WALL STREET JOURNAL - July 1 - With social distancing recommendations and laws in effect across the country, meeting people online and developing relationships virtually has never been more popular. Georgia Wells, WSJ's technology reporter and Mark Brooks, CEO of the Courtland Brooks consultancy-agency explore what this shift means for the future of online dating.
143 posts categorized "Hinge"
Hinge Rolls out in-app Video Calls, Launches Hinge Labs
MASHABLE - May 20 - Hinge launches Hinge Labs, the first dating app research program backed by behavioral data and not solely on surveys. The app is now also testing in-app video calls and select markets (Dallas, Denver, Miami, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.), and will roll out the feature globally this summer. Logan Ury, Hinge's Director of Relationship Science and Dr. Emily Hittner, Hinge's Director of Research, are at the helm of Hinge Labs. Hinge Labs's first project is analyzing video dating. The team sent out a number of surveys to users during quarantine to track how people are using video dating. The data shows that perception of video chatting is different than the reality. While 58% of users cite fear of awkwardness as the top reason for not video dating, 81% of those who did felt no or "only slight" awkwardness.
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Dating Apps Buck the Downward Ad Spend Trend
THE DRUM - May 12 - When the pandemic hit, many questioned how dating apps could survive. But love in the time of coronavirus is ablaze through video calls. In 2019 the number of dating app users in the U.S. was 25M and Match Group posted revenues of $2.05B. Tinder alone pulled in $1.2B in revenue in 2019; up 43% YOY. Last week, Tinder announced plans to add video dating in Q2. Bumble introduced video calls last year, while Hinge launched 'Date From Home' video feature at the start of lockdown in March. "During social isolation, everyone has had to adapt," explains Naomi Walkland, associate director for EMEA marketing at Bumble. "We have seen users spending more time speaking to each other, with call durations averaging at 21 minutes." After introducing the 'Date from Home', Hinge experienced a 30% increase in messages in March (compared to January and February). Dating apps have admitted their ad spend has been largely unaffected. They have found they are able to buy on platforms that would have been out of their reach just months ago.
by Imogen Watson
See full article at The Drum
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Some Dating App's Users Are Trying to Get People to Violate Social Distancing
BUSINESS INSIDER - May 9 - Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge have reported increased use amid the coronavirus pandemic, while touting virtual dating alternatives for users instead of meeting up in person. Swaths of users are still encouraging matches to break quarantine to have sex and go on dates. Artist Samantha Rothenberg, who uses the handle @violetclair on Instagram, has been collecting these screenshots from followers, and said she's received close to a thousand of such stories. She has long collected screenshots of users' horror stories from dating app interactions, which she often will depict in illustrations she posts to her Instagram account. But now, nearly all of the screenshots she's received have had to do with coronavirus.
by Paige Leskin
See full article at Business Insider
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How COVID-19 Killed Hookup Culture and Saved Romance
FAST COMPANY - Apr 21 - The use of Match, OkCupid, Tinder, and Hinge is surging, and video dating is becoming more and more normal, as people look for meaningful connections. But, with the world enduring a new lonely normal, single people are having to adapt, and there are few other options than video dating. Many of the world's biggest dating brands have rolled out new in-app video calling features - offering virtual happy hours, hotlines to dating experts, and ways to "date" people around the globe. The major dating apps are reporting surges in messaging. On Tinder, daily conversations have risen by 20%; OkCupid has seen a 30% increase in messages sent on the app globally since March 11. "We readjusted and reprioritized our road map," said Match's CEO Hesam Hosseini. Video chat wasn't a priority before the pandemic, when only 6% of users expressed interest in the feature. Due to the lack of other options, that interest has spiked to 69%. "I think we'll look back on this period and find that folks were forming pretty strong connections."
by Talib Visram
See full article at Fast Company
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Dating Via Video Chat Takes off Amid COVID-19
CTV NEWS - Apr 21 - Since the outbreak of coronavirus, a number of video-based dating apps have begun to surface, including Swivel and Quarantine Together. Even established dating apps such as Bumble are making adjustments to adapt to the new reality. One of the latest apps helping users connect via video is Teleport, formerly known as Firstdate. Founded in Toronto, the platform features a series of paid speed dating "events" organized by professional matchmakers from across the world. Users are hand-picked to join events based on compatibility. They meet with five people for six minutes each in an effort to find a match. The unique thing about the app, explained co-founder Chad Goodman, is that users can't look at each other's profiles before meeting. The app currently has ~6K users and is active in 21 countries. According to Goodman, video allows people to focus on what really matters when looking for a partner – a great connection. Hinge has a new "Date from Home" feature where users can tell someone whether or not they're ready for a virtual date.
by Jennifer Ferreira
See full article at CTV News
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Hinge Launches New Podcast, Called "Dating Sucks"
MUMBRELLA - Apr 14 - Dating app Hinge has launched a new podcast, Dating Sucks, with the first episode out today. The podcast will dive into discussions about a variety of dating pain points that the Hinge community experiences. The hosts Ilana Dunn (Hinge's content producer) and Jonah Feingold (a writer and director of romantic comedies), will provide their own perspectives, use insights from users, and bring in unique subject matter experts to help members be the most informed daters. The first episode is launching today (April 14, 2020), with episodes released weekly thereafter. There will be 12 episodes in total.
