Tinder to Add Video Chat Feature by End of June

Tinder is planning to launch a one-on-one video chat feature within the app by the end of June. The development was shared by Tinder's parent company Match Group on Tuesday in its earnings release. At the moment, it is unclear how the company will prepare for the misuse of the feature as abuse and harassment are difficult to report for video calls. It is expected that the company is either making its own offensive image detection system or looking at a third party to provide one. The development also comes at a time that the novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic has enforced lockdowns and social distancing across most of the globe, leading companies to take innovative routes to retain users.

According to the earnings report by Match Group, the video chat feature on Tinder will likely launch by the end of the second quarter of 2020. The introduction of this feature will also be a significant move, as this will create a ripple effect across several other dating apps. Similarly, the addition of video chat on Tinder will also change the way the users interact with others via the app. Currently, users fully rely on texting for communication. However, one of the positive sides of the feature is that users will be able to verify their matches, as profiles at times can come across as fake.

"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 in its report said.

Moreover, the report also provided an analysis of Tinder's performance in the last few months, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic. Match Group stated that in April, female users under the age of 30 on Tinder swiped 37 percent more compared to February. "Female usage and engagement is a key driver for a dating product's success and we are constantly trying to improve these metrics," the report said.

Match Group also added that between February to March, the company saw a decline in first-time subscribers. This got stabilised in April, the company added. It was also noted that first-time subscribers were "up meaningfully" for the same period year-over-year.

Earlier in March and thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tinder also rolled out the Tinder Passport that allows users to connect with singles all over the world. The feature is available to Tinder Premium users.

In 2020, will WhatsApp get the killer feature that every Indian is waiting for? Samsung Galaxy S20 in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.