Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

To Make Real Money With an iOS App, Offer Entertainment, Gaming, or Dating

ABC MONEY - By the end of 2021, Statista estimates that mobile apps will generate ~$693B in revenue through paid downloads and in-app advertising, up 17.6% YOY. This amount is expected to continue increasing to $935B by 2023. The Apple App Store generated $21.5B in consumer spending in the Q3 of 2021, compared to just $12.1B on the Google Play Store, a 55% difference. In August 2021, the Apple store launched ~32,500 unique apps, with a total of 2.22M estimated to be available for download on the store. The vast majority of apps on the top 50 list fall into the entertainment, gaming, or dating genres. Two of the top ten spots on the Apple Store's top-grossing list belong to Tinder (2nd) and Bumble (8th), with an honorable mention of Hinge occupying number 28 on the top chart.

by Claire James
See full article at ABC Money

How Do the Best Dating Algorithms Work?

MASHABLE - Tinder: The Tinder algorithm used to be based on the Elo rating system, which was originally designed to rank chess players. The "Elo score" gauges how other profiles interacted with yours. It logged your swipes. Elo is no longer used. Now, the most important thing a user can do is...use the app. The more data Tinder has on you, the more Tinder knows your preferences and the algorithm is based on how your profile is Liked or Noped.

Hinge: The dating app "designed to be deleted" doesn't have swiping. Hinge uses the Gale-Shapley algorithm. This Nobel-prize winning algorithm was created to find optimal pairs in "trades" that money can't buy - like organ donations. Say there are 10 women and 10 men. How do they get paired up? Well, tell one group (either the men or women) to pick their first choice, and if they get rejected they move on to their second choice. Continue until none of the people left want to get matched anymore. Tell the app when you've met a match in person and Hinge understands who you're interested in.

OkCupid: OkCupid has 4k questions. There's 60 sexual orientation and gender options. OkCupid calculates a match percentage. If another user has similar search preferences and responses to questions as you, and is looking for the same things relationship-wise, you'll have a high match percentage.

Bumble: Bumble is similar to Tinder in that it uses a swipe model. Bumble declined to comment about its search algorithm.

Grindr: Grindr only uses algorithms for security purposes, like detecting spam accounts. There's no recommendation algorithm to speak of on Grindr today.

by Anna Iovine
See full article at Mashable

Mark Brooks: Frankly, I'm surprised at the lack of substance here. Our job is to bring clarity to a complex problem. Who to date? Who to marry? Who to raise a family with? (...and perhaps guide people further on how not to screw it up). This is not an unsolvable problem, but it is highly nuanced. Culture, religion, values, and lifestyle preferences compound the problem. Also, what people say they want and what they are willing to accept can be quite different. i.e. stated preferences vs revealed preferences. Observing people's behaviors and getting feedback after each date is key. Also, we really need to know when we have been successful. When we have clear visibility on this, at scale, then AI becomes useful for helping us solve for long-term compatibility.

See the top news on Tinder                         See the top news on OkCupid
See the top news on Bumble                       See the top news on Grindr
See the top news on Hinge

Investors See Big Potential in Smaller Online Dating Companies

WALL STREET JOURNAL - Since Jan '19, App Annie data show U.S. users have spent 7.4M hours on dating apps a month on Android phones alone. Match Group and Bumble collectively boast ~$50B in fully diluted market value, but plenty of businesses are trying. Coffee Meets Bagel, which hits users with algorithmically curated matches every day at noon, has made ~130M matches since its launch in 2012. Hily, which works to make it easier to start conversations, has 22M users. Snack, which is focused on video-first dating, was the 10th most-downloaded dating app in the U.S. last month, according to App Annie. Some just need a larger platform to help them take off. Hinge, in which Match took a majority stake in 2018 before acquiring it in 2019, saw ~100K U.S. downloads in Jan '18. By Mar '21, it was closer to 600K. Berlin-based Spark Networks did $233M in revenue last year. And then there is eHarmony owner ParshipMeet, which is preparing for a 2022 IPO. In the Q2 it had €139M ($164.2M) in revenue.

by Laura Forman
See full article at Wall Street Journal

The Future of Dating Is Hybrid

AXIOS - Aug 30 - Dating is expensive, and many people are deciding they'd rather meet virtually first in case it doesn't work out. The average American spends ~$700 annually on dates, according to a 2019 LendingTree study. "But the pandemic was a jolt to our systems," says Logan Ury, a behavioral scientist and the director of relationship science at Hinge. "Video chat was normalized, and it's only natural that it would extend to dating, because dates can be really costly and time-consuming." At the beginning of the pandemic, almost no Hinge users had been on a virtual date, per a survey conducted by the dating app. Now, close to half of them (44%) have been on a video date, and 65% of those people say they'll incorporate virtual dating into their routines even when it is safe to meet in person.

