Popular dating app Tinder is set to add a video chat feature to its platform by the end of June 2020, as per a report by its parent company Match Group.
This development comes at a time when the novel coronavirus has forced a global lockdown and social distancing among everyone. This has lead to a decline in the dating app’s performance on the financial front.
In addition to this Tinder will also launch a feature that will allow users to verify their profiles subsequently decreasing the number of fake profiles on the platform. It is also expected to experiment with other forms of communication besides texting.
One of the biggest battles for Tinder post the release of the one-to-one video chat feature will be to keep track of whether the feature is being misused for abuse or harassment. For this, it could deploy its own image detection system or look into a third party to provide one.
“Social distancing has required adaptations and pivots and has impacted our business because the manner in which singles engage with our products and start relationships has quickly evolved. We know that singles are adjusting their behaviours, and many are shifting to having dates virtually via phone or video,”Match Group
Rival dating-app Bumble already has a video chat feature that it introduced in the pre-lockdown phase.
Dating apps are coming up with innovative ways to ensure there are opportunities for people to build a connection without having to physically step out of the house and video-chat seems to be one way to go about it.
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