Video Chat Makes Tinder Dating More Pandemic-Friendly

People are dating virtually these days as the COVID-19 crisis continues across the globe. Tinder, possibly the most well-known dating app, is starting to test out a new video chat feature to help you get to know that possible date without having to meet up and risk your health.

Available: It's just a test so far for people in Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, and Colorado in the U.S., as well as Brazil, Australia, Spain, Italy, France, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Peru, and Chile, so you might not see this pop up on your own mobile dating app.

Safety first: It's not just in-person dating that can be risky, so Tinder put together some solutions to creepy video calls. First off, you can only video chat if you both consent, and Tinder won't tell anyone when you've enabled the video function, so they (or you) don't feel pressured to go live. You can disable Face to Face on a single match basis, or you can turn it off completely (and back on again whenever you want).

A two-way street: The split screen encourages an equal connection—neither one of you is larger than the other onscreen, so you can make sure you're showing off what you want to without anything you don't. Tinder will also ask all participants how the chat went, so you can send a report if something was off about the person or the call.

No recording: Tinder's head of safety told The Verge there are no plans to enable call recording, and it will rely on user reports for the foreseeable future. Which could help people feel much safer being themselves on camera.

Bottom line: Online dating is here to stay, and our pandemic shows no signs of slowing down just yet. Online dating apps like Tinder (and Bumble, which has its own video chat function) need to continue to justify their existence, and people need the ability to connect with others in a safe way. Sounds like a win-win, right?

Via: The Verge

Learn More About Tinder