Tinder announced it will launch its own in-app, one-on-one video chat later this year, in what will be the largest feature introduction for the brand since it was launched in 2012.
Match Group, Tinder’s parent company, announced the feature in its earnings call earlier this week.
No more details have been shared, but introducing video chat is going to be a huge undertaking for Tinder. The app has millions of users across many countries and video calls will be very difficult to implement and moderate for abuse. When you are one of the leading online dating apps, that could be an issue.
Tinder could have to develop its own offensive image detection system which would certainly be powered by AI. But that is only one side of the coin. For users, this will also be a steep learning curve. The app is notorious for being a destination for casual relationships built through hours of sexting. Some users may not feel comfortable with jumping to a one-on-one video chat, while others may see as an opportunity to get “more” and faster. Whatever it will be, it will change Tinder forever.
During the same earnings call, Tinder also revealed it saw “all-time highs” in the number of daily swipe since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Women users under the age of 30 increased their daily average swipes by 37%, Match says, in the month of April compared to the last week of February. Across all its properties – Hinge, Match.com, and OkCupid – Match said it saw an increase of 27% in the average number of daily messages exchanged.
“We are confident that demand for human connection will never dissipate and remain committed to fulfilling that need,” the company said in its earnings note. “This period of social isolation would have been much more dire for single people – who no longer have other avenues to meet and connect such as bars and concerts – if not for our products.”
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