Bumble lets you match with anyone in your country during the pandemic

Just because the world is ending, doesn’t mean your love life has to.

Although dating might not be at the top of your to-do list while social distancing, yesterday Bumble released a bunch of new virtual dating tools to help you find a match during quarantine. These include adding a ‘Virtual Badge’ to your profile indicating you’re down to video call, send audio notes to matches, and expand your distance filter so you can chat with people across the country. 

[Read: How my first digital date helped me survive self-isolation]

Prior to these updates — and before non-essential contact was a crime — the app allowed people to connect with others within 100-miles of their location. But now, love doesn’t come with limits. To expand your match radar, head to the app’s settings and switch your distance filter to “nationwide.” 

Virtual dating

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Bumble was already prepared for the unexpected pandemic after it released a voice call and video chat feature last year, something other dating apps have also recently released. 

By now, we should all know that social distancing comes with some new, and awkward, ways of staying in touch with people. While video chatting a new match on a dating app might not be for everyone, Bumble’s “Virtual Date Badge” lets others know you’re down for a virtual date — the dating app also provides some ideas for a virtual dates too. 

Also, every time someone adds this badge to their profile, Bumble will make a $10,000 donation to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Fund. 

As we live through these uncertain times, it’s important to adapt and come up with new and interesting ways of keeping life as normal as it can be. This probably means having your grandparents on Zoom, having your first date via a video call, and chatting to matches that might be hundreds of miles away.