On the heels of many dating apps adding new features to make dating a bit easier amid the coronavirus pandemic,korean eroticism movie Bumble has released a bundle of their own.
One is their "Virtual Dating" badge, which, like Hinge's new Date From Home feature, intends to smooth the awkward transition between chatting on the app and going to a voice/video call. If you're interested in virtual dates, simply add the badge to your profile; the app has promised to make a donation to the WHO-COVID Solidarity Response Fund (on top of the $100,000 it's already donated) for every person who adds the badge up to $10,000.
"We're in a time where it’s paramount that people physically distance themselves IRL but that doesn’t mean we need to be socially disconnected altogether," Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble founder and CEO, told Mashable. "In fact, in a time like this it’s more important than ever to stay connected and engaged with others — and let’s face it, connection is a a fundamental part of being human so we will find a way to stay in touch!"
From March 13 to March 27, Bumble saw a 93 percent increase in the app's voice call/video chat usage, a representative previously told Mashable. Bumble is the only app that allows the user to utilize these features without sharing a phone number or email, according to Wolfe Herd. Given the increased interest, the app has added the ability to record voice notes and send them to matches — as well as using them to reply to specific messages in chats.
Lastly, Bumble now allows users to expand their distance filters to speak to anyone in their country, not just up to 100 miles away, which was the previous limit. Those who enjoy Tinder's newly-free Passport feature will probably like seeing who's on Bumble hundreds of miles away as well. "Overall, some great features for kicking off some fun virtual dating while we’re all staying at home and being healthy," said Wolfe Herd.
With so many apps tweaking their UX to make virtual dating smoother, singles have an opportunity to actually meet and form connections with others, whether they're blocks away or across the country.
UPDATE: April 15, 2020, 12:43 p.m. EDT The post was revised to include corrected information about the app’s previous distance settings.