Experience Design in Dating Apps during Quarantine

As COVID-19 is holding many people captive under the roof of their homes, people’s desire to for human interaction is greater than ever. Naturally, online dating apps are observing a sudden spike in registrations and app usage. Popular dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble, among many others, have reported a double-digit increase in messages sent on the app during quarantine.

As these apps are one of the fastest and convenient ways to stay connected, dating apps are taking initiative to keep these hopeless romantics in touch with each other during the quarantine. They have made updates to meet people’s needs to connect more deeply in these unprecedented times.

For instance, Tinder’s Passport feature, which typically would have been considered a paid subscription that lets you choose a city to match in as opposed to using your current location, is now free of charge for everyone to use for the time being.

Hinge has also made a “Dating from Home” addition to their features, where singles can set up a video chat. According to rumors, Hinge is already in works to set up “Date Ready” which will enable users to mark their availability for these phone-to-phone sessions.

Although video chat features for dating apps have been frowned upon, it seems like it is the closest alternative to a real life interaction that people can have for now. By these apps creating these features, it allows for a simpler user flow. Instead of people having to ask for each other’s phone numbers and pencil in a time that works best for them, people can simply let the app do its work and still maintain their privacy to their personal phone numbers.

Although the primary intention for dating apps is to eventually encourage real-world interaction, it is cultivating a safe and friendly platform for users to network with other singles.