Americans who have received their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine might find it easier to get a match this week, thanks to a new project that's being helmed by the White House and several major online dating platforms.
Announced a few days ago, the initiative means that users across nine different apps and websites will get a little boost to their profile. This perk varies according to individual platforms, but some of the best online dating sites and apps are giving users the opportunity to really shout about their vaccinated status.
Tinder is offering its members the chance to display stickers on their profiles saying ‘I’m vaccinated’ or ‘vaxing soon’. Anyone who participates in this will then be offered the opportunity to ‘superlike’ a member between 2 - 4 July.
OkCupid – which we think is one of the best gay dating apps currently available – is also offering members the chance to add a vaccinated badge to their profile, after which they’ll receive a free profile boost.
One of the best dating apps for women, Bumble, is participating in the scheme too. Although full details are yet to emerge, it sounds like you’ll get a similar offering to the above, with the option to add a vaccinated badge onto your profile and then receive extra perks for your participation. (We tried this out earlier, but it looks like the option hasn’t been added to the user interface just yet – you can, however, list your preferences for things like socially distanced dating or virtual meet-ups.)
In addition to giving users some little extras, some apps will provide useful information by linking to the Vaccines.gov website and embedding the locations of nearby vaccination centres.
According to stats from OkCupid, users who have stated they they plan to get the vaccine – or that they have previously received it – are already getting 15% more likes and 14% more matches. And Tinder has reported an 800% increase in mentions of the word ‘vaccine’ since the start of the pandemic.
Full details of available perks are yet to emerge from each dating platform, but in a recent press statement the White House confirmed that Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, and Badoo will all soon offer a series of features encouraging vaccinations.
