian markets, according to Swindler.