Popular dating app Tinder to launch video chat feature

The much-popular dating app Tinder will soon be introducing a new one-to-one live video feature to its users.

"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 behaviors, and many are shifting to having dates virtually via phone or video," the company said in its statement.

It added that the feature would be rolled out in the second quarter of 2020.

The statement noted that Tinder's daily active users (DAU) and daily swipes "reached all-time highs in the depths of the crisis". The biggest increase in usage and activity on the app was witnessed from female users under the age of 30, with"daily average Swipes increasing by 37% for this demographic in the month of April compared to the last week of February".

"We are confident that demand for human connection will never dissipate and remain committed to fulfilling that need. 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," the earnings statement said.

However, the in-built video feature on the app could give rise to possible safety issues with respect to abuse. Screening and monitoring online abuse and harassment could pose more difficulty on video calls as compared to that on the messaging platform on the app.