Online dating platform Match has introduced a new live, in-app feature called ’72 Hours’ in select cities in the United States. The new time-sensitive feature will let users message their potential match between Friday and Sunday after which the chat would disappear.
Users can select members near them on a map during the given time frame, start a conversation and make weekend plans. Users can see up to 15 profiles on the map but if they run out of options, Match gives them the option to adjust filters like age and location to find different, far away profiles. The platform will also start a countdown of the live event when there are 24 hours left.
Match users can sign up from Monday through Thursday to participate. The feature is available to Match members in New York and the parent company of Tinder plans to roll out it across the nation in the coming months. Match general manager and chief product officer Dushyant Saraph highlighted that the purpose of the latest feature is to ensure that conversations initiated within the dating app do not remain confined to the platform and eventually lose momentum.
“Singles are fatigued with dating apps; they are seeking real, meaningful connection,” he said. “As the iconic brand that changed the way we date, we want to take on daters’ frustrations and improve the dating app process. With 72 Hours, we’re providing a space that better aligns with singles’ intentions to see conversations through with others who want to do the same, bring more fun to the dating experience, and create more real-life connection,” he added.
Headquartered in Dallas, Match Group operates a portfolio of popular dating apps including Tinder, OkCupid, Match.com, Plenty of Fish, and Hinge. In February, the company announced a job cut of 8% across the globe. The move will impact around 200 employees and came as Match Group’s first-quarter revenue guidance fell short of estimates.
Elsewhere, the company last month announced its plans to quit Russia by the end of June, citing the need to protect “human rights” as the reason for its decision. However, the company’s timing and reason for withdrawal from Russia have been questioned as the move came over a year after the Ukraine war started.