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As Match Breaks Away, Investors Shouldn't Break Up
WALL STREET JOURNAL - Apr 13 - Like many of its Internet peers, shares of Match Group fell precipitously through mid-March as investors feared users would abandon subscriptions in the face of lockdowns. In an investor update on March 31, Match noted results would likely be around the low end of ranges it previously shared. And while the company also said it could be challenging to boost revenue sequentially in the second quarter, it still expects to show YOY growth. Match said the length of conversations on Tinder is up anywhere from 10% to 30% in many countries. Tinder accounted for 56% of Match's revenue in 2019. Relationship-focused app Hinge has seen a 30% increase in messages in March compared with January and February. A recent survey from Jefferies highlighted growth opportunities across Match's portfolio. The survey showed that, while just 13% of dating-app users say they already pay for services that increase their chances of finding a match, 47% said they were likely to pay for those services in the future.
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Hinge Launches 'Date From Home' Feature
MASHABLE - Apr 8 - Hinge is launching "Date From Home," a feature where users can easily tell someone whether they're ready for a virtual date. Hinge recently added a pop-up message to the app, advising its users to date at home. It points out that 70% of its members are down for a "digital date," over a platform like FaceTime or Zoom. While matches are messaging each other, the 'Date from Home' menu will appear and ask if they're ready for a digital date. Responses will remain private until both users are ready, and the feature will notify them. Then it's up to the users to take it from there.
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Grindr Is the Dating App That Drains the Most Battery From a Mobile
GAY TIMES - Mar 30 - Uswitch has analysed the 50 most popular apps on major app stores and looked at how many battery-draining permissions an app used, and when it came to dating apps Grindr came out on top. Grindr had 28 battery-draining permissions, it was followed by Bumble which has 20, Tinder which has 18 and Hinge which has 13. Google has 72 battery-draining permissions, Facebook 50 and Facebook Messenger 46.
by Matt Moore
See full article at Gay Times
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During Coronavirus Lockdown, Tinder Surpasses Bumble, OkCupid and Hinge Downloads
FOX BUSINESS - Mar 25 - While many businesses have suffered dramatically under the coronavirus, its been a great week for Tinder, which saw an increase in first-time installations of the app in the U.S., according to Sensor Tower. First-time installs of Tinder were up 13% last week in the U.S. compared to the week of March 2, but were down 5% worldwide for the same comparison period. Bumble's downloads fell 10% in the U.S. and 11% worldwide, Hinge downloads fell 7% in the U.S. and 12% worldwide, and OkCupid fell 16% in U.S. and down 20% worldwide.
by Lucas Manfredi
See full article at Fox Business
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OKCupid: "Now Is Not the Time to Go to a Bar"
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK - Mar 20 - Several dating apps have warned users not to meet their dates in person. Most are encouraging some form of virtual dating, either by phone or video chat. Coffee Meets Bagel has even suggested several creative virtual dates Just last week, an OKCupid survey found that 88% of users were still willing to go out on dates - though the situation has been changing rapidly. OKCupid tweeted a message on March 16. "We don't know who needs to hear this, but now is NOT the time to go out with your date to a bar. FaceTime, Skype, call, text, call, message on our app....all very romantic right now," they wrote. Hinge has had a similar message about staying home for its users. "Love in the time of Coronavirus is absolutely possible, and we're here to help you through it," they wrote on Twitter and Instagram.
by Carly Stern
See full article at DailyMail.co.uk
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How COVID-19 Is Affecting Dating Apps for Singles
NEWSWEEK - Mar 18 - With more and more people practicing social distancing, it's unclear how exactly single people are supposed to date as concerns over COVID-19 become increasingly severe. These are the approaches that dating apps and services are taking. In a statement, Hinge wrote that users' safety was most important. On its website, it provided important tips from WHO, including social distancing, washing hands, avoiding face touching and staying up to date. Tinder is sharing a similar message with a new card that appears for swipers, adding that people should carry hand sanitizer and maintain distance during social events. The ethically-non-monogamous-focused dating app #Open is advising users in a message to not meet new partners in person and to instead make use of video and phone calls. Now is not the time to be making new connections," said #Open co-founder David Epstein.
by James Crowley
See full article at Newsweek
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Hinge to Pay Users $100 to Go on a Date This Weekend
THE VERGE - Mar 4 - Hinge is going to give people in the US a $100 Visa online gift card to go on date. The company has $25k set aside for the promotion.
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How Justin McLeod Made Millions From Dating
YAHOO FINANCE - Mar 4 - McLeod is the CEO and founder of Hinge, which launched in 2012, after the then-college business student found himself single, and wanting to meet a new partner. "The idea originated back in 2011 when I tried to reach out to my college girlfriend and get her back, and she said no," said McLeod. "I looked at the options at the time, and nothing really appealed to me." In 2012, he launched Hinge for the first time - which he admits didn't garner a lot of traction. Hinge finished its first year with just a few thousand users and $32K in bank, leading him to make some changes. "What became really clear to me was that people were missing something that was accessible to people my age, but also something that was more serious," he said. He rebooted Hinge and started from scratch. He let go of half the team, threw out the code base and threw out the user-base. Hinge is now $7 per month, and requires users to go through a lengthy vetting process at signup to ensure they're matched with the best possible partner. The app generated $5.2M in worldwide revenue in 2018, and was downloaded 5.5M times globally according to Sensor Tower.
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