(Last Updated on May 24, 2020 by Datezie Editors)
If you weren’t comfortable on video at the start of the year, chances are high you’ve become a seasoned pro over the last few months. Everything that used to be in-person is now a Zoom, FaceTime or Google Hangout experience. Though it can sometimes be frustrating to put on pants for a check-in at work, it’s also has removed some of the anxieties around video chats. In the dating world, the pandemic could lead to a whole new league of dating apps that nix the endless texting and start off with video as the initial greeting.
At least that’s the goal of the dating app Curtn, based out of New York City. Rather than filling your profile with carefully-selected photos from your pre-quarantine life and a bio paragraph, this app encourages users to create short videos. If you can visualize it, it’s a mix between Instagram and TikTok, and the whole hope is to spark meaningful, captivating connections based on seeing someone ‘in real life’ rather than a 2D image on a phone.
In a recent interview with TechCrunch, the CEO of Curtn, Brenden Strauss says now, more than ever, the stage has been set for a new way of thinking about online dating that doesn’t have to be based on a swiping feature or follow the old rules of the mega-giants in the space. “What’s going on right now has entirely changed the dating game. As people are struggling to connect, we’re giving people a better way to connect while they’re physically apart.”
In fact, many of the most popular apps haven’t pivoted their approach to reflect the current times. Not only do very few offer ‘video’ as a form of communication, but the ones who do, rarely receive rave reviews from their user base.
To avoid the obvious safety and abuse concerns with uploading a video on a dating app full of, ahem, ready-to-mingle singles, Curtn requires another user to ‘accept’ before they answer a video call from a match. And they’ve built in features to try and find the bag eggs before they wreak havoc.
So far, the app has raised $425K in investments, and their user base is steadily growing. Particularly now since, well, people have time on their hands at home.
What do you think? Would you sign up for a dating app that’s all about video? If you’re up for yet another ‘new normal’, consider downloading this free app for iOs use only (for now).
