Female-led dating app Bumble has now integrated video and voice calling into the app so that users no longer need to exchange contact information to get to know each other better. This feature protects users from “catfishing”, and offers them a better idea of who they might be meeting.

A year of lost physical contact has prompted a rise in more self-sufficient and cerebral styles of intimacy among younger people. Swapping prolific dating for purposeful dating, a growing number are showing less interest in casual hook-ups post-pandemic.

With intimacy redefined by the pandemic, people have reckoned with the importance of closeness and how it is crafted. In turn, many are exploring ways to connect that feel more intentional, be that via more ‘authentic’ online dating tools or analogue methods of communication, such as love letters. And despite all the headlines about a ‘hot vax summer’, people are looking for more emotional candour and control, pursuing relationships that feel meaningful.

Mystic Messenger is a game in which players take control of a female avatar and are presented with six potential suitors, powered by artificial intelligence. With more than a million people engaged around the world, it provides a glimpse into the true potential of online dating.