The team behind Harmonica, an app targeted at singles in Egypt and the Middle East, has spoken to springwise.com about some of its localisation measures.
CEO Sameh Saleh explained that he aims to appeal to conservative families without using strong religious messaging.
To achieve this, Harmonica introduced a “guardian” feature. It allows matches to send a complete transcript of their interaction to an aunt or a parent. The family member can then act as a traditional chaperone.
Female users can also blur their profile pictures, only revealing the content to people they have selected.
By taking advantage of the functionality, singles are able to use the platform in a way that is religiously appropriate.
Harmonica was recently acquired by Match Group. Tinder’s parent is looking to move into Asia, and will use the brand to reach a Muslim audience.
Saleh said of the acquisition: “Two years ago, we founded Harmonica with our sisters, cousins, and friends in mind, with the goal of helping them find a perfect partner.
“It was critical that what we built was something to protect them and represent the values that our community cares deeply about. It was also important that our parents would be comfortable with them using our app.”
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