by Erica Padney
See full article at Yahoo News

See the top news on Hinge

Dating App Hinge Donating $50K to Save Lesbian Bars

YAHOO NEWS - Aug 5 - In the midst of the pandemic, Lea DeLaria (Orange is the New Black) launched The Lesbian Bar Project, a grassroots-fundraising-turned-documentary-film-project, to support and celebrate the 21 lesbian clubs that have survived. Now, with The Lesbian Bar Project's latest fundraising campaign ending, the dating app Hinge is stepping in to provide much-needed additional support. This August, Hinge is committing at least $50K in stimulus payments to the lesbian bars and is encouraging app users to visit the bars in person.

by Jacob Anderson-Minshall
See full article at Yahoo News

See the top news on Hinge

How Advances in Technology and Science Could Impact the Dating and Matchmaking Industry

FORBES - Aug 5 - The art and science of matchmaking is a billion-dollar industry. Yet, many pitfalls exist such as safety, security and ineffective matching methods. These issues aren't as prevalent with professional matchmakers, however, not every singleton can afford to pay $15K and $150K for a high-end matchmaking service. This exposes a huge opening in the industry for dating apps and professional matchmakers to merge. How realistic is this, and what kind of technology or science can help achieve this idealistic goal?

Blockchain Technology
Companies such as Hicky and Viola have both implemented blockchain to increase transparency by requiring users to validate their identity via face and voice recognition, which is then fully encrypted and stored into the blockchain.

Artificial Intelligence
AI can help gather in-app user behavior data for machine learning algorithms to curate more relevant matches based on its users' core values, beliefs and personality traits. Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge, Tinder and Badoo all now use AI .

Augmented Reality
AR can be described as a visual or audio overlay of digital life on real life, distinct from the purely digital landscape of virtual reality (VR).

DNA Matchmaking
DNA Romance is a dating app that matches partners based on the information hidden in their DNA to forecast romantic chemistry. Dr. Tim Sexton built the app on the basis that partners with opposite immune system genes (MHC genes) have much higher romantic chemistry.

by Taylor Wade
See full article at Forbes

Google Searches for 'Dating' Have Reached a 5-Year High

NPR - July 20 - Google tweeted last week that search interest in dating had reached a 5-year high in the U.S. "How to date" was the most searched in Washington, D.C., last week, Google says. According to Dana Balch, a spokesperson for Tinder, the app has seen some of its highest swiping days this year. Searches for "top dating apps 2021" boomed over the past month, jumping 3,400%. According to App Annie, Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are all currently in the top 50 grossing apps on iPhones.

by Josie Fischels
See full article at NPR

See the top news on Tinder
See the top news on Bumble
See the top news on Hinge

Hinge Promotes Michelle Parsons to Chief Product Officer

PR NEWSWIRE - July 8 - Hinge has promoted Michelle Parsons to Chief Product Officer. Michelle will focus on both enhancing the user experience through product innovations and developing internal systems that will help scale product development. Tim MacGougan, Hinge's current CPO, is stepping into the newly-created Chief Design Officer role as the company doubles down on its goal to have the most effective app design.

See full article at PR Newswire

See the top news on Hinge

A Date With Hinge's Justin McLeod to Talk Tinder, VC Letdowns and Selling Out

SIFTED.EU - July 7 - Hinge is now dubbed the 'relationship app'. It currently ranks among the top three most downloaded dating apps across the US, Australia and the UK, and has rolled out a freemium model. The app launched in Feb 2013, quickly pivoting from desktop to mobile. Users didn't get it. Investors didn't get it. Funding proved a constant struggle for McLeod, and it would be three years until he could lure institutional money. "We really struggled for a long time to get investment… until Tinder started to take off. Hinge raked in $20M in those early years. Yet by 2016, when McLeod began raising his Series B, VCs had gone cold again. Part of the problem was Hinge had stalled. The app had gone dormant a year earlier as part of a reboot to move it away from swiping into serious matchmaking. "I was begging [VCs]… I was offering valuations that were embarrassingly low. I went everywhere trying to make this deal happen." It was a buyout that would eventually come to his rescue. In 2018, McLeod accepted Match.com's offer for a complete takeover. "I didn't really have a choice," McLeod admits. "In order for us to compete, we needed to raise a lot more money… There was kinda no other option than to find a strategic buyer like Match."

