People drinking outside the bar.
Caitlin Ochs | Reuters
Some twenty people stood at the door of The Gin Mill, a bar in New York City, trying to get past the salesman. But instead of just showing ID, anyone who wants to enter must prove they have a dating app on their phone.
Singles event organized by a dating company Thursday, has become a citywide routine. The company operates its own app with the same name, which has all the features of a regular dating app, but has one difference: It is only available for use once a week, on dates Thursday.
The company unlocks the matching option at midnight every Thursday, and people can connect and message other users for the rest of the day. It creates a sense of urgency. In an effort to really get people out of the house, Thursday held face-to-face meetings that night in New York and London, where the company is based.
At the end of the day, the blocking medium is wiped clean and all matches and chats disappear. And it all starts again next week.
The company’s app is part of a new wave of dating experiences that encourage people to meet in person instead of just texting other users. And it’s an example of how new and legacy apps are accepting the end of pandemic restrictions and looking to connect, hopefully forge deeper relationships.
Farewell to friends
For several years, dating apps were just a platform to connect people. In most cases, users will swipe left to switch someone or swipe right to show interest. A matching pair can start texting. Whether they want to meet or not is up to the couple. But sometimes, users complain about “pen pal” situations, where they text for days or weeks and a face-to-face appointment never materializes. The conversation will definitely end.
Ron, a 32-year-old who declined to reveal his last name because he doesn’t want to make his dating life public, said at Thursday’s event.
Or, as 22-year-old Matthew Bunch puts it bluntly: “Those apps can go lousy…”
But with the Covid-19 pandemic happened re-imagine apps. Since face-to-face meeting became a risky or impossible option for many, dating apps have turned to video, audio and game experience. Now, as people are starting to get back into the dating scene and some health restrictions have been lifted, the latest focus seems to be on getting people back together.
These features can help appeal to a group of users who may be exhausted from constant swiping or want to skip apps altogether, opting into events to meet people in person. Some users on Thursday said they’re skipping the matching feature on the app and instead only using it to participate in events.
Although more people are using dating apps than ever before, analysts believe there is still room for growth. Over the next few years, the global online dating market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13%, reaching nearly $10 billion by 2025, Piper Sandler wrote in a January note. .
By hosting these in-person events, the companies hope consumers will interact in a way never before seen in online dating. Events can draw more people to the app and convince them to spend more on premium features, like promoting their profile or getting unlimited swipes and telling friends about success stories.
Fit, part of Match groupTheir portfolio, is working to develop Meet, a feature they hope will bring people from online to face-to-face “dating” without necessarily going through the traditional loop of sending likes. , wait for a match, and spend some time chatting.”
“I think the next phase in dating apps, and what we’re exploring, will really be rethinking that dating experience, especially how you bridge the gap and connect people. people in a more natural and organic way,” Match product manager and revenue officer Dushyant Saraph said in an interview. Match Group also owns Tinder and Hinge, which are more focused on social growth in the app.
Buzzfor its part, has focused on providing a safe space for people to meet. The company opened Bumble Brew, a coffee shop and bar, in New York last year. Since then, it has been temporarily closed due to frozen pipes.
Fourplay, which is raising pre-seed funds, has 12,000 users in New York.
Fourplay
Dating is becoming social
Dating apps are taking what can be an awkward, uncomfortable first date experience and turning it into a social experience.
Danielle Dietzek, co-founder of the social media dating company, said: “People go on first dates and in our experience, it’s often a waste of time. Fourplay Socialtold CNBC.
Users register themselves in the Fourplay app but are required to send an invite link to their friends so they can create a “team”. The two then create a joint profile. Teams then swipe through other teams, and when two teams like each other, the four users can initiate messaging.
Fourplay, which is crowdfunding pre-seed, has 12,000 users in New York and is planning to expand to other cities, co-founder Julie Griggs said in an interview. The company is in the process of planning an event for its first single next month in New York.
Even if a person finds they have no chemistry with someone they previously paired with on an app, the benefit of a singles event is that they can switch to one of join other without stress. People are also finding that apps offer a new way to make friends.
The handful of women who gathered together at Thursday’s event said that, while they may not have found a date yet, they are at least bonded.
