Slow dating app Once has launched a brand new video feature to help singles continue to connect while they’re stuck in self isolation.
The free update was released in France on Thursday and will be rolled out to the rest of the worldwide user base early next week.
Matches will be able to engage in live video conversations once they’ve exchanged a small number of text messages. They also have to both mutually agree to a call, a requirement that prevents any unwanted attention.
Once usually encourages matches to meet in person as soon as possible. However, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Europe is in lockdown with bars, restaurants and other popular first date venues all closed.
Therefore, the team worked quickly to produce a feature that allowed users to still have quality interactions without exchanging personal information with someone they’d only just matched with.
Clémentine Lalande, CEO of Once Dating Group, said in a statement: “Being confined and alone is a bit of a double punishment, so we tried to bring some cheerfulness to this period. There’s room for ideas in the dating space, and there is space to create a bit of positivity in all of this.
“If he or she is THE one, then meeting in person can wait for a few weeks, and the confinement might just be an unexpected teasing period, now with video as a new tool.”
In the past few weeks, user activity on Once has grown by 29%, as people turn to online dating while staying in their homes.
Several other platforms, including The Inner Circle and Dating.com, have reported an increase in activity since the beginning of the month. The number of video and voice calls on Bumble has seen a 21% rise as well.
Visit the Once website here.