Dating apps add more video options for users

Dating apps have gone through a lot of major changes since the beginning of their existence. If we look at what they were 10 years ago and what they have become now, we can see a huge difference.

Today we’re going to encourage you to look at the most significant changes. We also want to pay special attention to the spread of the video chat format in modern web dating.

Key changes in modern dating

In reality, the full list of changes would be really long, so we’re going to focus on the most significant ones — those that strongly influenced the basic principles of modern dating:

1. Mass transition from websites to apps. With the advent of high-speed mobile networks, it has become possible to use internet services on a smartphone much more comfortably. Therefore, today online dating is primarily applications, and websites are very much secondary.
2. Updated algorithms and artificial intelligence. Dating apps have begun to actively use machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of matchmaking and user experience. This allows them to offer more suitable and relevant matches.
3. Extension of functionality. Depending on the platform you choose, you can enjoy a wide variety of features, from media sharing to virtual reality chat. There are very likely many more interesting innovations ahead.
4. Rise of niche dating apps. Instead of universal platforms, niche applications have increasingly begun to appear, focused on specific groups of users with unique interests. And although the number of active participants in such applications is usually less, there are actually more chances to meet interesting acquaintances, new friends or even your soulmate here.
5. Focus on security and data protection. With the increase in the number of users, the importance of security and data protection has become critical for dating platforms. Many of them have improved their security and privacy policies, but still, taking care of security and privacy is primarily a task for the users themselves.

However perhaps the most important innovation is the popularization of the video communication format. In classic web dating, this phenomenon began to actively spread during the Covid-19 pandemic, due to the fact that people were literally locked up within four walls and wanted to somehow make up for the lack of offline communication. Video chat turned out to be the best option.

How video chat changed the very principles of internet communication

The video chat format itself appeared in 2009 and quickly became popular. At that time, the main player in this area was Omegle. It managed to grab the attention of a huge audience, even though the site itself wasn’t particularly functional. It simply connected random users via video. Even basic search settings were almost nonexistent.

Later, against the backdrop of the popularity of this site, alternative platforms began to appear, many of which turned out to be even more usable and interesting. For example:

• Shagle — a good alternative to Omegle, offering its users gender and geographic filters to search for people to chat with. And although they do not always work 100% accurately, just their presence is an important plus.
• OmeTV — another copy of Omegle with gender and geographic filters, as well as a built-in message translator for comfortable communication with foreign speakers. OmeTV also has pretty handy apps for iOS and Android.
• VideochatOmegle.com — a great alternative to Omegle that can offer you a lot of benefits. Site https://videochatomegle.com/ offers built-in message translator and great moderation and support service.

You can’t continue to use Omegle Classic Video Chat, since it has shut down. However, if you need interesting and useful features, we still recommend that you consider the alternatives listed. Or search the internet for other popular random video chat apps to find the best option for you.

Why are dating apps so actively implementing video options?

In fact, the excuse of the Covid-19 pandemic was only among a few reasons. Yes, in 2020 the pandemic gave a very strong push in this direction. But there are other reasons why dating apps have become so focused on the video communication format:

• Urge to improve user experience. Video communication allows users to more effectively present themselves and their personalities. No profile description or text message would give the same effect and allow you to objectively evaluate another person in the same way. So if you really want to make promising acquaintances, you need to focus specifically on video communication.
• Desire to increase the level of trust between users. Video chat allows people to see each other in real time no matter how far apart they are. You can communicate with a person in almost the same way as in the real world, because you see and hear them, catch intonation and mood, read gestures and body language. This is a whole new level of online communication.
• Need to ensure greater alignment of interests. Video options can improve the profile matching algorithms used by dating apps, as they provide more information about the user and their identity. This helps the app offer more relevant and quality matches. And although in classic video chats dating still relies heavily on chance, machine learning and artificial intelligence apply here too. This means interesting matches happen much more often than before.

It should never be forgotten that modern people really value their own time, and traditional dating simply does not fit the current reality. Not everyone can afford to sit on a dating app for several hours every day, looking through hundreds of profiles, swiping photos left and right and chatting endlessly with people who actually don’t even suit them…

Video communication allows you to save a huge amount of time, effort and stress. You simply launch a website or app, and after a few moments you‘re talking to a new person, discussing topics that interest you and having a good time. And if communication with the one chat partner doesn’t work out, you can simply switch to the next one in just one click. It’s very convenient and opens up huge horizons for making new friends. Try it, we’re sure you’ll like it!

The prospects we see for video communication on the web

It is quite difficult to answer this question categorically. We’re sure that video chat sites like Omegle will remain popular for a very long time. Built-in video chat in more classic dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Badoo, and others will also be popular. But at the same time, you cannot deny the fact that the online dating industry is changing and evolving very quickly.

According to many experts, the next big step forward in this area may very soon be the spread of virtual and augmented reality. These technologies are now gradually being implemented in various areas of our lives, and in the future this process will become even more pervasive especially as VR and AR technologies become more accessible to most potential users. So far, for the average internet user, a quality VR headset is still too expensive and an unjustifiable purchase. However, sooner or later this will change. Then, we will enter the era of virtual dating. It is difficult to say exactly when this will happen, but there’s every reason to believe that this could happen much sooner than we think.