Lately, things have felt anything but certain. With the constantly evolving situation surrounding coronavirus, it’s easy to get swept up in the worry. We decided to check in with our users to see how they’re feeling about COVID-19, as well as how it’s impacting their dating lives.

So far, 81% of CMB daters have reported they’re practicing social distancing, 19% are self-quarantining, and 78% are putting a pause on in-person dates.

Doing our part by practicing social distancing and staying home when we’d rather be out with friends and family can make us feel pretty alone. But, we also have the chance to strengthen our relationships as we continue to lean on and support one another. 

The importance of staying connected

For singles, the sudden change in day-to-day life can feel discouraging for their dating prospects. And we’d guess that even those well-versed in the practice of staying home are balking at the idea of being in the house for 14 days. Really, there are only so many puzzles you can do. 

That’s why making and maintaining connections is more important now than ever. It reminds us that we’re not alone in this. Even a simple phone call can get you out of your head and begin to soothe fears. So while we may be physically apart, we can still find a host of creative ways to connect with one another.

Advice to daters on going virtual

Some daters may need to press pause on going on IRL dates, but that’s OK. Longer conversations and virtual dates are the new norm. When surveyed, many CMB daters reported they’re open to connecting in different ways in the meantime: Instead of quickly going from matching to meeting in person, 39% plan to text their matches more, 29% plan to call, and 28% want to video chat more. 

That’s right, we’re going to make like it’s 2008 and talk on the phone until it gets physically hot to the touch. Now all we need to do is bring back AIM, and we’ll really be virtually connecting, right? But in all seriousness, we’re all a little scared and on our toes as news rolls in each day. Being forced to change routines is uncomfortable. But this new normal could actually be a silver-lining for online dating. 

Not only are we forced to reevaluate how we approach dating, but also removing the ability to meet in person shortly after matching is encouraging us to slow down. And really, this slow dating approach could be a faster way to get that genuine connection we’re searching for:

💜 Daters have more time to simply get to know each other.

💜 No reason to play it cool; it’s not a race to match, go out for coffee, or quickly decide if the relationship is worth pursuing.

💜 There’s time to be more intentional about matching and go deeper with one person at a time. 

What we’re doing to support CMB’ers

As daters begin to shift their dating habits, we’re backing them up to make it easier to create meaningful virtual connections.

Rolling Chat Extensions

While Coffee Meets Bagel normally has a seven-day chat expiration, we decided that it doesn’t quite make sense now that many in-person dates are getting a rain check. To support the CMB Community’s desire to talk for longer, all chats with active conversations – conversations in which both people have said something within the past three days – can stay open indefinitely.

CMB Community Virtual Meetups

To create a supportive space for face-to-face socialization, we’re also organizing CMB Community Virtual Meetups. Select users are given the opportunity to sign up to join a video chat with around seven fellow CMB members. Members can submit topics, but recently the subject of how COVID-19 is affecting our dating lives has been popular.

Digital Dating Inspiration

We’re also offering inspiration for connecting and dating virtually, like out-of-the-box date ideas, on our Instagram feed. Here’s a quick peek at what we’ve been up to.

Where do we go from here?

This uncertain and sometimes scary new world doesn’t haven’t to mean the end of online dating. Humans are usually pretty good at coming together in times of need. So even though we might all have to spend some time physically apart, we’ve been inspired by the creative ways people continue to virtually connect. And for as long as we can, we’ll strive to do our part in contributing.

To meet new people and go on digital dates, download Coffee Meets Bagel by texting yourself a link. Or, download CMB directly from your phone: iOS | Android

At Coffee Meets Bagel, we’re all about being our best selves. And sometimes, that means making changes. The latest? We’re adding a phone-number login option. This login update will make Coffee Meets Bagel more convenient and safer to use. We’ll start rolling out this new login option today, but if you don’t see it yet, don’t worry! All users will see the new login option, whether on Android or iOS, within the next few days.

We’re Listening

It’s obvious why our phone-number login option will make Coffee Meets Bagel more convenient and accessible, especially to new users who may not have a Facebook account.
But that isn’t our only reason for the transition. We know your data is important to you. In fact, we saw a 378 percent increase (yes, seriously!) in the number of requests for alternative options to our Facebook login in the wake of Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal.
And guess what? Your data is really, really important to us, too. So we’ve done a whole lot of research on how we can best keep your data safe while still keeping our app super convenient and easy to use.
And so, presto! The phone-number login option was born.

Why a Phone Login? Safety and Privacy

We’ve chosen this login option because we know many of you don’t feel comfortable logging into our app via Facebook. Plus, phone-number logins ensures only one account is made per phone.
We love Facebook for our gossip and friends update fix just as much as the next user, but unfortunately, Facebook and email login options pose higher risks — like the possibility of users creating multiple fake accounts. And at Coffee Meets Bagel, we’re all about being real.

We’ve also partnered with a third-party security firm specializing in identity protection and other safeguards to prevent fake accounts from being created with fake phone numbers. Because your safety and privacy is our primary concern. (You know, next to finding you spectacular matches.)

What If I’m Not Ready for This Change?

If you don’t feel like updating your Coffee Meets Bagel account with a phone-number login instead of your Facebook account right now, that’s all right. We know change takes time, so for now, you’ll still have the option to log in with Facebook.
If you have any questions or comments, please write to us at [email protected]!

We’ve heard your feedback: You asked for more control over your chats with the ability to reopen expired connections. And starting today, you will see a “Reopen” button at the bottom of all your closed chats!

But that’s not all, the new Reopen feature also allows you to open chats without waiting to hear back from your Bagel. No more: “We’ll let you know if they want to keep chatting!” Instead, just click “Reopen” and the chat will immediately reactivate.

We also made it easier to Unmatch from someone if you’re no longer interested. Simply tap the three dots at the top of the chat to Unmatch and close the chat.

This Reopen feature can only be unlocked with Beans, and we think that’s a good thing. We want to make sure that you (and your Bagel) are serious about chatting. By requiring Beans to Reopen, our hope is that you will actually chat and take the time to set up a date!

Update to the latest version of CMB on your phone now to have access to this feature!
*Please note: You will not be able to reopen chats with someone who left the chatroom initially or someone who you Removed previously.

Questions? Feedback? Let us know at [email protected]