by Isabel Woodford
See full article at Sifted.eu

See the top news on Hinge

Dating App Hinge Celebrates Singles 'Breaking up' With the App

ADNEWS - July 7 - Dating app Hinge has unveiled its latest international ad campaign that celebrates the ultimate moment all dating apps users long for - finally deleting their profile. "Breakups are hard. But breaking up with your dating app is pretty fun," Hinge creative director Josh Yeston says. The new spots are a part of Hinge's ongoing Designed to be Deleted campaign and were produced in partnership with advertising agency, Opinionated. The campaign, which launches on July 12 in the U.S., will roll out globally over the next few months across television, video on demand, streaming, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

by Paige Murphy
See full article at Adnews

See the top news on Hinge

Hinge CEO on Overcoming Addiction and Building a Multimillion-dollar Dating App

CNBC - July 7 - Justin McLeod, co-founder and CEO of Hinge, originally created the dating app "to solve my own problem." But after launch, it wasn't working; users weren't finding lasting relationships. Since McLeod was actively using the app himself, he saw its issues firsthand and decided to pivot. McLeod and his team completely rebooted the company in 2015 and again in 2016 - by 2015, Hinge had raised $26M, and Hinge burned through most of its funds. Rather than focusing on growth, engagement and users' time on the app, Hinge started to prioritize getting users on dates. The company created Hinge Labs to help users navigate their relationships beyond their initial match. That year, Hinge had an estimated valuation of $75.5M, after raising $17.5M in a Series A seed round led by Shasta Ventures. In 2019, Match Group announced that it fully acquired Hinge for an undisclosed amount.

by Taylor Locke
See full article at CNBC

See the top news on Hinge

It's 2021, Why Are Dating App Algorithms Still so Bad?

WIRED - July 1 - There's been a post-pandemic boom in app downloads, but success rates remain depressingly low. Lockdown was boom time for dating apps. Hinge had a 63% spike in downloads since 2019 and tripled revenue in 2020. May 2021 saw 6.5M+ download Tinder. Tinder and Grindr rank in the top 10 of apps most likely to leave users feeling sad. Most dating apps rely on a combination of stated preferences and collaborative filtering i.e. patterns in who users have said yes or no to. A 2016 study of match rates on Tinder (Queen Mary University) revealed low rates of reciprocal interest: the match rate was 10.5% for women and 0.6% for men. "Machines can only work with what you give them," says Samantha Joel of Western University in Canada, who researches romantic decisions. These complex preferences aren't transparent: people might be embarrassed by something they're drawn to, or even entirely unaware that the preference is there, even as it shapes their behaviour. Compatibility and desirability can be poles apart. We don't always know what we like until it's put in front of us.

by Emma Hughes
See full article at Wired

Mark Brooks: The science of compatibility profiling and matchmaking is entirely, still, a virgin science. Until we open up our databases to academics and data scientists to do proper experimentation, we will continue to clutch at straws when it comes to really provide more than marginal improvements to long term matchmaking. However, there's a LOT of value in just getting showstopper questions out of the way right upfront. i.e. sexuality preferences, marriage status, marriage-minded?, want kids?, got kids? etc.

Top Dating Trends After Lockdown

THE DRUM - June 15 - It goes without saying that Covid reimagined socialization entirely. One of the sectors that felt this shift most acutely - and yet was perhaps among the most well-prepared - is the online dating industry. At the onset of the pandemic, 82% of singles turned to online dating. And engagement has remained high throughout the past year and a half. On Tinder, for example, users saw an average of 11% more swipes and 42% more matches in 2020. Meanwhile, Hinge saw its global app downloads spike 63% in 2020 compared to 2019. Virtual dating and video chatting are here to stay. Daters also revealed that they are looking for something a bit more serious these days. 75% of Hinge users say they're seeking a relationship this summer rather than a casual fling. Health transparency is now the norm. The brands that dominate the online dating space are increasingly teaming with other organizations to bring new experiences to daters, market their product in innovative ways and expand their offerings.

by Kendra Clark
See full article at The Drum

See the top news on Tinder
See the top news on Hinge

Hinge & Uber Team up to Help Single Dog-owners

BODY & SOUL - June 9 - Beginning today until June 21, the first 5k matched Hinge couples in Australian cities where Uber Pet is available will be eligible for a 50% 'Uber Pet' discount code. 69% of Aussie Hinge users say they're more drawn to dog owners. It's considered a priority that your fluffy mate and your future mate get along. "Nobody ever wants to be in a position to choose between a partner and a pet so exploring how a date interacts and feels about your furry housemate early on is valuable," says Dr. Kate Adams, Vet and Hinge puppy chemistry expert. 61% of Aussie Hinge users think someone's choice in pets says a lot about their personality.

by Sophie Goulopoulos
See full article at Body & Soul

See the top news on Hinge

Match Group Partners With the UK Government to Promote COVID-19 Vaccinations

PR NEWSWIRE - June 7 - Match Group is working with the UK government to promote COVID-19 vaccinations across its brands including Tinder, Match, OurTime, OkCupid, Hinge, and Plenty of Fish. The apps will run ads for the UK government's Hope Campaign, share vaccine resources, and offer vaccination badges for singles to display on their profiles, as well as free "Super Likes" and other boost-type features for UK users who say they are vaccinated. Members will start seeing the banners and incentives starting this week, and the campaign will run throughout the month of June.

See full article at PR Newswire

See the top news on Match Group