Tinder users will have a new way to date in this age of social distancing.
In a letter to shareholders Tuesday, Tinder's parent company, Match Group, said Tinder will offer "one-to-one live video" late in the second quarter of this year.
This new feature comes at time when, even as folks are staying at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, dating apps are seeing spikes in usage. As restaurants, bars and other regular date spots are closed, people are turning to video calls to get to know each other.
"The pandemic has dissolved the lines between our digital and physical lives," said Tinder CEO Elie Seidman in a statement. "This cultural shift was already underway with our Gen Z members -- but the pandemic is accelerating and broadening it to other generations. This new, deeply intertwined social life, has been a driving force of our product innovation for some time but is now more relevant than ever."
Very few major dating apps and sites, however, came into the pandemic already offering a video chat feature, meaning apps are having to quickly adjust to the new reality of dating. In April, Match (which is also owned by Match Group) announced a video chat feature of its own.
See also: Dating during coronavirus: 9 ideas for virtual dates while social distancing
