11 Best Online Dating Sites For Finding Love In Coronavirus Lockdown
There are plenty of sites with great quarantine date features. Discover which ones are the best!
getty With extreme changes in the world right now, dating apps and online dating sites are changing as fast as you can make a date or 10.
And whether you're new to the dating scene or have been single for a while, you'll need to know which online dating sites are the best for quarantine date.
According to Business Insider, 90 percent of Americans are on lockdown due to the pandemic. So, having a virtual quarantine date is the safest way to date during social distancing.
Many dating sites are offering fun features and ways to connect with a potential match during the coronavirus quarantine. You just need to know where to look!
Here are 11 of the best online dating sites for finding love during the coronavirus pandemic.
1. Tinder
Tinder is a popular hookup app that's also been behind many matches who get in serious relationships.
They added some new GIFs in their chat, so that's a new fun feature if you're a GIF-lovin' kind of person. These little GIFs can put some fun back into your dating life. And who couldn't use more fun while in isolation?
There are also Snapchat Bitmojis, and you can send Spotify songs, too.
A new safety feature on Tinder called Noonlight is perfect if you are one of the rule-breakers going to meet your date, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Noonlight tracks your location and sends a notification to emergency services if you hit the alarm on the app.
You can also send these to a match:
- Your number
- Snapchat
- KakaoTalk
- Line
- Kik
- VK
There are some pretty cool features you can use to chat with your Tinder dates.
2. OKCupid
OKCupid has updated its desktop version since the coronavirus hit. According to them, there was a 900 percent increase in the words "social distancing" and "coronavirus" in their user profiles between February and March.
Despite the pandemic, as of March, a shocking 88 percent of OKCupid's surveyors said they would still meet up for IRL dates during the outbreak.
However, by April, some sites saw a 93 percent increase in video chats, rather than going out and meeting.
It's a great time to connect your account on OK Cupid with Instagram and check out your match's pictures. OKCupid has also added "topics" section, so you can get matches based on what's important to you: Pets, food, travel, religion, etc.
OKCupid also added some new questions to their more than 4,000 questions section. This has always been one of the best aspects of OKCupid.
This way, you can get to know someone on a deeper level than most people write about in their profiles.
3. The League
The League gives matches at "Happy Hour" every day. And guess what? If you add a video profile, you'll get priority in their matching algorithm.
Video chat is also available in the chat section after you message a match. You can choose who calls you, and your voice calls can be up to one-hour long. You can also get unlimited calls.
The League is dishing up "League Live," which means you can have three dates in nine minutes through their speed video dating. You'll need to RSVP to get involved.
A cool thing is… you don't have to give up your number to connect with someone you're not so sure about yet, even though they're verified through Linkedin.
And you won't have to waste your time on an extended boring dinner date. You'll know right away if you want to take your conversation further.
With the 10-second profile video, you'll know they're the real deal.
4. Hinge
Known as the dating site to be deleted, Hinge wants you to sign up right now so you can get back off the website as quickly as possible. They added a message to their site advising members to date from home to keep safe.
They've also added a prompt that lets you know when you and your match are ready for a video or a phone call.
You'll need to set up your date on Skype, Zoom, or wherever you choose. No on-site video chat is available yet.
5. Bumble
Since live dates are no longer an option, you can send an audio note to your match or a video clip through Bumble.
In addition to that, you can extend your matches to the entire country. Excellent benefit, since you're not supposed to meet anyone IRL anyway.
Ladies can make their first message a phone or video call, too.
It's not the place for old-school because you've got to make the first move. You can also play the question game with your match. No more thinking about how to start the convo on Bumble ever again.
When you add a virtual date badge, Bumble also donates to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity fund.
6. Moonit
This new dating site startup has multiple places you can have virtual quarantine dates. Moonit was created for lonely quarantined singles.
You can meet your matches almost anywhere in the world with their virtual Street Chat or in their virtual 3D city. Anywhere there's Google Maps, you can have a date. You can also pick out different hairstyles and outfits to wear on your cyber dates.
If you want to meet up beachside, on Mars, or in the coral reef of New Zealand, or even play games, you can do that, too.
Moonit also offers in-app voice and video chat, but the 3D dating features take virtual dating to a whole new level. Their features work best on a computer.
Many of the features work on mobile too, but you'll get the best experience on a bigger screen. They're also offering their "premium quarantine features" free through May 30.
7. Filter Off
Through Filter Off, you can create calendar invitations for video dates. Choose the nights you're free for a video date, and Filter Off will shoot you an email to make sure you've got on your virtual nightclothes.
The fun facts part of your profile is a good time, too. This app features 90-second quarantine speed dates as well.
You'll get three hand-picked dates you can match or pass afterward.
8. The Intro
The Intro app is made for video dating. You have to upload at least three photos, and they ask you to be considerate.
Their tagline is: No chat, no faff, just dates.
9. Badoo
This popular site has video chat you can use with any match. You've got to message before you can use the video function. Badoo has a free version and an upgraded version.
They have a large user base, and you can have a cyber encounter with tons of people.
10. Match
Match offers "MatchTalks," where dating experts dish out advice. They also have a "crossed paths" notification, which lets you know if you've encountered someone on the app in real life.
It goes so far to tell you where you crossed paths, which may be a little creepy for some.
11. Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish lets people live stream bits of their lives. Get that YouTube feeling without YouTube.
When you agree to the terms to participate in Plenty of Fish Live, you can also be part of the next dating game. When you play, your video chat will be unlocked.
You can be a contestant or be the star as a live streamer. There are people playing guitar, rapping, chanting, acting silly, acting like they're Justin Bieber...
It's pretty wild because you can watch people live stream and see other users having video conversations and leaving comments. It's got a game-show vibe, for sure.
Live-streaming with online dating is a unique and fun feature with a bit of voyeurism tied in (but there's no nudity or obscenity allowed). A mod bot is watching to keep things clean.
There are so many options for creative quarantine dating, and now you can have a great time trying out all these different sites and see their new staying home during your virtual date.
You'll have plenty of time to learn about the new guy before you meet up IRL. Whenever that's going to happen, I don't know. You'll have time to come up with quarantine date ideas in the meantime.
This lockdown is giving you time to get in touch with yourself and get to know your matches on deeper, more connected levels.
And you'll be able to breathe in some new energy into your love with quarantine dating online.
What's the rush, anyway? You won't have to worry about things moving too fast while you're sheltering in place.
When you're socially isolating to slow the spread, real love could emerge in a way you never expected. The possibilities are endless right now, and you don't even have to wear pants while you do it.
Dina Colada is an author, direct response copywriter, and dating coach whose work has appeared on sites like Prevention, Psych Central, MSN, and Women's Health. She specializes in helping single women navigate the modern world of online dating and offers her powerful, free eBook How To Get The Love You Want. It will help you find love and keep it — starting today.